Thursday, October 13, 2005


Morocco. The Roads and People of Atlas, Valley of Drra. Several villages have watterworks financed by the EU. From the edge of the desert to the towns, the omnipresent “water associations” are a glimpse of the modernization. The people here live apparently simple and happy lives. I have not once seen the poverty stricken faces of the big cities. The people living in the mountains and on the desert’s edge are certainly not rich and some of the places I have seen there were right out desolate but it seems that the simplicity of living does in return gives a carefree and wiser outlook. Children looked healthy and happy despite the overwhelming poverty. As you go back towards Marrakech things change and poverty takes again an ugly, sad, and unacceptable shape. Villages in the mountains have the simple mud brick houses but sometimes are complex pisse style Kasbahs surrounded by the similarly earthy looking houses in close clusters. However poor all have spanking new mosques undoubtedly sponsored by the reach and more conservative Gulf states. People here have a comparatively relaxed attitude to the camera. I never imposed and though I lost many good shots I believe this is the only way.
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