Mmorocco: 07/05/13

Trekking in Morocco, Gateway by outdoor sports in Morocco specialist Charlie Shepherd.

Trekking in Morocco

Morocco Gateway by outdoor sports in Morocco specialist Charlie Shepherd.

Morocco’s mountains and deserts offer exceptional beauty, high drama and intriguing cultural encounters in equal measure, making it an increasingly popular and appealing destination for trekking, be it a challenging summit climb, a multi-day camping trek through untouched wilderness, or a casual day walk to experience a way of life which has hardly changed in centuries .In fact choosing what trek to do in Morocco, and where, can prove a stiff challenge in itself.

So, what are the options and most important considerations to bear in mind when planning your trek in Morocco? As with all types of holiday you’ll have to consider whether to join an organised tour (either on a group or private basis), or whether you intend to organise your trip on a more independent basis. In the case of trekking, both approaches are possible. The following information is geared more towards the independent traveller, although the merits of booking through an experienced operator should not be overlooked.

For the independently-minded and adventurous individual, treks in Morocco can be successfully organised “on-the-spot”, provided certain key guidelines are followed. Most importantly, you are never recommended to trek (for anything more than a casual mountain stroll) without a qualified mountain guide to lead you. Ait Bougmez Valley, the most beautiful valley in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains, is home to Africa’s only mountain guide training college and all certified guides have passed a six-month mountain leadership course here.

Sourcing qualified guides is normally relatively straightforward and any prospective guide should be asked to show you their official mountain guide identity card. The Hotel Ali (just off the Jemaa-el-Fna main square) in Marrakech is a good starting point as many guides tend to congregate here. Asking at reception will normally yield quick results. They also have a stock of 1:100 000 maps which will be useful in your planning.

If you have already researched your trekking region (more on this later) then in some cases you will be able to source a guide at the trailhead. The villages of Imlil, Tabant, Setti Fatma (High Atlas), Tafraoute (Anti-Atlas), Nkob (Jebel Saghro) and Taliouine (Jebel Sirwa) are good places to find local guides, as are their local hotels and guest houses. Guide services cost around 400dh (about €30-35) per day, and, depending on the nature of your proposed hike, you may want to enlist the services of a mule and handler to carry your bags/food/camping gear etc. Mule services cost around 100dh per day (about €8-10) and are recommended for long treks where food and camping equipment needs to be carried. On organised treks with tour companies you will also be provided with a cook to prepare lunches and hot meals in the evenings. All guides know of a cook who can accompany you, should you require one – count on about 200dh (around €15-20) per day.

Another essential consideration prior to settling on any trek is weather and climate. Morocco is predominantly a dry country but severe weather conditions are common in the mountains, even in summertime. Research this well, be prepared with adequate clothing, including multiple layers, good quality waterproof and windproof garments, sturdy hiking boots with ankle support, and always heed the advice of guides who will know local conditions far better than you will. There is no single ideal season to trek in the mountains of Morocco, as each range has its own climatic nuances, although you can count on late spring and autumn as being generally good times to hike. Winter hiking in all but the extreme south and the desert often requires specialist equipment for snow conditions, and summer is only recommended for very high altitude treks where the air is cooler.

So, where to go?

The most popular range of mountains in which to trek is the High Atlas. The highest and most extensive range in North Africa, the High Atlas rise to over 4000m above sea level and boasts Africa’s highest peak, Jebel Toubkal, at a height of 4,167m pr 13,671ft. Toubkal is, by some distance, the most trekked peak in Morocco, and represents an easily-accessible but challenging two or three day hike from the busy trailhead village of Imlil. Imlil has a “Bureau des Guides” where you can get information on the region and source guides, mules and cooks.

The trail up the mountain is a well-trodden one, and two well-equipped refuges at the foot of the steepest part of the climb provide dormitory accommodation and hot meals. The trek is physically-challenging but doesn’t prevent too many technical difficulties for regular hikers, and you’ll normally find the mountain snow covered (sometimes all the way from Imlil up) from December to April, when crampons and ice axes are required.

If your focus includes experiencing a taste of Moroccan rural culture, there are plenty of easily-accessible options from Imlil or Setti Fatma (at the top of the Ourika Valley). For instance a three-day hike through brightly-cultivated valleys and over one high pass, links the two valleys, with your nights spent under canvas, or, somewhat more conveniently, staying in mountain gites, basic village houses licensed to put up passing walkers for the night. The cultural aspect to such treks, or other similar hikes at lower altitudes, makes this a popular choice among visitors.

If you have longer than a week available to you, you might cast your eye further afield. The Toubkal National Park in the High Atlas mountain range, 70 kilometres from Marrakech, has few rivals for convenience, but other parts of Morocco offer comparable beauty and interest for those prepared to invest travelling time to access more distant mountain areas.

The Ait Bougmez valley in the High Atlas Mountains five hours to the east of Marrakech, is one of Morocco’s most absorbing and picturesque trailheads, and one which offers trekking services (guides, mules, cooks, provisions) plus hikes to suit all levels of physical ability. Jebel M’Goun is the country’s third highest peak and is scalable by fit individuals as part of a five day circuit starting and finishing in Bougmez. For more leisurely strolls, the valley itself, with its gite accommodation, fairytale landscape and hospitable folk, will keep you occupied and entertained for three or four days.

