Deciding to see a little bit of the area outside of Marrakech, we've zeroed in on a coastal town of Essaouira, about 250 km west of the city. It is documented to be preoccupied since prehistoric times.
The journey to Essaouira proved to be an eye opener and an educational one. Traveling on a well-paved road, the landscape is interesting. Miles of barren land, mud huts, desert and occasional patches of olive groves. Curious how some areas seem to have patches of vegetation and others not, I asked our driver/guide Mustafa why. He said there is water underground but to dig a well costs money. So the landscape changes depending on whether the landowner has or has not.
Every other shop around Marrakech seems to be peddling Argan oil - as cooking oil or salad dressing (less trans fat) and as a cosmetic (apparently good for your skin) and is currently one of the major ingredients in several well know cosmetic brands. The road to Essaouira is no exception simply because the area is where the Argan tree is grown. Mother Nature knows how to balance the equation. The Argan tree provides a means of livelihood for a population who otherwise would have been without simply by being born in the middle of a desert.
Then there are the herd of goats that the locals raise for their meat who happen to love the bark of the Argan nut. So the goats thrive on the bark, the locals harvest the nuts for its oil and the circle of life whirls.
Then the tourists...and the goat-bearing Argan tree! How can one beat such an unexpected sight!
This is why I just love to travel.
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