Well, I’m not ashamed to say I bottled it this morning. I hate cattle markets and I knew this one would be the worst kind. I could hear distressed animals even as I sat in the van with the blinds up, pretending not to be in!
Here’s Guy’s thoughts on it …
“Guelmim camel market, does exactly what it says on the tin. After summoning up the courage to go through the entrance being the only obvious tourist in shorts and a t shirt you soon realised that you had to leave all European sense of what is normal behind. For once I’d managed to get up early enough to be at the market at the time the main bartering was going on. Four distinct sections, cows, sheep, goats and err camels with no obvious divide, but somehow all staying in their allotted space. Each shepherd/goat herder had their own little flock around them with some pretty serious negotiations going on. Price agreed, the animal was promptly selected, put on its back and had its legs tied together…next! Goats do an unbelievable cry of hellllpppp when they want to.
The camels though, were a different matter, lots arrived kneeling on the back of pick up trucks. Six seemed to be the going ratio of camel to van, how they got them on I’ve got no idea, but they all sat there docilely awaiting whatever their next fate was. That turned out to be being dragged off by the front legs whilst being pushed from behind. Seriously outraged at being made to stand up, once off the pick up they calmly wandered off to join the herd.
At one time camel removal proceedings were paused whilst the owner asked a couple who were filming to stop and move away, done very politely but firmly, and it made me wonder if they know that there is a real sense of disgust within the western world for treating animals like this. We’re so used to pre packaged everything that seeing some reality is very strange. In a way you realise this is Africa and life is very different. Survival and feeding your family is everything in these parts.
Going rate for your camel in these parts, about €900.
Got speaking in my non fluent French to a couple of Tuareg who had bought camels here. One hadn’t sold any, but he did have some fine silver and copperware spread on the ground he’d like to show me. The other spoke even less French than me, but from what I could decipher he was the local Imam and knew the Quran off the top of his head. This was demonstrated when he started reciting the call to prayer whilst tightly holding my hand. On the third Et Hedera (I think that’s what he said) I decided I had seen enough of rural Morocco and escaped to the van to collect Janet for the more sedate vegetable market. “
So, off we went for vegetables, which turned out to be a non traumatic experience, in fact, I wish we’d done it sooner! Everything is just spread out on the floor, fill a plastic washing up bowl with your pickings and the kind man weighs it all together and charges you 88p! 😮For this price we had tomatoes, aubergine, courgettes, cucumber, red peppers, green peppers and onions – incredible. I then picked up a net bag full of cherry tomatoes – two sandwich boxes full for 18p! Amazing.
Made our way to the coast then on nice smooth tarmac.
Sidi Ifni seems like a nice laid back kind of place, with a Spanish flavour to it. Everything is painted blue and white which makes it feel quite Mediterranean, although the Atlantic Ocean is most definitely not like the Med! The campsite is not very busy and is right on the seafront. Perfect for a couple of days off.
We’ve walked up into the town above us, which seemed virtually empty, although we still managed to get accosted by a Berber who had been to Lancashire etc, etc..has an exhibition around the corner…
