Welcome to the Mountains

So as I said before, I am near the mountains. I have arrived at my final site, and been spending the past few days trying to take care of some business like residency card and also a PO box. Both of which I have, and if you would like my address to send me a letter, card, package, surprise, just e-mail me and ask and I will probably give it to you.

The town I live in and the area around me is very contradictory. The town is quite large, and a center of local commerce. It is around 8000 people, and I really have most everything here that I need like stores, souks, and cyber-cafes. The town itself is quite windy at times, and there is a lot of dust that gets blown around. Also, one of the huge environmental problems of the area is the trash issue. I will talk more about this later, but basically people dump their trash in the river beds, and on the street. So littering is prevalent. In the people’s defense, there is no trash collection system in place, so the trash that can be burned sometimes is burned for heat. But, the biggest problems are the plastic bags. Every little store gives them out with a purchase, even the smallest items. The bags end up like modern-day tumbleweed, and it is not surprising to see them blowing by you in the street, or in a plastic bag whirlwind, or hung up on some tree somewhere. It is quite depressing to see, but really, this is part of the reason I am here. Even I have trouble disposing of trash, as I said there is no adequate collection system. SO, if you send anything to me, please make it something I can burn that is not plastic or Styrofoam, so I do not have trouble disposing.

So in general, this is my town. It is not unique, but the area around it is unique and also breathtaking. I have two large peaks nearby, one at 11000 ft, and the other at 12500. The latter is the third highest peak in North Africa. I hope to climb both of these once the snow is gone in June. There are a number of other peaks around as well. Generally, there are very few trees, partly due to the semi-arid conditions, and party due to the overharvesting and not replanting trees. This allows for great hiking (minus the wind) and I plan to get out and do a lot of hiking. It is actually part of my job, and the park I will work in is a two day hike away (2 days of 8 hours hiking) and camping in the middle.

There is not a lot in the way of big wildlife. Most of the large mammals were gone a while ago. This leaves hares, boars, wild dogs, and some grazing animals as the mammals. There are a few snakes present, and also a number of skinks and lizards. There are also a number of small birds, and some large birds or prey present. The trees around are pine, oak, and cedar. Cedar is the most native here, and is also the most threatened by overharvesting. People here are not replacing the trees much at all, and this is the problem. People here need the wood to stay warm in the bitter cold winters, as electricity is way too expensive. So once again, this will be part of my work.

Since being here, my schedule has changed immensely from being super busy to now having not a whole lot to do. I am trying to integrate into my community, and I continue studying language, talk to community members, and learn about the community from the volunteers that are leaving. I try to make myself present and visible, so that people become accustomed to seeing me.
Even still, I have a lot of down time, and so I study languages, and also read books and play a few games or watch a quick bit of BBC news. Things tend to get accomplished at a slower pace here; it is just a fact of life.

I will try to keep a list of books I read in one of the side columns. I am definitely open to suggestions as well. Peace Corps here has a decent library in Rabat, and I can have books sent to me.

Also, if you have any questions, please e-mail me, and if they are topics I can write about here on this blog, then I will definitely do so. I have access to cyber-cafes all the time, and I go a couple times a week. Eventually, after I move into my own place, I will look into getting internet (not sure if it is possible). It will be much easier to get work done (a lot of work forms for Peace Corps are done via computer) and also condense my time staying in contact with people for the two times a week I plan on doing so. I also am already thinking about the cold winter, and how I do not want to have to leave my place to a cold cyber-café.

I hope that this post finds everyone safe and sound, and enjoying spring wherever you may be living.

Much Love!
Me!