6 :: Bo-Zen, Couscous, Henna

     For the grand finale of Dad & Mary's visit to Morocco, we were able to experience Moroccan culture to its fullest. With the single exception of our camel-riding adventure, this was probably our favorite day of their entire visit!

Bo-Zen - Hammam

     The Hammam (public bath) is one notable aspect of Moroccan culture and life. The majority of Moroccan families do not have showers in their own homes because it is more customary to visit the Hammam at least once a week in order to socialize and bathe. In public, many Moroccan women can still be seen wearing conservative Muslim attire (covering everything from the head to the toes); but at the Hammam, there are no such boundaries concerning modesty. Everyone bathes together in the Hammam!

     Obviously, there are separate Hammams for men and women. There are also many different types of Hammams (private vs. public). The highlight of a good Hammam experience is being scrubbed from head to toe with a scrub glove (which has the texture of sandpaper). Most good Hammams will have working ladies whose job it is to scrub you. While this scrub can sometimes be painful, it effectively strips your body of a grotesque amount of dead skin. You always leave the Hammam feeling completely refreshed and with glowing skin.

     For this particular day, Nicole opted to take Mary to an exclusive, high-end Hammam where only one person is admitted into the bathroom at a time. Dad and Dave set off on their own adventure (using the public tramway) while Nicole and Mary were pampered all morning at the spa. We were provided with bathrobes, towels, tea/water, and a scrub glove. For 185 dirham ($20) we each got a private Hammam scrub, a pedicure/manicure, and a blow-dry for our hair. If you travel to Morocco, a visit to the Hammam should be at the top of your list of things to do!

Mary & Nicole right before their Hammam experience at Bo-Zen

Couscous

     In Islam, Friday is a holy day. Men are especially devoted to praying at the mosque on Fridays. In addition, Moroccans traditionally prepare a feast of couscous every Friday to share with their family. Since we have such an incredible relationship with our Moroccan landlord and his family, they invited us to attend their Friday couscous meal. 

    Our dinner began with a traditional hand-washing ritual. The eldest daughter, Hala, poured the water and allowed each of us to cleanse our hands in preparation for the meal. We reminded Dad and Mary at this point that it is etiquette to eat only with the right hand. In Islam culture, the left hand is considered to be unclean due to the fact that it is traditionally used for hygienic purposes. For eating, shaking hands, exchanging money, etc. only the right hand should be used.

     The etiquette of using only the right hand is especially important for eating, as forks/spoons are not generally used. Since we are clearly foreigners, we were offered utensils to eat the couscous...but only Mary accepted the offer. The rest of us dug in with our hands and attempted to perfect the art of making hot couscous balls to eat. Najete, our landlord's wife, makes her own couscous from scratch! The meal was as delicious as it looks.

     After the couscous, we also enjoyed an array of fresh fruit for dessert. Then, our landlord taught us how to make Moroccan mint tea. He not only posed for our pictures, but he insisted on letting us each pour the tea so that he could photograph us as well.

Henna

     Right as we were finishing our tea, our maid (Basma) arrived to give us Henna! The Henna that we had gotten in Marrakech was not very good at all, so we opted to do it again before Dad and Mary left for America.
     Henna is a dye made from ground up Henna leaves. The powdered leaves are mixed with water and a mild acidic liquid (usually paint thinner, believe it or not) in order to create a thick paste. The paste is put into a hollow syringe and then squeezed out gradually and finely to create intricate, temporary tattoos. In Morocco, Henna is a fundamental aspect of the culture, particularly during festivals/celebrations. Henna tattoos are considered to be a mark of beauty.
    We stayed at our landlords' for our Henna experience so that their kids could get it as well. While Henna is typically a women's ritual, occasionally the men can be seen getting Henna designs on their forearms. Hala told us that most men get a scorpion design to show their strength. While we've never actually seen a man with Henna, Dad was a good sport about getting it done as well. The landlord's son, Mohammed, followed suit.

Family picture - Omaima, Hala, Nicole, Mary, Dad, Mohammed, Said, Najete, David

What an incredible way to end Dad & Mary's trip to Morocco! Come back soon!

-David & Nicole