Heading southward from this region over the rugged spine of the High Atlas, treks into the Mgoun Gorges lead towards the desert south of the country. The Jebel Saghro, an intruiging landscape of contorted rock formations, table top mountains and bright oases, is a popular winter trekking range and is accessible from the agreeable town of N’Kob. Four to five days will allow you to traverse the range from south to north, finishing on the plains around the town of Boumalne Dades. Beware that trekking in the Saghro requires a high degree of organisation as trails are indistinct, water can be scarce and temperatures ferocious, even in spring and autumn.

The road from the Draa Valley to N’Kob continues to the tallest desert sand dunes in Morocco, close to the community of Merzouga. The Erg Chebbi dunes rise some 300m out of the surrounding flat plains of the “Hamada” stone desert, and their popularity can make them crowded in high season. However, with a bit of effort you can escape the crowds with a good guide and the essentials for overnight stays in the dunes. There are a number of well-equipped, permanent tent camps in the dunes but if solitude is what you are after then you’ll have to be prepared to pitch your own camp. Here camel dromedaries carry the gear (as opposed to mules) and, if you bargain hard, you can hire one for around 200dh (€15-20) per day. Some choose to ride, others prefer to walk - either is possible.

Additionally, here are some other trekking area suggestions together with their corresponding trailheads:

Jebel Sirwa: accessible from Taliouine

Anti-Atlas Mountains: accessible from Tafraoute

Middle Atlas Mountains: accessible from Azrou

Rif Mountains: accessible from Chefchaouen

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Charlie Shepherd

Epic Morocco is a specialist British adventure tour operator owned and managed by Anglo-French couple Charlie Shepherd and Melodie Selvon.
...
Charlie spends much of his time leading groups, enjoying the chance to indulge his passion for adventure sports, whilst Melodie spends much of her time looking after their young family.
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Charlie Shepherd, Managing Director
...
Charlie Shepherd, Managing Director Charlie is the founder of Epic Morocco and has been working in tourism for the past 13 years. After an extensive period of world travel he joined a Latin American tour operator in 1997 and managed their adventure tours department. After seven years working in London he felt it was time to spread his wings and set up his own company. Epic Morocco was born after a series of visits to Morocco when he and his better half fell in love with the country. He divides his time between leading tours and managing operations from the office.
About Us
www.epicmorocco.co.uk, 30 Sept 2011 [cached]
Epic Morocco is a specialist British adventure tour operator owned and managed by Anglo-French couple Charlie Shepherd and Melodie Selvon.
...
Charlie spends much of his time leading groups, enjoying the chance to endulge his passion for adventure sports, whilst Melodie spends much of her time looking after their young family.
...
Charlie Shepherd, Managing Director.
Charlie is the founder of Epic Morocco and has been working in tourism for the
past 13 years. After an extensive period of world travel he joined a Latin American
Morocco's Bougmez Valley: An Unspoiled Shangri-La
www.gonomad.com, 20 April 2010 [cached]
Specifically, I'd engage Charlie Shepherd, an Englishman who owns and manages the tour company Epic Morocco in Marrakesh.
Although Epic Morocco specializes in adventure tours off the beaten track, Shepherd will also put together a tailor-made intinerary to individual specifications, and he has been sending people to the Bougmez Valley for years.
While I didn't use the firm's services, I had a number of pre-trip conversations and email exchanges with Shepherd and found his recommendations and advice to be spot on.
...
Specifically, I'd engage Charlie Shepherd, an Englishman who owns and manages the tour company Epic Morocco in Marrakesh.
Although Epic Morocco specializes in adventure tours off the beaten track, Shepherd will also put together a tailor-made intinerary to individual specifications, and he has been sending people to the Bougmez Valley for years.
While I didn't use the firm's services, I had a number of pre-trip conversations and email exchanges with Shepherd and found his recommendations and advice to be spot on.
We are proud to be associated ...
www.veloventures.co.uk, 20 Jan 2011 [cached]
We are proud to be associated with Epic Morocco and in particular we value our relationship with their founder and Managing Director Charlie Shepherd.
Frequently Asked Questions About Epic Morocco and Our Tours
www.epicmorocco.co.uk, 14 April 2007 [cached]
Epic Morocco is a UK-registered tour company formed in 2005 and owned by Anglo-French couple Charlie Shepherd and Melodie Selvon.
...
Charlie comes from an adventure tours background, having worked formerly as adventure tours manager in a London-based Latin American tour company.

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Morocco’s Caftan Show

Bride Dubai 2013 - Moroccan Caftans Fashion Show
The tickets to Morocco's biggest fashion show -- Caftan 2013 -- had been sold out for a year. Everyone, yes, everyone,

We love a caftan. So when AHAlife, online purveyor of beautiful lifestyle products, ventured to Morocco for the country’s 2012 Caftan Show, we required a first-hand report. Don your most decadent garb and hop on a magic carpet, because we’re off to Marrakech! Details on the show’s inspiration, the sumptuous collections and the drama of it all, below…

The Caftan Show is the premiere fashion event in Morocco, a country renowned for glamorous cultural fusion. The presentations are nothing like what we see in New York, Paris or Milan, though. Here’s what makes Morocco’s Caftan Show a specifically memorable event on the international fashion calendar:

Theme: The Caftan Show has a designated theme and this year’s extravaganza paid tribute to Ibn Battuta, a Moroccan explorer, considered the greatest traveler of the Old World (he logged more miles than Marco Polo). Twelve international designers were invited to create a collection incorporating the concept of travel, adventure and discovery. Each designer imbued the traditional caftan with spectacular colors and embellishment according to their chosen geography. Even the set designs and dance routines celebrated their respective destinations.

