Royal Pageantry

The biggest news to come out of the town this week…The king came to town. That’s right. King Mohammed VI graced this little mountain town with his presence and it was one of the most exciting things to hit this town in a long time.

When I returned from Fez last weekend, the town had a different look to it. My town has always looked pretty to me but now, it looked cleaned and polished. Flagpoles had gone up; the streets and sidewalks had been painted; and the trash fields had been bull dozed. These are all tall tale signs that the king was coming.

Thursday was the big day. The electricity and excitement in the air were unmistakable. Everybody had their Sunday best on (except for me; I was in the warmest clothes I could wear) and were eagerly awaiting the king’s arrival. Once again, I was awed and amazed at what I saw from my bystander point of view.

Members of my host family and the women in the cooperative were in the receiving tent. I was fortunate to be able to sit with them and take pictures. Unfortunately, the king ran a few hours late and was unable to stay here for long so very people got to actually meet him. This royal event is another one of the unforgettable moments I have had here in this magnificent country.

Yesterday, the women in the cooperative went to Ifrane where the king was to be and where he was planning to recognize all the social development projects in this province. One of those projects…the COOPERATIVE! Mohammed VI recognized the cooperative and shook the president’s hand. I was unable to attend but I watched the festivities on the news later. Watching Fatima shake the king’s hand was an incredible, emotional, enriching experience. That my friends are what dreams are made of.