Ukuhambela iMorocco: Ukudabula Idolobha Elibomvu, Indawo Yokudaya NeSahara Ngekhala

Ngesikhathi ngenza okokuqala isu lokuhambela iMorocco, ngangicabanga ukuthi imephu izoqala esikhumulweni sezindiza sase-Casablanca, isuke e-Marrakech, e-Fez, e-Merzouga, iye eSahara. Ngemva kokufika ngempela lapho ngabona ukuthi, iMorocco ayivuleki ngamakhilomitha, iqala ngokukwamukela ngephunga. Umoya wakusihlwa e-Marrakech uphephula, emakethe yezinongo iphunga le-saffron, i-cumin, i-cinnamon nezimbali ze-rose ezomile kufana neqembu labathengisi abancane abakhuluma kanyekanye, akekho ovumayo ukuyekela omunye. Ngahamba kancane phakathi kwamasaka, intende yesandla yafakwa umnikazi wesitolo i-Ras el Hanout, izinongo ezingaphezu kwamashumi amathathu zixutshwe ndawonye, kunuka kufana nomgwaqo omdala osuka emzileni wezohwebo weSahara uye ngaphansi kwezindonga zedolobho elibomvu.

Ngobusuku, i-Jemaa el-Fnaa yakhanyisa lo mgwaqo. Amalahle akhanya ngokulandelana, amaconsi amafutha enyama eyosiwe awela emlilweni, intuthu emhlophe yasukuma ngokushesha; iphunga le-fennel yesobho lomnenke, iphunga lokusha kwamasoseji, nobumnandi obuhlanzekile bokusikwa kwewolintshi, konke kwakucindezelwe phezu kwesigubhu nokumenyezwa kwabathengisi. Omunye wakudonsela ekhasini lokudla, omunye wakunika isihlalo, omunye wamemezela "China?" entuthwini. Ngahlala esihlalweni sepulasitiki esinyakazayo, ngabuka inyama iphendulwa, ngokungazelelwe ngaqonda ukuthi kungani abantu abaningi bethi i-Marrakech iyakhathala: akukhona ukuthi inomsindo, igcwele kakhulu, akukho ngisho nokungenalutho emoyeni.

Iphunga lase-Fez lidala kakhulu, futhi alinamusa. Imizila ye-medina imincane kangangokuthi abantu ababili uma bedlula kufanele batshekile, izinyathelo, izinsimbi zezimbongolo, umsindo womthandazo okude konke kuphindwa ngezindonga, kufana nokukhala ngaphakathi kwamatshe. Lapho usondela eduze kwendawo yokudaya isikhumba yase-Chouara, umoya uyasinda, iphunga lesikhumba esiluhlaza ne-ammonia kungena emakhaleni kuqala. Umnikazi wesitolo sesikhumba ophahleni wanginika iqabunga le-mint, wathi ngilibambe ngaphansi kwekhala. Ukuphola kwe-mint kwangisindisa isikhashana, kodwa amadamu wokudaya ngezansi ayeqhubeka abomvu, aphuzi, aluhlaza, abasebenzi benyathela ngaphakathi ngaphandle kwezicathulo, kufana nokuthi isikhathi asikaze sishintshe umsebenzi. Ngalowo mzuzu ngaqonda ukuthi, umlando awuhlali buthule eminyuziyamu, kwesinye isikhathi uyakuklinya ukuthi ukhihlize izinyembezi.

Ngemva kokuphuma endaweni yokudaya, ngaphinde ngaduka isigamu sehora edolobheni elidala lase-Fez. Emizileni wawungaboni isibhakabhaka, kwakunomsindo ohlanzekile wezinto zethusi ezishaywayo, iphunga likakolweni eliphuma eziko lokubhaka, umsindo webholo elishaya umnyango wamapulangwe. Umfana ogqoke ijezi elibomvu leqembu lesizwe laseMorocco, wadlula eceleni kwami, ngemumva kubhalwe u-Hakimi. Lelo jezi laligugiswe uthuli lwemizila, kodwa lalifana kakhulu neMorocco kunoma yini entsha ezitolo zezipho. Ibholo lapha alibekelwa izivakashi, liyaginqika kuma-echo emizila, likhanya kumabonakude asetiyeni, liphenduka insuku zonke lapho umntwana esheshisa.

