Saturday April 26, 2025

We are getting used to be woken up at 04:45 by the muezzin, but that does not make it easier. A mosque nearby starts and shouts with its speakers with persistant volume for about ten minutes. Then the grand mosque next door, (that seems to be having a problem with its clock), adds its volume to the fray. It’s volume is much louder, but it does not succeed in outdoing the other three or four mosques nearby.

Sisi timed it and it takes 26 minutes before we can try to sleep again. Be prepared, dear traveler!

Yesterday’s rain has disappeared, the sky is blue, the sun is bright and the air is cool. Breakfast on the roof and then we head into town.

We have a rather unusual destination. Those who know me also know that I am very interested in agriculture. As is turns out, there is an exhibition of the international chamber of agriculture in Morocco this week in Meknes.

So if you have nothing with agriculture, just skip this part. If you do, read it twice. We follow the old city walls and the kasbah until we reach the exhibit area, where we are stopped by soldiers and police because we have no tickets. 

-How do I get tickets?

-Online

I ask help and 15 minutes later the police is struggling with the app to get a ticket. It doesn’t work. At that moment an important person arrives. Police and soldiers take appropriate action, and we walk onto the parking lot.

At another entrance we explain our lot, and people simply sell us two tickets. We are in.

The display area is truly large. Very large tents hold hundreds of booths of manufactures of agricultural equipment, seed producers, packaging, irrigation equipment but also government agencies involved in sustainability, irrigation projects, desalination systems, dam construction, banking, financing, research etc. There is also a government agency of religion, where we a lady is so kind with us that she finally goes out somewhere and returns to give us a very beautiful Quran. Quite a souvenir of our trip. There are displays per region, their products and projects. I like them most because slowly on we have seen quite a few regions ourselves and recognise the oranges, dates, wheat and spices. 

In between the display areas and the throngs of people there are areas for praying. Not frequented very much.

There is a large area on soil fertility - my own former expertise, and of course on phosphate production. Morocco is the world’s largest phosphorous producer - an essential plant nutrient. The world would be in serious problems if this production was interrupted. 

It’s hardly possible to see everything but when we are finally walk home through the sun baked streets we feel very satisfied. …and we are looking forward to a cup of tea.

This dinner no rooftop restaurant. Almost the opposite. Deep down some dusty alley with housing overhead, which leaves you walking in dark tunnels, we find restaurant Aisha. Excellent. Was recommended by Mohammed, our host. Also very nicely decorated with tiles and columns and lots of chisseled stone.

PS: every exhibitor had a large photograph of the king of Morocco. In general both the king and the prince are very popular.