Spirituality and Beauty

June 10th, 2014

Today we drove into the city of Meknes to walk around, see sights, and go to an incredible market.  Driving into the city was an hour long taxi ride through fields and countryside. The most incredible sights to see:
Land that looks dried out, yet is speckled with yellow and purple flowers. Sheep and donkeys scattering the landscape.

I spent time enthralled in conversation with Anass about the history of Morocco and Islam on the way there and on the way back we talked about the relation between all religions and about belief and finding your own path.  It was beautiful. It was like talking to an older wise brother who knew life and could help me with life. He explained his beliefs, and why he believes.  He explained that the three main religions- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all linked and that in Islam they believe in all of the prophets from these other religions.  He talked to me about taking time to find your own beliefs in life, but that it all comes back to the incredulousness of this world, that nothing is simple enough.  Everything was created perfectly in our ecosystem because only a God could have come up with something so complex.  He let me explain how there are two ways of thought for me: either the world in which life is incredible because God created it or a world in which life is incredible because everything has evolved in the most incredible magic way called science. It's hard to know which path to take because through Anthropology I have learned that both are merely a belief system, a decision made to put your faith in something that people are discovering and experiencing and looking into.  Something that evolves with the culture and becomes a part of our communication and metaphors and ways of seeing the world.  Both hold something to be passionately inspired by.
 Both Sam and Anass are great people.  It was beautiful to talk with people who are open to the world, not closed off on one side. They love life, yet they believe and they are open to people not believing. It brought me to tears to realize how I understand why people believe in God and I understand why people don’t and that I feel stuck in the middle, able to be on both sides if I choose.

In Meknes, they took me to ancient ruins and structures, a grain and horse stable, the castle of the king, etc. Something really incredible is the detail with which everything is built and created.  Every building and room is made with hand made tiles with small intricate patterns and designs and many colors.  Every wall and door has carvings, and many things are inscribed with Arabic calligraphy.  Its seriously too gorgeous of a culture.
We walked around the area of the town where Anass was born, saw his dad and cousins and went to the market to buy things.  The market was huge.  There were moments when we could not move because you were packed in shoulder to shoulder all around.  They sell fresh spices in the market, and full corpses of meat hanging down.  I saw a camel head at a meat stand.  They have mountains of olives everywhere.  Beautiful rugs and clothing.  I bought a carpet and a house dress and spices for my new home with Jake.  Im starting to feel like Grandpa Bill, collecting objects from around the world to decorate my home.  I also bartered for a cheaper price on something in French today.  It was pretty cool.

Later Sam and I snuck peaches on to the roof and ate them.  They were so fresh and juicy.  Just like in my home growing up, if anything comes into the house, it is gone in minutes, eaten by the swarm of people.
I also tried figs today for the first time, well more so devoured them.  Prognosis: Amazing! Why don’t we have them in the U.S.? We import everything other fruit.  I don’t know how else to describe these fruits other than juicy.