Luhambo lwaseMorocco: Kuhamba ngemakhala edolobheni lelibovu, tindzawo tekudaya, naseSahara

Ekucaleni ngenza luhlelo lwekuhamba eMorocco, bengicabanga kutsi imaphu itawucala esikhumulweni setindiza saseCasablanca, kusuka eMarrakech, eFez, eMerzouga kuze kufike eSahara. Nangisengifikile, ngabona kutsi iMorocco ayivuleki ngekukhula kwemakhilomitha, icala ngekunuka. Umoya wakusihlwa eMarrakech uvunguza, emakethe etinongo lapho kukhona i-saffron, i-cumin, i-cinnamon, kanye netimbali te-rose lomile zifana netitsengisi letinyenti letivula ngalesikhatsi sinye, kute lokuvumana. Ngahamba kancane emkhatsini wetindvwangu, sandla sami sabekelwa kuncane kwe-Ras el Hanout ngumnikati, tinongo letinyenti letingetulu kwetigidzi letingamashumi lamatsatfu letihlanganisiwe, kunuka njengetfoli lendzala kusuka emgwacweni weSahara kuze kufike elubondzeni lwe-Red City.

Ngesikhatsi sekuhlwa, i-Jemaa el-Fnaa yakhanyisa lomgwaco. Emalahle avuleka ngekulandelana, emafutsa enyama yemvu lesiwayo awela emlilweni, umuntfu lomhlophe uyasukuma; kunukisa kwe-fennel yesobho letihambahambako, umlilo wemasoseji, nekumnandzi kwe-orange kwesigamu, konkhe kucindzetelwe phezu kwetikhalo kanye nekumenyezelwa. Lomunye ukudvonsele kumenyu, lomunye ukunike sihlalo, lomunye aphume emuntfwini ahleke atsi 'China?' Ngahlala esihlalweni sepulasitiki lesigudlako, ngabuka inyama iphenyuka, ngase ngiyabona kutsi kungani labanyenti batsi iMarrakech iyakhathala: akusikho kutsi inemsindvo, kutsi igcwele kakhulu, ngisho nemoya awunayo indzawo lengenalutfo.

Umoya weFez mdala, futhi awunamusa. Imigwaco yeMedina mincane kangangoba bantfu lababili kufanele bacedze ngekucindzetelana, umsindvo wetinyatselo, umsindvo wetinkhomo, umsindvo wemthandazo kukhashane uphindvwa ngetindonga, ufana nekukhala ematseni. Uma usondzela etindzaweni tekudaya tikhumba taseChouara, umoya uyakhula, iphunga lesikhumba lesiluhlaza kanye ne-ammonia yendlula emakhaleni kucala. Umnikati walesikhumba lesisetikweni epulazini wanginika emanti emakhambi, watsi ngiwafake ngephansi kwemakhala. Emakhambi abanda asindzisa kancane, kodvwa ngephansi kwami imibala yekudaya beyisabovu, liphuzi, luhlata kwesibhakabhaka ivulekile, tisebenti tinyatsela ngetinyawo letihlobile, kufana nekutsi sikhatsi asikaze sishintje indlela yekusebenta. Ngaleso sikhatsi ngabona kutsi umlandvo awuhlali uthule eminyuziyamu, ngesinye sikhatsi uyakukhala kuze kwehle tinyembeti.

Ngemva kwekuphuma etindzaweni tekudaya, ngaphindze ngaduka ngemgwacweni lomdzala waseFez emaminithini lamashumi lamatsatfu. Emgudvulweni awukwati kubona sibhakabhaka, kuphela umsindvo wetitolo temakhopha nekushaya emathileyi, iphunga lemabele lelivela emlonyeni welivisi, umsindvo webhola ngesikhatsi lishaya emnyango wemapulangwe. Umfana logcoke ijezi lebovu lelicembu lesive laseMorocco wagijima wadlula kimi, ngemuva kwakhe kubhalwe uHakimi. Lelijezu belihudvuleke emgudvulweni, kodvwa lifana neMorocco kakhulu kunanoma yini lensha esitolo semikhumbuto. Ibhola lapha alibekwanga kutsi tibukwe tivakashi, lihamba emaphimphini emgwacweni, likhanya ku-TV yetiye, ekushintsheni kwemntfwana kusuka ekusheshiseni kuya ekujikeni libe likusasa.

