Sun March 04 2018  —  e-mail Manfred

Summer in Morocco.

Flag Morocco

Wednesday, August 22 2007

3 years, 1 month

Casablanca, Morocco

About Travel Photography,
Colors of the World.

Manfred is creator of ThisFabTrek.com, travel photography, a travel blog and a photography blog (a journey from 2004 to 2013). 'I set out to see the colors of the world, always I try to capture the colors'.

Seeing, is understanding, so I report and photograph, but formost enjoy and live those different conceptions of life (all that TV [and the web] cannot give). I reject jealousy, animosity, bigotry. Be free!

Manfred in the desert of the Western Sahara

The mind, when pondering at night and always asked those questions. What am I doing in corporate wonderland of bank, university, office or church? Who is the other animal asleep deep inside, the thinker, punk, creative, or Indian, vagabond and healer, maybe artist, writer, photographer, traveler, globetrotter? Oh God, dare you to think. When I saw the lies, gambles and manipulations I follow the old dream and set out for the journey of life lived, the journey to see the colors of the world.

During years on the road I have taken the turns as they came along, and realized one thing: Only such a small part of the planet can be explored and such a vast land and sea mass will always remain unknown, to me; many swamps, jungles, deserts and oceans will never be traveled. But then I am father of twin boys, Daniel and David, my most important, and I show them some of the wonders and colors out there.

ThisFabTrek, Photography and Journey, the Stories from the Road and Life around the World, stopped in August 2013 after more than 9 years, Love and Peace.

Last vehicle.

G20, Chevy Gladiator.

Chevrolet Gladiator G20, The boys in Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
The boys and Chevy van, Peru.

The G20, the vehicle that came to me for the Americas adventures.

6 wheeled Land Rover.

Land Rover Defender 6x6
Link to Foley

The vehicle of the Africa adventures, a Foley 6-Wheeled Land Rover Defender.

Before, the MB307.

Manfred and MB307
Journey, Middle East.

The vehicle of the Middle-East and North-Cape Journeys. See all vehicles.

Daniel and David with nanny Aisha, the best we ever had, black African Woman carrying white twin babies, in Bamako, Mali.

Land Rover 50,203km

Trekking 335km

Ferry 1,514km

Train 238km

Other cars 38,845km

(MB307 12,780km)

Travel Blog

contains Festival/Fiesta/Art photography.

"There is nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come." - Victor Hugo.

"What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it, to tell the tale." Living to Tell the Tale - Gabriel García Márquez.

"They never taught wandering in any school I attended. ... they never taught the art of writing a book, either. It's all so mysterious."
"Wandering is an art in itself. Wandering and writing don't mix"
"Writing demands commitment and if one thing your wanderer is allergic to is that very quality of commitment, for once one is committed he runs that very risk of failure ..." Wanderer - Sterling Hayden.

"Photography enables you to grasp a place first time round. ... Photography is a means of exploration, it's a vital part of travel, almost as essential as a car or a plane. " - Wim Wenders.

"The worst prejudice we acquire during our youth is the idea that life is serious. Children have the right instincts: they know that life is not serious, and treat it as a game..." , Egon Friedell.

"How far you gonna go. Before you lose your way back home" - Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, Achtung Baby, U2.

"If you want to be a hero well just follow me." - Working Class Hero, John Lennon.

"When I think of all the things I have done, I know that it's only just begun." - I love you, Lou Reed.

"One does not escape the Sahara - the Sahara let's you go or not" - Touareg.

"Planet earth is blue and there`s nothing I can do" - This is Ground Control to Major Tom, David Bowie.

"Glory for the crazy people/in this stupid world" - Ahmed Fouad Negm.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > morocco > 20070822-casablanca

Essaouira July 2007.

Essaouira, boats fishing net.
Daily fresh fish.

At some stage we find time to head down to Essaouira for a few days another time to Marrakech. But apart from that we spend most time preparing what should be the best fête dans l'année.

Essaouira, blue boats, fish cutter.
Fleet.
Essaouira, pier, sea gulls.
Gulls.

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Henna.

Henna is being performed when some needs celebrating. Like the circumcision of the boys Daniel and David, or marriage of Hasna and myself. Henna usually predates the actual festivities. Henna is more relaxed, not that much of a protocol.

Before marriages Henna is compulsory.

Henna is for women - more then for men.

It has several thousands of years of tradition in all Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Christian cultures from Morocco to India. Henna is on wiki and the hennapage.