The Russian Inspired Collecion

Entertainment: That’s right, we said set designs and dance routines. Preceding each collection was an over-the-top dance number, choreographed by Jais Zinoun and replete with elaborate costumes and a gigantic movie screen background. Belly dancers preceded the Arabian themed collection while mummies somersaulted through the air to introduce Egypt. Moroccan pop star Abdelfattah Grini opened the show. Can you imagine if New York Fashion Week turned it out like this before every collection?

Craftsmanship: In terms of handiwork, the only comparison to Morocco’s Caftan Show is Paris’ Haute Couture. The detailing on each caftan is dizzying: sequins of many shapes and sizes, peacock feathers, voluminous ruffles, oversize tassels, webbed lace, miles of embroidery and exuberant textile hues a bucket of Crayola crayons couldn’t touch. Traditional artisans spend hundreds of hours on each caftan. Like Haute Couture, royals from the Middle East–and jet setters alike–will meet with designers afterward to have the caftan of their liking customized and made to measure.

AHAlife's Rebecca Prusinowski takes in the afterparty in Marrakech

Long and Late: Things in Morocco aren’t terribly organized, and that definitely goes for the Caftan Show. But that’s part of this country’s appeal: It’s sensual, beautiful, and known for long nights. The show started a couple hours late and was hotter than a hammam. Well-heeled attendants hydrated with champagne and retreated to the atrium’s grand staircases to sit and fan themselves while waiting for the show doors to open. Quite a juxtaposition against the opulent pieces that graced the catwalk later on! We can only liken the experience to a Marc Jacobs show at the Armory (before he became punctual, circa 2007). The afterparty was scheduled to begin at 11pm but didn’t get swinging until well after midnight. But it was no matter. Held at the just-opened Park Hyatt Golf Resort outside the city center, the entire property was awash in candlelight and boasted a fabulous band, more food than you can imagine, and glittering pools of water dotted with floating VIP islands. Hundreds of party-goers danced until dawn–which is to say, in typical Moroccan fashion.

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Kaplans return from Morocco with treasure trove of diplomatic memories

MinnPost photo by Sharon Schmickle

Sam and Sylvia Kaplan with SonnyBoy, their 22-month-old lab given to them by Gen. Housni Benslimane of the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie.

Most of us cherish mementos from our travels – t-shirts from far-away beach bars, colorful ceramics and hand-crafted clothing.

But few could match the treasure trove that Sylvia and Sam Kaplan are unpacking in their Minneapolis home after nearly four years in Morocco, where he served as U.S. ambassador: 8,000 pounds – yes, four tons – of rugs, antique swords, tea sets, cookware, art, clothing, etc., etc.

The Kaplans purchased most of the items they shipped from Morocco to Minnesota. Other pieces were gifts.

The exchange of diplomatic gifts is a centuries old tradition, according to the National Archives.

“From the ancient civilizations of Rome and Egypt to the native tribes of North America, ceremonial gifts have paved the way for peaceful coexistence between peoples of different cultures,” says a display in the archives.

In 1787, a young America decided to reject these universal symbols in the language of diplomacy. The founders banned the acceptance of foreign gifts by U.S. government officials.

But refusing them proved impossible.

“It was at best impolite and at worst a stinging offense,” says the Archives display.

As a result, every president since George Washington has received gifts of state, as have most of their representatives in other countries.

Federal law requires U.S. officials to report gifts of more than minimal value, currently defined as $350. Lists of the reported items are published annually in the Federal Register. Some U.S. Ambassadors have reported receiving lavish gifts; for example, in 2011 an ambassador reported that he and his wife received Germani diamond watches worth $37,000 from a major general in the Armed Forces of Qatar. The explanation noted is typical: “non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government.” The watches were turned over to the U.S. General Services Administration, the entry says.

The Kaplans said that they did not receive gifts of more than minimal value.

In combination, the gifts and the items they purchased represent more than mere souvenirs. Many of the items represent stories of culture and diplomatic life in a fascinating and pivotal country during these globally turbulent times. The Kaplans took time last week to share a few such stories with MinnPost.

SonnyBoy

By far the keepsake commanding the most attention is SonnyBoy, an energy-packed, 22-month-old yellow lab.

The dog was a gift from Gen. Housni Benslimane, who oversees national security as commander-in-chief of the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie.

In Morocco, the Kaplans had a front row seat for high-stakes political drama, watching government after government collapse as unrest spread across North Africa and the Middle East. Demonstrators took to the streets in Morocco, too, but never with enough lasting intensity to shake the government.

The common voice across Tunisia, Egypt and Libya was the voice of people who hated dictators and their corrupt families.

“It is just the opposite in Morocco,” Sam Kaplan said. “You have a stable government, you have a monarch who is revered by all or virtually all, and he has a family that behaves properly.”

Even so, Morocco is under constant threat from the terrorism that infects the region. Jihadists have recruited in the country, and Casablanca and other cities have suffered bombings.

This is where SonnyBoy comes into the story. The Kaplans were invited to a demonstration of Morocco’s capacity for fighting terrorism, including its canine corps.

When the demonstration ended, Benslimane approached Sylvia carrying a small case. Inside was SonnyBoy as a tiny puppy.

The Kaplans like dogs. And after the family pet died 20 years ago, they thought about replacing him.

“We had vigorously said ‘No!’,” Sam said.

“But in Arab countries, to refuse a gift is like a declaration of war,” Sylvia said. “You don’t say no.”

