Uhambo lwase-Morocco: Ukungena ngekhala edolobheni elibomvu, ezindaweni zokudaya nase-Sahara

Ngesikhathi sokuqala ngenza umhlahlandlela wohambo lwase-Morocco, ngangicabanga ukuthi imephu izoqala esikhumulweni sezindiza i-Casablanca, isuka e-Marrakech, e-Fes, e-Merzouga ize iyofika e-Sahara. Ngemuva kokufika ngempela ngaqonda ukuthi i-Morocco ayivuleki ngamakhilomitha, iqala ngokuphunga ukukwamukela. Umoya wakusihlwa e-Marrakech uphephetha, emakethe yezinongo iphunga le-saffron, i-cumin, i-sinamoni nezimbali ezomisiwe kuhle kwezitolo eziningi zikhuluma kanyekanye, kungekho othanda ukuyekela omunye. Ngahamba phakathi kwamasaka, umnikazi wesitolo wangifaka entendeni yesandla isandla se-Ras el Hanout, izinongo ezingaphezu kwamashumi amathathu zixubene, kunuka njengomzila omdala osuka emzileni wezohwebo wase-Sahara uya ngaphansi kodonga lwedolobha elibomvu.

Ebusuku, isigcawu sase-Jemaa el-Fnaa sasibasa lomzila. Amalahle avutha ngemigqa, amafutha enyama eyosiwe awelela emlilweni, intuthu emhlophe igoqeka masinyane; iphunga le-fennel yesobho likamnenke, iphunga elishile lamasoseji, iphunga elimnandi lamawolintshi asanda kusikwa, konke kucindezele umsindo wezigubhu nokumemeza kwabathengisi. Omunye ukudonsela ukubuka imenyu, omunye ukunika isihlalo, omunye entuthwini ehleka ethi "China?" Ngahlala esihlalweni sepulasitiki esinyakazayo, ngabuka inyama iphenduka, ngaqonda ukuthi kungani abantu abaningi bethi i-Marrakech iyakhathala: akukhona ukuthi inomsindo, kodwa igcwele kakhulu, ngisho nomoya awunasikhala.

Iphunga lase-Fes lidala kakhulu, futhi alinabo ubungane. Imigudu yase-Medina mincane kangangokuba abantu ababili badlulana becathama, izinyathelo, izinsimbi zezimbongolo, umthandazo okude ubuyiselwa yizindonga ngezigaba, kuhle kwengathi kukhala ematsheni. Lapho usondela endaweni yokudaya izikhumba i-Chouara, umoya usinda, iphunga lesikhumba esiluhlaza ne-ammonia lihamba phambili lingene emakhaleni. Umnikazi wesitolo sezikhumba ophahleni wanginika isandla se-mint, wathi ngisibambe ngaphansi kwekhala. Ukuphola kwe-mint kwangisindisa isikhashana, kodwa ngezansi izimbiza zokudaya zazisenombala obomvu, ophuzi, no-blue, abasebenzi benyathela edayini ngezinyawo ezingenalutho, kuhle kwengathi isikhathi asikaze sishintshe inqubo. Ngaleso sikhathi ngaqonda ukuthi umlando awuhlali uthule emnyuziyamu, ngezinye izikhathi uyakuhlaba uze ukhale izinyembezi.

Emva kokuphuma endaweni yokudaya, ngaphinde ngaduka imizuzu engamashumi amathathu edolobheni elidala lase-Fes. Emgudwini awuboni isibhakabhaka, kukhona nje umsindo ohlanzekile wezitolo zethusi ezishaya amathileyi, iphunga lesinkwa eliphuma eziko, umsindo wezingane ezikhahlela ibhola lishaya emnyango wokhuni. Umfana ogqoke ijezi elibomvu leqembu lesizwe lase-Morocco wagijima wadlula eduze kwami, emhlane kubhalwe u-Hakimi. Lelo jezi laligugile ngenxa yothuli lwasemgudwini, kodwa lalifuze i-Morocco ukudlula noma iyiphi into entsha ezitolo zezipho. Ibhola lapha alibekelwe ukuthi izivakashi zibuke, liyagingqika ekuhlangeni kwemigudu, liyakhanya kumabonakude ezindlini zetiye, futhi ngesikhathi ingane ijika ngesivinini liba yinsuku zonke.

