Shoes

🇲🇦 Morocco, High Atlas

Hassan invites me to eat canned sardines with a side of raw onions and khubz [1] in the field with other farmers. He wants to come to Italy illegally, paying a bribe to the Moroccan customs officer to get him through; I tell him about a friend of mine who tried to do the same thing but on a Morocco-Spain ferry; once he arrived, the Spanish policeman sent him back home since he didn't have a visa and passport. This didn't seem to bother him.

He asks for my number, but he doesn't have a mobile phone and no one has a pen and paper. To make him happy, I tell him “I will add it to the address book of my phone and I will contact you later, I don't have a signal now”. To thank him for the lunch I give him a little of the few foods I have, half a packet of couscous and a can of tomato paste. He accepts them very reluctantly, for a few seconds a disgusted expression appears on his face and he asks

What is this?

It's food! Couscous, matisha [2]

I tell him trying to calm him down, but he doesn't seem happy at all... I don't have time to think if I've offended him in some way when he tells me

Give me the phone!

Ah, so that's what it was!

I can't give you the phone, I need it and I've got all the data in it!

Buy a new one in the next town!

No, I really can't give you the phone, I need it for the trip and the data on it is too important.

Give me the phone.

I'm telling I really can't give it to you.

Buy another one at the next town.

Yes

Not satisfied, he changes the subject and points at his feet

Do you see?

I had already noticed that he didn't wear shoes but I didn't know if it was because he worked in the field in the mud or if he didn't have them at all... the second one was right! And now he wants a pair, because according to him my way of travelling allows me to have a supply of shoes with me. I show him the sole of mine by lifting it with a finger and separating it halfway from the shoe, the heat is starting to take its toll and since last week both are unglued, I hope it doesn't get worse before I finally find a shoe repairer. He doesn't seem concerned at all about the state of my shoes, I'm sure they would fit him perfectly even if they were ruined and three sizes smaller. He speaks about the phone again, now he wants a contribution for the purchase of the new one! I hold a grimace, since he was polite at first, and offer him the only coins I have left, 10 dh (1 €), but he refuses them. It soon becomes clear that he wants more.... umh! I even have only 200 DH (20 €) notes left, which I obviously don't take out.

Always not happy he comes out with

It's going to rain, stay overnight in my village.

Yeah, I haven't seen rain for weeks and the forecast was calling for another heat wave. This guy thinks I'm a complete fool! I refuse, thank him and say goodbye, getting on my bicycle, pedaling without looking back.

Passing through his village the children run after me, but in doing so instead of repeating 'bonjou' endlessly they shout without hesitation 'The Money, the Money'.

Unfortunately for a while people are like this, I am in one of the poorest areas of Morocco but given the beauty of the landscapes it is frequented by tourists and many locals have got used to ask: another one always wanted shoes (very popular), another some whiskey (are you not Muslim?), two women some coins for love (I refused to investigate what they meant by love). Shaking them off becomes difficult when you are the only fish around, and despite the beautiful colours of the mountains, you don't want to stop or accept invitations if the risk is to run into second motives.

[1] or khoub, a type of low, round bread suitable to mop up your plate [2] 🍅 tomato

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