So SonnyBoy joined the Kaplan family. He also took his place in the limelight that shines on American ambassadors around the world. Benslimane sent a trainer to civilize the rambunctious puppy. When it was time to visit the vet, the TV cameras were there too.

Gifts of live animals are unusual but not unheard of in diplomatic circles. The Indonesian government presented a Komodo dragon to the first President Bush. The dragon, Naga, lived at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden until it died in 2007.

For SonnyBoy’s full story, see this MinnPost video.

Sam and Sylvia Kaplan introduce SonnyBoy

Student art

While the Kaplans purchased notable works of art, the pieces they were eager to show are personal items they had received from students. Take the multiple images of Sam done on a poster in Andy Warhol style.

The tributes were a thankful response to the Kaplans' willingness to give talks before student groups and also invite students to diplomatic dinners at the ambassadorial residence in Rabat.

Even with relative political stability, young Moroccans share the frustration that has set off revolts elsewhere in the region. They are part of a so-called youth bulge, a generation denied the job security their parents enjoyed and armed by new tools of social media to express their disillusionment.

MinnPost photo by Sharon SchmickleSam and Sylvia Kaplan displaying artwork from students.
“The youth bulge and unemployment is a very real issue,” Sam Kaplan said. “The official unemployment rate is about 9 percent. But everybody agrees that on the streets of Casablanca for 16- to 30-year-olds the unemployment rate is probably 30 percent.”

Students who snagged invitations to the ambassador’s residence would find themselves at a long table where the main dish might come in an individual tagine (classic Moroccan cooking vessel) and tea would be served in ornate glasses. The Kaplans' Minneapolis kitchen now features ample sets of tagines and tea glasses.

Rather than taking seats at the ends of tables, the Kaplans generally sat in the middle of the table and engaged everyone in the same conversation.

“I would control the discussion, and Sylvia would from time to time bicker with me as to how I was doing it,” Sam said. “I think people liked it.”

Sylvia recalled one dinner where Minneapolis Mayor R. T. Rybak was among the 25 guests. Several college students had been invited to join high-powered Moroccan ministers and a few ambassadors.

“We talked about young people,” Sylvia Kaplan said. “We asked some of our guests to tell them how it was when you were that age and how you expected your life to be and how it turned out differently.”

A fascinating discussion unfolded.

“Some had not thought about it for years,” she said. “It wasn’t a maudlin sharing. But on the other hand, it got kind of personal and intimate.”

Other dinners featured visiting U.S. senators, high-ranking officials, business leaders, military officers and prominent journalists. Often the conversation was intended to shed light on changes in U.S. government and policies or on unfolding events around the world.

MinnPost photo by Sharon Schmickle

MinnPost photo by Sharon SchmickleAntique swords and decorative boxes are just some of the four tons of treasures from Sam Kaplan's four-year tenure as U.S. ambassador to Morocco.

Losing servants, gaining freedom

In Morocco, the butler and the rest of the household staff, thought the Kaplans were joking when they said there would be no butler, driver or even a full-time maid in Minnesota.

“Every one of the elites and even some of the not-so-elites had maids in Morocco,” Sylvia said.

Typically Minnesotan, I assumed that Sam felt relieved because he no longer needs to call for a driver every time he wants to go somewhere.

“It must be great to just jump in your own car and drive,” I said.

Long pause, scowl and then, “What?”

“I mean the freedom to drive somewhere without having to organize a driver and a security entourage.”

“I liked being driven,” he said emphatically.

Imagine never having to look for a parking place, stop for gas or Google directions.

“It’s a good thing we got out because if you do that for too long you get an exalted sense of yourself,” Sylvia said. “Humility is important. And you have to remember what positional power is. It is not about you. It is about the position.”

Truly, there were disadvantages to constant service from a well-intentioned staff. The Kaplans wanted, for example, to take back-row seats at a concert in case they decided to duck out early. Nothing doing.

“Our bodyguards, a team of 10, were so insistent that we be treated properly,” Sam said. “We had to go to the front row.”

And Sylvia said, “I don't like having servants around the house at all. . . . I don't mind doing the laundry.”

Well, maybe ironing summer linens is drudgery.

But Sylvia said she actually cooked more in Morocco than she does in Minneapolis. The Kaplans gave the servants weekends off. And going out to eat on their own was not as easy an option as it is in Minneapolis.

One freedom the Kaplans definitely enjoy in Minnesota is to openly engage in politics – on the DFL side. Sam Kaplan was a prominent Minneapolis attorney before President Obama appointed him to the ambassadorial post in 2009. Such political appointments typically last only about three years, but the couple had to pull back from political activism until their overseas duty was fulfilled.

Upon coming home, “We got right into it,” Sylvia said.

In setting a date for my visit, they juggled calendar events: the (Congressman Tim) Walz thing, the (Gov. Mark) Dayton thing . . . a visit with (Minnesota Sen.) Sandy Pappas. Since their return in May, they’ve hosted political fundraisers. And they’ve taken a leadership position on the finance arm of U.S. Sen. Al Franken’s re-election campaign.

Women in Morocco

When I asked to see treasured Moroccan items, one of the first that Sylvia displayed was a black and white caftan. It was from Oujda, a city near Morocco’s border with Algeria.

The wife of the mayor of Oujda presented Sylvia with this caftan.

MinnPost photo by Sharon SchmickleThe wife of the mayor of Oujda presented Sylvia
with this black and white caftan and the tea set.

When the mayor of Oujda invited the Kaplans to dinner, his wife did not join them. But she did ask for a private meeting with Sylvia where she presented the caftan and a set of tea glasses in assorted jewel colors.

