After this trip to Morocco, I have a sense of what it must be like to be followed by paparazzi, making a living from taking your picture. There are photographers in Morocco who make their living taking candid shots of the tourists in the tour groups. You find yourself periodically being photographed walking through the Medina, while in a horse drawn carriage or taking pictures yourself.
The next morning these pictures are outside the hotel, displayed on stands set up for you to see before you depart on your bus. The pictures cost various prices, depending on the photographer.
However, there is another stalker of tourists in Marrakech as well. Here there are sales people selling jewelry such as necklaces, bangles and a wide variety of other items. They stand by the bus as you enter and ask you to look at their wares. You can be approached by numerous people. If you show any interest by looking at the items, or make eye contact with them, they will follow you. The trick is to keep your head down and move forward. If you are interested, you must haggle to get a fair price.
When we got to the Berber village, these same people were there. They had followed us on their motorbikes and pursued us up to the house. They were outside after our visit and pursued us to a photo stop just down the road.
This is how some people make their money. While it may be a bit uncomfortable 'running the gauntlet,' it provides their livelihood and each of us worked out a way to handle it. This is not an everyday experience for many of us thankfully, but I admire the determination and efforts of these people to make a living.
No comments:
Post a Comment