From Imlil to Armoud

We trek with Abdul and watch as the red earth changes to gray, volcanic rock and the path becomes narrow with steep drops as we begin to wend our way up and down stone steps. At almost 7000 feet in elevation, Armoud is the highest town in the High Atlas and seems perilously built into the rock. We are greeted with urns of saffron marigolds and lines of magenta, cerulean blue and apple green laundry. We smell cinnamon, turmeric and ginger simmering while we are offered lamb tagine with figs and walnuts and round flatbread sliced into triangles as we touch the woven shawls, silver bracelets and leather sandals that are for sale. We first pass a woman veiled in a burkha and later two young girls in skinny jeans, ballet flats and long fitted tee shirts, quickly donning their head scarves as they get closer to school. Even in this remote spot, the cyber cafe has invaded their lives. They welcome us with Salam Aleikum, which means hello or wishing you peace.