Kusukela e-Fez ukuya eningizimu, amaphunga aqala ukomiswa kancane. Ekufikeni e-Merzouga, ugwadule lweSahara cishe alunalo iphunga. Ukushisa kwasemini kuhlanzekile, isihlabathi, ilanga, isibhakabhaka konke kufana nokukhishwe amanzi; ikhala ngokungazelelwe lilahlekelwa umsebenzi, kusele usawoti ezindebeni nokujuluka okhalweni. Ebusuku ngilele ngaphandle kwekamu ngibuka izinkanyezi, umthala wawuphansi kangangokuthi wawucishe uwe ngemumva kwendunduma yesihlabathi. Kwakungekho ntuthu yedolobho, kungekho buhlungu bendawo yokudaya, kungekho bunandi bemarike, kwakunephunga lomlilo wezinkuni kuphela. Umqhubi wabeka imbiza yetiye eceleni komlilo ocishe ucime ukuze ifudumale, itiye le-mint alikhipha lalinomusi, ubumnandi babunciphile futhi buncane njengomoya, kufana nomoya ongakwazi ukuma. Into esabisayo ngeSahara, ukuthi ithatha wonke amaphunga, ikwenze uzwe ukuphefumula kwakho okokuqala.

Ekubuyeleni e-Riad, iMorocco yakubuyisela amaphunga. Umnyango osindayo wamapulangwe wavuleka usuka emzileni, ngaphakathi kwakunomunye umhlaba: ichibi elincane, izindonga ze-mosaic, izihlahla zewolintshi nezimbali ze-orenji ezimuncu. Iphunga lezimbali ze-orenji kwakungewona uswidi oqondile njengepherfume, kodwa kumanzi, kuhamba kancane, kufana nomswakama okhuphuka ngezitini. Umnikazi wehhotela waletha itiye le-mint, imbiza yayiphakame kakhulu, itiye eliluhlaza lenza amagwebu engilazini, ushukela wawuningi ngendlela engakholakali. Ngesikhathi ngiphuza okokuqala ngacabanga ukuthi umnandi kakhulu, okwesibili ngaqala ukuvuma, okwesithathu ngase ngiqondile: ubumnandi baseMorocco akukhona ukunambitha, kuyindlela yokwamukela izivakashi.

Okwangenza ngakhumbula ngempela lobu bunandi, kwakuyi-tagine. Lapho isembozo yobumba ivuleka, iphunga eliphekwe kancane lenyama yegwala, u-anyanisi, amabhilikosi omisiwe, i-cinnamon ne-ginger konke kwaphuma kanyekanye, kuphikisana kahle nokushesha kwembabazo yenkundla. I-tagine ayikuphushi, inyama iyathamba kumanzi ayo, ubumnandi bezithelo nobushisa bezinongo kuhamba kancane kuvumelane. Etafuleni eliseduze kwakunentsha ebuke amafoni ibuka izithombe zebholo, u-Hakimi aqale ngakwesokudla, bonke ababesetafuleni bamemeza "ah" kanyekanye. Umnikazi waphakamisa ikhanda wabuka, wahleka wathi uyiqhawe lesizwe, wazalelwa eSpain, kodwa lapho egijima uyingane yaseMorocco. Ngemva kwalokho wasiphinda wasithela itiye, imbiza isiphakeme kakhulu, kufana nokugxiviza leso sinqumo.

La mazwi enza ngakhumbula iNdebe Yomhlaba yango-2022. Ngemva kokungena kweMorocco kuma-semi fainali, umhlaba awusoze waphinde wabuka ibholo laseMorocco ngeso elifanayo. Kwakungeyona "indaba enhle yommangaliso"; kwakufana kakhulu nephunga elihlala ezingutsheni ngemva kokuthi intuthu yenkundla ihambile. U-Bounou evimba amaphenalthi, u-Amrabat ehlanganisa inkundla yaphakathi, u-Hakimi edlala i-panenka penalty ekhiphe iSpain, lezo zithombe zahlanganisa ubunikazi obusakazeke eMadrid, eParis, e-Amsterdam nase-Casablanca. Ibholo lapha akulona indawo yezivakashi, kodwa kungazelelwe livela kumabonakude ekhefi, emsakazweni wetekisi, emajezini ezingane.

Ubusuku bangaphambi kokusuka e-Marrakech, ngaphinde ngaya e-Jemaa el-Fnaa. Intuthu yayisayinkulu, izitolo zenyama eyosiwe zazisamatasatasa, itiye le-mint liselimnandi ngokweqile. Kodwa ngangisengakwazi ukuhlukanisa amazinga ephuthumeni: kuqala ukushisa kwemakethe yezinongo, bese kubanda kwe-mint yendawo yokudaya, kulandele ukoma okushisayo okungenaphunga lweSahara, bese kuba umswakama wezimbali ze-orenji ye-Riad, ukuphekwa kancane kwe-tagine, ushukela ongezansi kwenkomishi. Ukuhambela iMorocco okukhumbuleka kakhulu akukhona indawo ethile yokuhlaba uphawu, kodwa ukuthi la maphunga ahleleka kanjani emzimbeni abe ngumzila. Ucabanga ukuthi uhambe izwe, kodwa izwe likuhambile ngephunga.