In Minnesota political circles people often speak of the Kaplans as if they were one person named Sylvia N. Sam. In Morocco they were determined to work that same kind of partnership.

It was a serious challenge in a part of the world where women often must stay in the background or even hide themselves from public view. Moroccan women have more power than their sisters in other parts of the region, and many work as doctors, lawyers and other professionals.

Even with relative empowerment, though, life is hard for most Moroccan women, especially in small towns, Sylvia said. While the Kaplans were in Morocco, a 16-year-old girl killed herself by eating rat poison after she was forced to marry her rapist. It is a traditional practice for a rapist to marry his victim in order to escape prosecution and to preserve the honor of the woman’s family.

“There still are things happening, but you could not always see it,” Sylvia said. “You would have to delve down to know it.”

Many organizations are working to improve the lot of women, but the efforts aren’t always effective, Sam said.

“You cannot believe how many [non-governmental organizations] there are that are doing the same thing,” he said. “They dilute their effectiveness by their failure to band together.”

So, it was assumed that Sylvia would take a backseat to her husband. Minnesotans who know her also know that is not at all in her nature.

“When we started the process, I was doing the speaking in public,” Sam said. “Then we went to the next phase in which I would call Sylvia up, and we would jointly answer questions. Midway through the process we were a team of speakers, and they had never had that before.”

Sylvia recalled an invitation for her husband to speak at the Moroccan Diplomatic Academy: “He said, ‘That’s fine. And my wife, who is not a diplomat, will be with me and she will speak also.’ I think the guy swallowed a few times and then he said ‘OK.’”

She could coach young diplomats on the social aspects of their work, a big part of the job.

“I was very careful even though I would suggest I wasn’t,” she said. “You are representing America, and you have to be.”

Did Morocco change the Kaplans?

Now, surrounded by memory-teasing treasures, the Kaplans said they have changed from the couple that left Minnesota.

For one thing, they have a deeper understanding of the views of the United States in other parts of the world. As they watch the evolving U.S. policy toward the conflict in Syria, they recall a diplomatic gathering in Marrakesh last December as delegates from more than 100 countries wrestled with questions of what could stop the bloodshed.

“Sylvia and I were there and we had some opportunity to see what was going on,” Sam said. “In many respects, the situation is worse since then. The opposition was more clearly identified. Now it is much too confusing, and there are plenty of bad guys on the side of the opposition.”

What is clear, they said, is that the United States must avoid any appearance of interfering in the affairs of countries in the region.

“They don’t see it as the United States’ job to interfere,” Sylvia said. “They say: ‘This is our part of the world. We’re your friends. Come and ask us. We can be helpful to you.’”

Sam Kaplan modeling the cloak he brought home from Morocco.

The complicating backdrop to all impressions of America is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“It so influences their thinking that we are -- in their judgment -- on the wrong side of that conflict even though we argue -- without acceptance on their part -- that we are very supportive of the Palestinians as well,” Sam said.

One other subtle but significant change for the Kaplans is a renewed appreciation of Minnesota-style civic engagement.

“Every event we’ve gone to – political fundraisers and other events for good causes where people come together and they give time and money and their passion – we look around and say ‘That doesn’t happen this way in other parts of the world,” Sylvia said.

Of course, citizens in other parts of the world are sounding political voices, especially in the Middle East and North Africa.

But many in those regions did not understand what Sylvia called “Paul Wellstone electoral politics,” the enthusiasm and passion that drove an ordinary Minnesota college professor to become a U.S. senator and a renowned champion for causes he believed in.

“We talked to students about the joy of politics,” she said. “This was an opportunity for us as political activists to say that ordinary people who start with nothing can become somebody. ... It was an opportunity for us to explain how America works.”

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The caftan is truly timeless

The caftan is truly timeless: dating back more than 5,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia, it came in and out of vogue through Greco-Roman times, stopping off in medieval Tsarist Russia, cruising through sub-Saharan Africa and up to the Berber markets of Marrakesh. Raiment for royals and simple shifts for serfs, the caftan beats the heat for both men and women.
It was French couturier Paul Poiret who conjured the modern caftan at the start of the Deco period, trimming it with fur and baubles. Then in the ’50s, the fabulous Diana Vreeland, longtime editrix of Harper’s Bazaar, began to haul gilded gowns out of Morocco and preach their glamour to a prim American public.
There is no designer more associated with the caftan than Yves Saint Laurent, who became Morocco’s most famous expat in the ’60s, and was himself of North African descent, hailing from the French Algeria. His Rive Gauche caftans found their way to royalty (Princess Grace), Hollywood (Elizabeth Taylor, whose caftan collection was unrivalled) and haute hippie trustifarians (Talitha Getty, who swanned around Marrakech rooftops in them while high).

Despite a brief ’70s schlockey period, the sophisticated caftan continues to captivate, gracing the closets of Kardashians, Katy Perry and Angelina Jolie — and the runways. Nearly 50 years after the ankle-grazing cloaks hit the catwalk, the look is as fresh as ever.

