alkhabar
Maghreb
Ali Elaalaoui
Abdessamad replied: It is expensive and is similar to downtown Casablanca. Because I was born in Deep South Morocco, I feel so attached to coastal cities. He suddenly dropped me: Why not Khenifra! Although I was pretty sure neither he nor I have ever been to this city, my answer was: okay let's go tomorrow! And we ended up in my flat nearby the Casa Port train station to catch a train at 6 am.
At night, we searched the web for the planning bus travel all over Casablanca but no train or a bus was heading toward Khenifra! I figured out that Khenifra has always been a ''tricky word’’; many people get confused typing Kenitra instead of khenifra. I even read a blog post by an expat saying that Khenifra is 123 Km far from Casablanca. It was actually Kenitra not (Khenifra)
We got up at 7 a.m to catch a bus in Ouled Ziane, the bus terminal in Casablanca, Morocco. We hated ending up at that station. A number of glue- sniffers were hanging round and many asked us about our travel destination! I actually got used to meeting these people in Agadir and learned to answer: I have already booked my ticket and it worked out!
There is nothing that I am afraid of but boarding an old bus for that trip .Transport in Morocco is, however, still uncomfortable and many passengers risk their life travelling in old private buses. Before I bargain the price, as bargaining is still common even here, I took a look inside the bus and made sure there are two seats available. We were told that the bus will stop at Meknes bus station and have to catch one out there to Khenifra.
I am finally heading to the birth place of the popular music of the Middle Atlas Mountains; Mohamed Rouicha. It is with a great sadness that I am writing this post. I was on my way listening to his latest hit, “Iness Iness” as he left the clinic promising his fellow fans to keep on singing. I am not only attached to this star’s warm voice and music but also to his modesty and deep knowledge of wide ranging subjects. Mohamed Rouicha, unlike many artists, has been a model. A TV presenter asked him in an Interview for the person Rouicha wanted to meet and he answered:” the Prof. Mahdi Elmandjra’”, the Moroccan futurist whose health has failed and is still sick by the way.
We arrived Khenifra Saturday evening, December 31, 2011, unlike what we expected to see, khnifra is a medium city not that tiny one. All public places and services are mostly available including hospitals, schools, and banks. We planned to leave our luggage in a hotel to din out. I don’t celebrate New Years Eve but I wanted to see people do in the hearth of Atlas Mountains. Things, however, don’t always work out the way we want them to. We couldn’t book in a hotel because Abdessamad forgot his ID card. Spending a night in an old cheap hotel was unexpected.People in Khenifra are friendly and very hospitable; Many invited us to their houses when we asked them to show us a hotel.
The next day, we visited Ain Oum Rabia, the second longest river in Morocco, 40 Km from the city of Khenifra.I felt myself for a while being lost in one of the most beautiful jungle areas. On our way back, we met some new friends who have recently moved to work here. They showed us the way to “Lhri”. A small village nearby Khenifra Where Mouha Ohmou, the leader of the resistance in Atlas Mountains, defeated the French army in one of the most memorable battles took place in Morocco during French occupation in 1914. We spent one more day hanging out in Lhri and Tighsalin, a small town not far from Khnifra. When we came back for our last night in Khnifra, in a different hotel of course, I went to see Mohamed Rouicha’s house. Any one will kindly guide you to a small village where he lived. People in Khenifra are proud having this legend whose lyrics and music spoke of their daily life, emotions, and dreams both in Tamazight and Arabic.
After three days of hospitability in the heart of the Atlas Mountains, We had to catch a late bus back to Casablanca. At that time, Mohamed Rouicha was at home meeting his fans. He assured them that he will never give up singing. Few days later, a friend on Facebook shared a link site declaring his death. I hoped it was only another hoax until I watched TV news. At that moment, the first thing that came to my mind was his hit “Life ends but memories last forever”.