Kusuka eFez kuya eningizimu, emaphunga acala kushiswa lusuku ngalunye. E-Merzouga, lihlane le-Sahara licishe lingabi namaphunga. Kushisa kwelilanga kuhlobile, sihlabatsi, lilanga, sibhakabhaka konkhe kufana nekukhishwe emanti; emakhala awasasebenti, kuphela usawoti etindzebeni kanye netfukofuko engutsini. Ebusuku ngilele ngephandle kwekhempu ngabuka tinkhanyeti, umgwaco wesibhakabhaka uphansi kangangoba ufuna kugudlukela esicongweni sesihlabatsi. Kute umuntfu welidolobha, kute tindzawo tekudaya letikhaliphile, kute kumnandzi kwemakethe, kuphela umuntfu welukhuni emlilweni. Umholi wabeka lidemishi le-Riad eceleni kwemlilo kugcina kufutfumela, tiye temanti latiphuma ngetiye tiba nemuntfu, kumnandzi kwaso kwashiswa lihlane kwaba mncane, kufana nemoya longeke ume. Okumangalisako ngeSahara, kutsi ikutsatsela wonkhe umuntfu, ikushiye weva umoya wakho.

Ngesikhatsi ngibuyela e-Riad, iMorocco yaphindze yanginika emaphunga. Umnyango lomkhulu wemapulangwe uvuleka usuka emgudvulweni, ngekhatsi kunalomunye umhlaba: lichibi lelincane, tindonga te-mosaic, tihlahla temawolintshi kanye netimbali temu-orange lobuhlungu. Iphunga letimbali temawolintshi akusilo iphunga lelisobala lelisweet, kodvwa limanzi, lihamba kancane, kufana nemphunga longena etitini. Umnikati we-Riad wangiletsela tiye temanti, lidemishi liphakanyiswe kakhulu, tiye letiluhlata tagcwala ingilazi, ushukela muningi kakhulu kute ube nesibindi. Ngesikhatsi ngiyihogela, bengicabanga kutsi inoshukela kakhulu, esitseni sesibili ngacala kuyemukela, esitseni sesitsatfu ngabona: kumnandzi kwaseMorocco akusikho kuhlanganisa, kodvwa kuyindlela yekwemukela.

Lokwangenta ngikhumbule lokumnandzi, kwaba li-tagine. Sivalo sesitsha se-lita sasuka, inyama yemvu, anyanisi, ema-aprikhothi lomile, i-cinnamon, kanye ne-turmeric kwaphuma kanyekanye, kwehluke kakhulu ekuphekeni lokusheshako kwenkundla. I-tagine ayikujahisi, yenta inyama icinise emantini ayo, yenta kumnandzi kwetitselo kanye nekushisa kwetinongo kuvumelane kancane. Eceleni kwaletinye tinsizwa betibuka emakhalekhukhwini babuka tihlokwana tebhola, uHakimi agijima esandleni sekudla, bonkhe baphefumulela ngekumangala. Umnikati wabuka waphindze wahleka watsi nguligugu lesive, watalelwa eSpain, kodvwa uma agijima ungumntfwana waseMorocco. Ngesikhatsi acedza waphindze wasisela tiye, lidemishi liphakanyiswe kakhulu, kufana nekufaka uphawu kuleso simemezelo.

Lamavi angikhumbuza ngeNdebe yeMhlaba ya-2022. Ngesikhatsi iMorocco ingena etimphikiswaneni letine, umhlaba ungeke uphindze ubuke ibhola laseMorocco ngeso lelifanako. Bekungasiyo 'indzaba yemlingo' nje lokungalula; kufana nentfu lesele engutsini ngemuva kwekushunqa kwentfutfumba. UBounou uvimba emaphenathi, u-Amrabat amboza inkundla, uHakimi akhipha iSpain nge-panenka, letitfombe taphindze tahllanganisa emandla lahlukene eMadrid, eParis, e-Amsterdam, naseCasablanca. Ibhola lapha akusiyo indzawo yekuvakashela, kodvwa livela kungakalindzeleki ku-TV yetiye, emsakatselweni wetekisi, emajezini ebantfwana.

Ebusuku bangaphambi kwekusuka eMarrakech, ngaphindze ngaya e-Jemaa el-Fnaa. Umuntfu bewusamkhulu, ematafula enyama yoke bewusagcwele, tiye temanti betisemnandzi kakhulu. Kodvwa bengisengakwati kuhlukanisa emazinga: kucala kushisa kwemakethe etinongo, bese kubanda kwemakhambi etindzaweni tekudaya, kulandzela kushisa lokomile lweSahara kwangabi namaphunga, bese kumanti etimbali temu-orange eRiad, kuhamba kancane kwe-tagine, kugcina ushukela esitseni. Luhambo lwaseMorocco olukhumbulekako akusiko indzawo yinye yekuhlola, kodvwa yindlela lemaphunga lapho ahamba ngayo emtimbheni. Ucabanga kutsi uhambe live, kodvwa wona ukucedze uhamba ngephunga.