When in Tangier, I was ‘convinced’ to purchase a number of items of clothing for desert attire (light trousers, top and scarf). I wore the scarf as my headdress in the desert and a few days later, decided to use the it for its secondary purpose (as a sarong)… only to discover about 10 minutes later that the dye had not been fixed - I had big blotches of blue-tinted skin everywhere!
After some initial embarrassment (and a quick costume change) I decided that the only thing to do was to embrace the situation and add this chapter to the story:
· The purchase in a carpet shop in Tangier was an experience in itself: The clothing was produced after about 30 minutes of drinking mint tea, the unveiling of an abundance of carpets and throws, and the offer of a free home in a nomad tent (following my claim as a poor traveller; to have no money for hotels – let alone carpets). I think the free nomad tent also came with husband – not sure if he was free or not?! Anyway, despite probably being grossly overcharged, the hour-long process prior to the purchase was a lot of fun.
· I ‘looked the part’ atop my camel, riding through the desert with my traditional Berber headscarf.
· I was transformed into a Smurf, poolside overlooking the fantastic Kasbah of Ait Benhaddou… Or, I could also claim to being attempting to emulate the custom of the Berber tribes who (I learned) used to dye their skin with indigo.
(The process of de-smurfing did require some vigorous scrubbing; which was slightly painful, and I only realised afterwards that I should have taken photos to illustrate the story).
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