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L’Oreal Argan , Liquid Gold for Hair

Liquid Gold for Hair Entices Ex-Goldman Analyst, L’Oreal

Moroccan women crush Argan tree nuts to make Argan oil in Smimmou, near Essaouira.
Sitting barefoot on blood-orange pillows in a village near the seaside resort of Agadir, a dozen Moroccan women in multi-colored caftans banter while hitting acorn-shaped nuts with stones in metronomic fashion -- tap, tap, tap -- until they crack, revealing a kernel or two inside.
The Berber women earn 40 dirhams ($4) for a day’s work producing about a kilogram of the dime-sized kernels, which are ground and pressed to release an oil so rare, so versatile, and so potent that it can sell for the equivalent of $400 a liter in beauty boutiques worldwide.
Dubbed “liquid gold,” amber-hued argan oil is the latest obsession of the $430 billion personal-care market. It strengthens hair, soothes skin, and even tastes good drizzled on a salad. It’s everywhere, from Oscar-night celebrity gift bags to the aisles of Wal-Mart (WMT) Stores Inc. and Tesco (TSCO) Plc. Last year saw the debut of 588 new argan-oil hair products, according to researcher Mintel, up from 29 in 2008.
“It’s really going quite crazy right now,” said Dana Elemara, a former Goldman Sachs (GS) Group Inc. bond analyst who now runs an argan oil import business from her London home.
The argan craze calls to mind previous beauty fads, like that for jojoba, another gold-tinted oil from arid climates. Jojoba is now found in a wide array of everyday household items, like liquid hand soap. While argan oil risks similar overexposure, its ability to create livelihoods for rural Berber women will help preserve its cachet, analysts say.
Diluted Blends
And argan products can provide an additional lift to global sales of hair-care products, which will grow 30 percent to nearly $100 billion by 2017, data tracker Euromonitor International predicts.
Morocco’s exports of argan oil have more than doubled in the past five years, to over 700 tons, according to government data. Much of that has gone to hair- and skin-care makers like L’Oreal SA (OR) (OR) and Unilever (UNA). France’s L’Oreal, the world’s biggest cosmetics producer, this year will buy three times more argan oil than it did five years ago. U.S. department-store sales of products with argan oil rose 59 percent last year, following a 159 percent increase in 2011, according to researcher NPD Group.
Rising demand has boosted wholesale prices 50 percent since 2007, to $30 a liter, while retail prices can exceed 10 times that figure. Oil certified under Fairtrade production standards goes for even more. Those prices have led some to resort to less-than-savory tactics, passing off diluted “Moroccan oil” blends as 100 percent argan.
Goat Guts
“It’s like the Mafia,” said Afafe Daoud, a project manager who works with a cooperative near Agadir. The group of 60 Berber women produces Fairtrade argan oil under its own brand, Tounaroz, and sells it across Europe.
Records of argan oil extraction trace back to the 13th century, when locals would gather the oil-rich nuts excreted by goats that climb trees to eat the plum-sized fruit. Today, argan oil processors use nuts that haven’t passed through a goat’s intestines, instead hiring Berber women to extract the seeds from their shells.
Endangered by construction and farming, argan trees -- spiny evergreens with a lifespan of about 150 years -- have come under United Nations protection, and the oil seeks the same geographic certification enjoyed by Parma ham and French Champagne in Europe. The trees, which thrive in Morocco’s semi-arid soil, are difficult to cultivate elsewhere.
‘Magical Tree’
Not that some aren’t trying. Chaim Oren, an agronomist behind an Israeli company called Sivan, says he is growing what he calls the “magical tree” on 100 acres in the Negev Desert.
“There will be less oil available than demand,” Oren said by telephone. “We want to fill this gap.”
The arrival of L’Oreal and Unilever -- as well as smaller U.S.-based beauty specialists like Organix, Shea Moisture and Aura Cacia -- reflects the growing appeal of natural oils. For years, many women were reluctant to put oils directly on their scalp or skin, fearing a greasy residue. Brands reflected those concerns: Procter & Gamble’s (PG) Oil of Olay changed its name to Olay in 2000.
Yet in recent years, consumers have embraced all things natural, from baby foods to cleaning products. That’s helped argan, which migrated from an expensive treatment in salons to mass-market shampoos, conditioners and soaps. British beauty boutique Neal’s Yard Remedies today sells a 4-gram argan lipstick in six colors such as Persimmon, Blackberry and Lychee, for 15 pounds.
Waning Novelty

American drugstore chain Walgreens Co. (WAG) carries 160 argan-infused products, up from zero three years ago, said Shannon Curtin, a merchandise manager there. She expects the chain to cull some its argan offerings in coming years as the novelty wears off.
“There are so many products now that consumers are getting a little bit confused,” Curtin said.
That hasn’t happened yet for Vivian Bernstein, a 37-year-old lawyer in Amsterdam, whose hairdresser recommended the oil a year ago for her long, blonde locks. She liked that it made her hair soft without being greasy, and she now buys argan-infused shampoos and conditioners. “It’s got sticking power,” she says.
L’Oreal says it gets argan oil from the German chemical giant BASF (BAS) SE -- which buys from Berber cooperatives. The company says it’s able to find sufficient supplies, partly because the increasing value of argan has helped convince people living among the trees to stop cutting them for firewood.
Rutted Road
“Before this, the men made everything,” said Belfarah Fatima, a 70-year-old mother of six with more grandchildren than she can count, as she cracks argan nuts at a cooperative in Tagadirt N’Aabadou, a village of mud-brick houses at the end of a rutted gravel road outside Agadir.
Fatima’s cooperative is part of a network founded by Zoubida Charrouf, a Moroccan chemist who has studied the oil’s properties for nearly 30 years. In the mid-1990s, Charrouf began organizing Berber women to produce and sell argan over the protests of their husbands, who claimed Charrouf was only out for their money. Her initial 16 volunteers were all widows and divorcees, she said, seated in the lobby of a Casablanca hotel on a drizzly Friday morning. Today, there are over 150 cooperatives, the most successful of which generate sales of 500,000 euros ($650,000) a year.
Browsing through a market near the hotel, Charrouf notes the argan products on display, including oil from the Tighanimine cooperative that she helped establish. She’s not buying any, though. Proving the fickle nature of beauty trends, she’s moved on from argan and has started using cactus oil on her skin instead. “It’s more expensive,” she said, “but it’s better.”

