0173. Another Phosphate town (Mor 022--new)
After Khouribga, I decided to stay the night in the nearby town of Oued Zem--so I grabbed a "taxi kbir" across a barren landscape of phosphate mine waste and conveyer belts that stretched out into the horizon. Hopped off at the edge of Oued Zem so I could walk into town.
"How much are your rooms?" I asked a long-bearded fellow at a small hotel.
"There are rooms for 50 dirhams and rooms for 80" he answered.
"How about a room for 40 dirhams?" (4 euros)
He grinned, "I suppose we could work that out".
After he showed me the room, he had a sudden change of heart "tell you what, I'm going to let you have the 80 dirham room with a bathroom for 40 dirhams... and you know why? I just love hearing you speak in Arabic!"
I knew my language skills were worth money...
I quickly headed out to parkbench before it got to late--followed the crowds to a palm tree lined park around a big pond...I guess it's Oued Zem's place to be in the evening... and lucky me--there was one empty park bench left...
It seems that Oued Zem goes by "desert schedule" which means that the city doesn't really come alive until evening--and stays alive until late into the night... So I wandered off through the market area and to the city's edge... parkbenched some more... finally headed to bed at around midnight...
Next morning I went off exploring in a new direction--until the city abruptly ended and the barren hills began--and trucks and horsecarts waited to carry folks to the surrounding villages...