Ali Elaalaoui is an E-Commerce Coordinator at “IFM”, an international company based in Cairo, Egypt. He also joined the American “Peace Corps” as a trainer of American volunteers. He obtained his bachelor degree in English studies from Ibn Zohr University, Agadir. Mr Elaalaoui published a number of articles in different publications. His main areas of interests are Telecommunications, Webmarketing, Politics and Cultural studies.
At night, we searched the web for the planning bus travel all over Casablanca but no train or a bus was heading toward Khenifra! I figured out that Khenifra has always been a ''tricky word’’; many people get confused typing Kenitra instead of khenifra. I even read a blog post by an expat saying that Khenifra is 123 Km far from Casablanca. It was actually Kenitra not (Khenifra)
We got up at 7 a.m to catch a bus in Ouled Ziane, the bus terminal in Casablanca, Morocco. We hated ending up at that station. A number of glue- sniffers were hanging round and many asked us about our travel destination! I actually got used to meeting these people in Agadir and learned to answer: I have already booked my ticket and it worked out!
There is nothing that I am afraid of but boarding an old bus for that trip .Transport in Morocco is, however, still uncomfortable and many passengers risk their life travelling in old private buses. Before I bargain the price, as bargaining is still common even here, I took a look inside the bus and made sure there are two seats available. We were told that the bus will stop at Meknes bus station and have to catch one out there to Khenifra.
I am finally heading to the birth place of the popular music of the Middle Atlas Mountains; Mohamed Rouicha. It is with a great sadness that I am writing this post. I was on my way listening to his latest hit, “Iness Iness” as he left the clinic promising his fellow fans to keep on singing. I am not only attached to this star’s warm voice and music but also to his modesty and deep knowledge of wide ranging subjects. Mohamed Rouicha, unlike many artists, has been a model. A TV presenter asked him in an Interview for the person Rouicha wanted to meet and he answered:” the Prof. Mahdi Elmandjra’”, the Moroccan futurist whose health has failed and is still sick by the way.
We arrived Khenifra Saturday evening, December 31, 2011, unlike what we expected to see, khnifra is a medium city not that tiny one. All public places and services are mostly available including hospitals, schools, and banks. We planned to leave our luggage in a hotel to din out. I don’t celebrate New Years Eve but I wanted to see people do in the hearth of Atlas Mountains. Things, however, don’t always work out the way we want them to. We couldn’t book in a hotel because Abdessamad forgot his ID card. Spending a night in an old cheap hotel was unexpected.People in Khenifra are friendly and very hospitable; Many invited us to their houses when we asked them to show us a hotel.
The next day, we visited Ain Oum Rabia, the second longest river in Morocco, 40 Km from the city of Khenifra.I felt myself for a while being lost in one of the most beautiful jungle areas. On our way back, we met some new friends who have recently moved to work here. They showed us the way to “Lhri”. A small village nearby Khenifra Where Mouha Ohmou, the leader of the resistance in Atlas Mountains, defeated the French army in one of the most memorable battles took place in Morocco during French occupation in 1914. We spent one more day hanging out in Lhri and Tighsalin, a small town not far from Khnifra. When we came back for our last night in Khnifra, in a different hotel of course, I went to see Mohamed Rouicha’s house. Any one will kindly guide you to a small village where he lived. People in Khenifra are proud having this legend whose lyrics and music spoke of their daily life, emotions, and dreams both in Tamazight and Arabic.
After three days of hospitability in the heart of the Atlas Mountains, We had to catch a late bus back to Casablanca. At that time, Mohamed Rouicha was at home meeting his fans. He assured them that he will never give up singing. Few days later, a friend on Facebook shared a link site declaring his death. I hoped it was only another hoax until I watched TV news. At that moment, the first thing that came to my mind was his hit “Life ends but memories last forever”.
Ali Elaalaoui is an E-Commerce Coordinator at “IFM”, an international company based in Cairo, Egypt. He also joined the American “Peace Corps” as a trainer of American volunteers. He obtained his bachelor degree in English studies from Ibn Zohr University, Agadir. Mr Elaalaoui published a number of articles in different publications. His main areas of interests are Telecommunications, Webmarketing, Politics and Cultural studies.