Henna foot. Henna tatoo.
Henna foot.
Henna hands. Henna tatoo, Moroccan Wedding.
Henna hands.
Henna hands, Henna feet, Hasna and Hajja Aisha. Henna tatoo.
Hasna with Hajja Aisha.
Henna hands, Henna feet, Hasna dances. Henna tatoo.
Dance.
Henna hands, Henna feet, Women dance. Henna tatoo.
Henna for women.
Henna leg, Henna feet, Mirijam. Henna tatoo.
Sister.
Henna Hansa and I casual. Henna tatoo.
Casual.
Henna Hansa and I and grandmother. Henna tatoo.
with Bent Sliman.
Henna Hansa and Abderrahmane casual. Henna tatoo.
Abderrahmane.
Henna Hansa and Zohras family. Henna tatoo.
Hasna and her mothers family.
Henna, Moroccan Marriage, Orange Henna tatoo.
Henna, after washing off the paste, becomes orange.

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Circumcision Celebration and fête de mariage.

When you travel, the biggest thing is attend a wedding, see how people in the world celebrate their special events.

Never would I have thought in Feb 2005 when I entered Morocco for the first time that I would attend my own wedding here someday, in fact recognise Morocco as home, call my own kin Moroccan.

And all come, my parents, my sister, and more family, my best friends, from Austria and France.

Well, circumcision for boys is very important too Moroccan culture - and was carried out long before the fete.

And Hasna wanted something similar to a fête de mariage, "for all those who come from far". I have been largely involved in the preparations and all should go well. I am totally relaxed but I have not got much an idea what is coming up.

Some impressions.

Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna and I.
We'll spend a lot of time up here ...
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna and I.
... on the throne.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna and I.
A real wedding.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna and I.
I am really relaxed.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna and I.
Changing her robe 4 times.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna and I.
Dance.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna and I.
Back on the throne, sweating.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna and I.
Yellow.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hasna in yellow, Daniel and David.
With Daniel and David.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Sylvia and David.
Mother and David.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Zohra and Daniel. Mother and Daniel.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Zohra and Sylvia.
2 mothers.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Buchaeb.
Bôuchaeb.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Abderrahmane, Nico.
Abderrahmane, Nico.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Hajja Aisha, Marijam.
Hajja Aisha, Mariam.
Wedding, Mariage marocaine. Folklore.
Same folk as for Henna.

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Countryside later.

Later in the month after David has taken a heatstroke in Marrakech (actually it was raining that day we spent there), or was he just teething, or was it measles, anyway after all has calmed down a bit, my parents and friends have left and are back in Vienna ... and David is back well, we take to the countryside.

Some more impressions.

Nadja and David.
Nadja.
David and grapes.
David again.
Girls and the boys carried with cloth the traditional Moroccan way.
Girls and the boys.

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30th of August, Casablanca still.

Hasna has left with the boys for Vienna and winter.

I miss them already.

Melancholy.

It is a choice.

I buy a toothpaste (we had been constantly running out of it here), sprays against mosquitoes as much as I can (of course against Malaria not in Morocco but from Nouakchott onwards, only not getting bitten 200 times a day helps), toilet paper, two more photo memory cards and a (only) medium stock of beers (the holy month of Ramadan (wiki) approaches fast).

Maybe some fasting/refraining from the spirit does me well after these many last months.

And I set out for the African adventure.

Well melancholy, - not so much. While I finally upload this page still in Casa, I am listening to the Foly double CD live album by fantastic Habib Koité, whom we have seen play in Mali, in Segou nearly 2 years ago.

I love my family, but also my heart beats in Africa.

One more: Morocco is going to vote a new parliament September 7th (Magharebia). TV is full of campaigning party spots and due state sponsored education how to vote and to vote. Just fragmentation (33 or so parties that run) asserts no party will gain an outright majority, - and no clear strong opposition will emerge either.

And Moroccans are a bit disillusioned after all those years when elections results were falsified under Interior Minister Driss Basri (globalvoicesonline). For democracy to merit trust it needs many more years. But the process towards more transparency under King Mohammed VI has started. M6, how they call him, "the best politician in the world" some say. Truly remarkable how he has reshaped his country. Let's see whether Moroccans are ready for it.

Stay tuned for updates.

www.thisfabtrek.com > journey > africa > morocco > 20070822-casablanca

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