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Dolls shelved Talitha Getty - Edie Sedgwick Morocco

Dolls shelved Talitha Getty - Edie Sedgwick Morocco

I started to describe a bit of style as Talitha-Gettyish before I had a real understanding of what the term really meant. I have described women with long hair hanging on a balcony in Morocco (or any other geography, with tiles) and wore robes flowing caftan kind. To be honest, I used Oona-Chaplinish the same way by referring to women who wore gloves and skirt combination. But I think I had something to do with that Talitha Getty wording. After all, Yves Saint Laurent said:

"I knew the '60s generation: Talitha and Paul Getty lying under a roof of stars Happy Marrakech and Damned, and a whole generation assembled as if for eternity where the curtain of the past seemed to get on a future extraordinary. "

See? See? Curtains? As billowing white robes?

So basically, I was quite correct in my description, and probably am Oona Chaplin, too.

I always thought that was something Talitha Getty heir to the fortune happened in bohemian, no, that was not the case. It did not start life as a major symbol of fashion has always been strolled around with Yves Saint Laurent. Talitha Pol was born in Java in 1940. She spent the first four years of his life in a Japanese prison camp. After the war, his father, who was a painter, and his mother are separated. Talitha moved with his mother to London in 1945. Her mother died three years later, friends say that has left him something of a wounded quality.

Then she immediately had sex with Mick Jagger.

No, this is not true, she had sex with the dancer Rudolf Nureyev first. And that's all I about his early years, fascinating but they must have been. Then, in the 1960s, everyone in London at the same time decided she was extraordinarily beautiful. They were right:

According to Woodrow Lyle Wyatt, Antony Lambton, 6th Earl of Durham, was totally in love with her. He recalls: "There was Talitha Pol was very pretty and had a bit of work starlet in Yugoslavia, and [Antoine] went and stayed at the hotel and sent huge bouquets of flowers all around two hours and shower gifts. "

Antony and Talitha did not end up together, but I'm sure she loved flowers.

Nureyev told friends that, after meeting her at a party in 1964, he had "never felt so erotically stirred by a woman." It was often said to be a homosexual, which was surprising. I guess it was this beautiful.

Oddly, it is thanks to his relationship with Nureyev she met her husband! Little known fact, but before OkCupid relations were how everyone responded to their husbands. Nureyev was invited to a presentation by Claus von Bulow party, which later may be tempted to murder his wife, Sunny von Bulow. But that is another story, called Reversal of Fortune.

Not this story

At the last minute Nureyev was unable to attend the party, although Talitha was already on its way. While his Claus sitting next to his business partner, John Paul Getty. He was the heir of one of the richest oil in the world and, at the time of his life, described as "a swinging playboy who drove fast cars, drank a lot, experiment with drugs and starlets squired raunchy. " Romance with Talitha seemed to allow him entry into the wider society fashion.

Talitha Tatler describes as "It Girl 1965." Think of it as one, in English, earlier longer hair Edie Sedgwick. Shortly after his marriage in 1966, the Gettys have decided to divide their time between London, Rome and Marrakech. Their place in Marrakech became known for their pleasure palace and if you're a jet setter remotely cool, you went there. And remember those who were at the time when it was still rare to have mounted on a plane, let alone own one.

Or you can take a train!

The Rolling Stones came to visit the couple at their Moorish castle and remembered later in their memoirs: "We would like to climb on the roof where we could see the snowy mountains above and below the gardens, full of palm trees, to wandering birds and fish in the tanks. Lots of music was played, and musicians brought the Djemaah El-Fna, the great square up not full of sounds and stories. "

Meanwhile, Yves Saint Laurent said that when he met Talitha, his whole perspective on style has changed.

To be fair, his eyes on the style has changed. It was no longer a mod young Londoner who married in a white mini skirt trimmed with mink. After moving to Morocco, it adopted a wardrobe more fluid, with lots of dresses, kaftans, jellabiyas and wraps. He worked for it. Vogue editor Diana Vreeland said it was the style icon over the years, and his profile:

"A happy life welcoming, fantastic, sensitive and sybarite ... Mrs. Getty lurking on the market, bringing the delights of home and table. Best she brings artists dancers, acrobats, storytellers, magicians and geomancy. A day that began with a picnic on a large flat rock near a waterfall in the mountains of the Atlas may end with a dinner for a house full of young Moroccan and European friends by candlelight, among roses wrapped with mint. Salome While playing in the background, snake charmers charm and tea boys dancing, balancing on their feet trays freighted with mint tea and candles. "

God, I bet Paula Deen would have liked tea boys.

I think in addition to tea, it should be noted that they were a lot of drugs. Tons. Keith Richards said Talitha Getty was "the best and most beautiful opium."

Keith Richards. A man who probably knew his opium.

At least the Rolling Stones could kind of hold together when they were at Getty. John Hopkins wrote in 1968:

Last night, Paul and Talitha Getty threw the New Year's Eve at their palace in the medina. Paul McCartney and John Lennon were there, flat on his back. They could not get off the ground, much less speak. I've never seen so many people out of control.