Kusuka e-Fes kuya eningizimu, iphunga liqala ukoma kancane. Efika e-Merzouga, ugwadule lwase-Sahara cishe alunaphunga. Ukushisa kwasemini kuhlanzekile, isihlabathi, ilanga, isibhakabhaka konke kuhle kwengathi kumunyiwe amanzi; ikhala liphelelwa umsebenzi, kusale usawoti ezindebeni nokujuluka ekhololo. Ebusuku ngilele ngaphandle kwekamu ngibuka izinkanyezi, i-Milky Way iphansi kuhle kwengathi izowela ngemva kwendunduma yesihlabathi. Akukho ntuthu yedolobha, akukho phunga elibuhlungu lendawo yokudaya, akukho bunandi bemakethe, kukhona nje iphunga elincane lokhuni olushile emlilweni wekamu. Umhlahlandleli wabeka iqula letiye eceleni komlotha ukuze lifudumale, itiye le-mint elamukelwa lalinomoya omncane, ubumnandi buncishiswe ugwadule, buncane, bufana nomoya ongahlali. Okumangalisa kakhulu nge-Sahara, ukuthi isusa wonke amaphunga, ikwenze uzwe okokuqala ukuphefumula kwakho.

Ekubuyeleni e-Riad, i-Morocco iphinde ikubuyisele amaphunga. Umnyango wokhuni omkhulu usuka emgudwini uvuleke, ngaphakathi kungenye indawo: ichibi elincane, izindonga ze-mosaic, izihlahla zamawolintshi nezimbali ezibabayo zamawolintshi. Iphunga lezimbali zamawolintshi akulona iphunga elimnandi leparfun, kodwa elimanzi, elihamba kancane, njengomswakama ukhuphuka ngamathayili. Umnikazi wendlu yezivakashi waletha itiye le-mint, iqula liphakanyiswe phezulu kakhulu, itiye eliluhlaza engilazini lenza amagwebu, ushukela mningi kakhulu ucela ukweqisa. Ngaphuza isiphuzo sokuqala ngathola simnandi kakhulu, esesibili ngaqala ukusamukela, esesithathu ngaqonda: ubumnandi base-Morocco abukona ukunambitheka, kuyindlela yokwamukela izivakashi.

Okungenza ngikhumbule lobu bunandi ngempela, kwakuyi-tajine. Isembozo sebumba savulwa, iphunga lenyama yemvu, u-anyanisi, amabhilikosi omisiwe, isinamoni ne-ginger okuphekwe kancane kwaphuma kanyekanye, kwehluke ngokuphelele ekusheshiseni kwenyama eyosiwe esigcawini. I-tajine ayikusheshisi, ishiya inyama ithambe emanzi ayo, ishiya ubumnandi bezithelo nokushisa kwezinongo kuze kuvumelane kancane. Abantu abasha abaseduze babebuke amafoni abo bebuka izikhathi ezinhle zebhola, u-Hakimi egijima ngakwesokudla, wonke umuntu etafuleni wathi "ahh" kanyekanye. Umnikazi waphakamisa amehlo wabuka, wahleka wathi uyiqhawe lesizwe, wazalelwa e-Spain, kodwa lapho egijima uyingane yase-Morocco. Esho, wasipha itiye futhi, iqula elidonswa phezulu kakhulu, kuhle kwengathi usayina leso sinqumo.

Leli zwi langenza ngakhumbula iNdebe Yomhlaba ka-2022. Emva kokuthi i-Morocco ifike kowandulela owamanqamu, umhlaba awusoze uphinde ubuke ibhola lase-Morocco ngamehlo amadala. Kwakungeyona nje "indaba yenganekwane" eyayizokwanele; yayifana nephunga elihlala ezingutsheni emva kokuthi intuthu yesigcawu inyamalale. U-Bounou evimba amapenathi, u-Amrabat emboza inkundla ephakathi, u-Hakimi eshaya ipenathi ye-panenka ukukhipha i-Spain, lezo zithombe zahlanganisa ubunikazi obabusakazeke e-Madrid, e-Paris, e-Amsterdam nase-Casablanca ndawonye. Ibhola lapha alikona indawo yokuvakasha, kodwa lizophuma kungazelelwe kumabonakude ezindlini zekhofi, emisakazweni yamatekisi, emajezini ezingane.

Ngomunye ubusuku ngaphambi kokushiya i-Marrakech, ngaphinde ngabuyela e-Jemaa el-Fnaa. Intuthu yayisemikhulu, izitolo zenyama eyosiwe zazingakagcwali, itiye le-mint lalisenoshukela omningi ngokweqisa. Kodwa mina ngangivele ngikwazi ukuhlukanisa izingqimba phakathi kwesiphithiphithi: kuqala kwakukhona ukushisa kwemakethe yezinongo, bese kuba ukuphola kwe-mint yendawo yokudaya, bese kuba ukoma okushisayo kwe-Sahara, bese kufika ukumanzi kwezimbali zamawolintshi e-Riad, ukuphekwa kancane kwe-tajine, ushukela ongaphansi kwenkomishi yetiye. Okungakhohlwa kalula ngohambo lwase-Morocco akusona isizinda esithile, kodwa yilawa maphunga azihlela emigqeni emzimbeni. Ucabanga ukuthi uhambe izwe lonke, kodwa empeleni likuhambise ngephunga.