Old and New
The photos below are more of a set of comparisons and contrasts than a specific leg of the trip. While some of the images are taken from other sets of images available here, others are unique to random stops, such as to eat lunch or to simply stretch our legs. Regardless of where you're located, one of the most obvious aspects of Morocco is that of the Berber heritage mixed with the modernity of a developing country. This particular set of images focuses primarily on random tidbits of modern infused into the rural. However, the effects of modern marketing and advertisements in general are highly pronounced in certain parts of the country...
Driving along the highway on the way to Marrakech.
A stretch of green plains highlighted by the presence of new billboards.
Morocco is a land with an unmistakable heritage. From both afar -- say a bus or train -- to walking along an unbeaten path to a Berber village or home. Here you see a home made hundred's of years ago -- still inhabited -- and still put to good use. From the walls, to the doors, to the cut-out windows, to the stone wall...and even to the 'road' this scene was created by the hands of individuals looking for a means of sustainment. Present even in modern times...
Perhaps grim by the perspective of a Westerner -- or even city-dwellers of modern Moroccan cities -- the functionality of such buildings are perhaps the true means of their creation and continuous use. The incentive for many country-peoples to build, rebuild, or to move entirely seems to lie in the practical benefit...why bother if there will be no better of an outcome? However, functionality aside -- and social class aside -- the sheer volume of history present in even the country-architecture proves an amazing sight...Even with the presence of modern objects...
Working from the bottom up -- a typical, and customary Moroccan plant; to the top -- another view of a typical, old, Berber residence -- to the intersection of historical and modern; a powerline draped across the air in the Moroccan desert...
The modern influence is felt all around, in fact. From the choice of paint -- something not widely available for many years -- to the furniture to the right -- a design of modern convenience. For nearly every feeling of history, there is the influence of modernity...
It's certain that with any modern influence placed within an old setting, there will be a conflict of imagery. The placement of a coke bottle on the shelf of an old home, for instance, proves to be a visually, and thought-provoking occurrence...just as the placement of product advertisements are at the foot of unchanged Morocco...
Driving down a windy road, once again, to spot the inklings of a city, partial in development...snapping a picture from the window of the bus to capture, of all things, a Coca Cola advertisement. Where's the Coke? No where...But the advertisement stands. It's this lasting impression of culture -- both modern and old -- that separates Morocco from other countries...