Ok, everyone did a lot of drugs in the 1960s, at least everyone who was a jet setter cool, but if you called your house a "pleasure palace" then you're really setting up a ton of the drug. Apparently too much. It seems that in the view taken by Patrick Lichfield iconic Talitha lurking in a multicolored caftan and white harem pants, it actually could not stand, because it was on a lot of medication.

John Paul was, moreover, not better. Supposedly at one point he consumed a bottle of rum and a gram of heroin per day of high quality.

I do not know anything about heroin, but I guess that's a lot? At least there are plenty of rum.

Some members of the jet set started to overdose, and in 1968 the Gettys decided to abandon the pleasure palace of a life of spiritual enlightenment.

The couple went to Bali and Indonesia. They went diving with sharks - which does not really seem to me like spiritual enlightenment, both as something that would be announced on the Discovery Channel. (Jesus Christ, imagine if Paris Hilton or one of our high style icon of the moment went shark diving).

They also had a child in 1968, which Talitha named Tara Gabriel Galaxy Gramophone Getty. If you think, "Well, I know a girl named Tara" I want to emphasize that it was a male child and also that his name was Gramophone.

Talitha probably had not completely abandoned the drug. I do not know. I guess this is speculation. She would just like weird names. I mean, Heloise and Abelard named their child Astrolabe, and no judges, with all the world, ever, which reads a biography of Heloise and Abelard and said, "Astrolabe is a weird name."

Unfortunately, in 1971, largely due to their lifestyle choices, Getty's marriage began to deteriorate. In July Talitha went to his apartment in London to visit John Paul in Rome. There, she reportedly took a massive overdose of heroin. She was found on the "soil black and white marble" among the pieces of "Balinese furniture" which I think is the kind of detail a woman who lived to the style would remember about his death.

Her husband was terrified that he would be charged with the murder and fled Rome. Much later found not guilty of negligence, he never returned to Rome.

Jean-Paul fell into a reclusive depression after the death of Talitha. Despite being one of the richest men in the world, he installed a pay phone in his home and the customers had to pay every time they needed to make calls from his home. Maybe after seeing the result of his hospitality in the past, he was determined to be less accommodating for people in the future. Mick Jagger supposedly helped to return to the world from here. . . seriously. . . helping to develop a passion for cricket. However, when talking about the death of Talitha in 1985, he said: "The pain does not evaporate."

Talitha perhaps early death - she was only 30 years old - but she lived beautifully. Diane von Furstenberg, inspired perhaps a page of Yves Saint Laurent, said Talitha was "a very bright creature who wanted to dance under the stars and danced too fast."

If you may be wondering about Tara - I think he looks like the happiest bunch of Getty. He lived quietly, went to agricultural college and became a defender of the environment in Africa. He met a woman named Jessica, the daughter of someone who worked on one of the yachts of her family, and the two married. They have a son named Orlando Willem Pol, after the maiden name of Talitha, and a daughter, Talitha.

Which all sounds very nice.They will never dance in Marrakech with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, but I guess you compromise. Either way, you can wear a large caftan. Kaftans are for everyone.

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Moroccan caftan

The beauty of Moroccan caftan

Rich Moroccan clothing
The beautiful country of Morocco is located in the extreme northwest African region. It is in the great Sahara desert and is an area where the climate is usually very hot. Moroccan climate is Mediterranean climate which is extreme to the inner region. The climate is very humid and a place also varies. In some places it is very dry especially where the region faces the Sahara Desert. Summer is here for very long.

Morocco has got a very rich culture and civilization. Morocco hosted many civilization of the past to help in the construction of their history Jews and Arabs Romans presents Morocco is a large ethnic mix of all these cultures. These cultures have influenced his way of living his life, his mannerisms, his clothes, food, in short almost everything. The population is dominated by the Arab heritage so that the garment is mainly based on their own personal style and ethnic groups.

Moroccan traditional clothing for men and women is called jilbab, a long-lasting loose long sleeves and hood. On special occasions, they also wear a red cap which is locally called fez. Women wear kaftans dazzled by ornaments. There is a difference between jilbab and caftans. Jilbab has a hood while caftans not.
Djellabas for women in general are very well decorated, sometimes with beads or ornaments and are always very bright in color. Men or jilbab caftans are always plain color. They look very simple. Women are very loyal to their own ethnic wear despite its high cost. Kaftans are always handcrafted because of their delicacy. Yet most women like to wear their national dress. Each year, they have to buy at least one, if not more, than it is for a wedding or religious holiday. Bearing in mind the warmer weather and the hot and dry climate caftans are made either of cotton or silk. Since these dresses are worn only at the ceremony or festival outfits are quite expensive. Clothing is a part of social status so that the lower groups of people try to wear neatly pressed suit to prevent their own miserable condition they can not afford to buy expensive caftans or Djellabas .
1 caftan collection 20121 Moroccan Furniture

1 caftan collection 20121 Moroccan Furniture

Morocco is a country grow strongly. Although Muslim culture still dominates with education most Western Western culture began to force its influence. Since the dress of women is a major issue in Islamic culture, it is always observed that nobody violates the unwritten expose any part of the body law. Modern Moroccan youth have combined well with the traditional western design method. Moroccan caftans were reduced in length and become tight in fittings with modern jeans.

In recent years, Moroccan sauce is much improved and in a way that made it more popular. Works on Djellabas rich are not only a favorite among all women, but they show the richness of Morocco and the countries of North Africa. Visiting these places, you can surely catch a glimpse of the great works of the hand.

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