2. Symbolism

I’ve reached the end of my second day exploring the colorful city of Marrakech, and I’m waiting in line to ride a horse and buggy back to the hotel.  My mind and lens have been saturated with unique symbols of this country that are around every corner and in every narrow alleyway I walk through.  My lens can barely keep up with everything I’m trying to learn to improve my photography skills.  At the same time, I’m working to feed my desire to capture some good images that represent Morocco.  This city is truly exceptional, complete with snake charmers, belly dancers and men who breathe fire at the Djemaa el-Fna.  They’ll even let you photograph them for a fee, but I opted not to.  I was focused on trying to create images of the locals going about their daily lives, but many of them refused to be photographed.  I was fortunate to capture a few images of the local women showcasing their unique style of hijabs before I switched gears to focus on the brightly painted doors and walls that are like canvases for vendors and street performers.  The whole scene makes the United States seem far away, and it makes Casablanca feel like a faint memory.  Both places are so different from the strong, energetic Moroccan vibe that’s here.  Symbols of what “classic” Morocco is like are in every nook and cranny of this city — and now a little sliver of that is on my right hand.  I look down at the henna tattoo I got yesterday from a woman in the medina marketplace.  The base of her design is rooted in the finger I use to control the shutter release on my camera, and then it wraps around my right hand and my arm.  It will be a reminder of not only the artistry of the woman who painted it, but also of this city.  Marrakech is overflowing with food, shopping and artistic talent that stems from a need for self-expression.  That is something I’m learning to do on this journey.  With my photography and my new blog, I feel like I’m fumbling while creating.  Perhaps some of the artist’s expressive energy that’s painted on my hand will inspire me and follow me like a shadow of Marrakech.  I’d like to hope so anyway…  Tomorrow I leave this city and travel into the Atlas Mountains.  Then I’m going onward to the Sahara Desert.  I’m very curious to see what’s going to start unfolding with this change of scenery, and I’m even more curious to see who I meet and how I respond to the unknown…