Overview
OAT trips have unscripted moments that arise when we travel off the tourist trail. Along the way to our tour of Volubilis, we stopped to experience a weekly market in a small village. The market was part livestock market, part farmers’ market, and part flea market. It was the only place where locals in the village and the surrounding area could purchase what they needed. The sights, the noise, and the crowd of people were amazing to experience. Even though we were obviously outsiders, no one seemed to mind as we walked around. One of the reasons I enjoy OAT trips is for this very reason. They allow us time to interact with people tourists never see.
The Market
OAT trips often wander off the tourist trail. Our tour leader told us that if we were lucky, we could visit a local weekly market in a village not far from our route to Voulibis. Luck was with us. The driver found a parking spot a short walk from the market’s center. We did not have any plans or must-see places. An old farm boy, I was drawn to the livestock. There were vendors or traders with a variety of fowl; others had sheep and goats, and I saw a few pack donkeys but alas, no camels.
The food section had a profusion of dates. Our visit coincided with the peak of the date harvest. Another vendor sold fresh bread. Vendors had stalls filled with a variety of objects, including school supplies at one, and colored chicks at another. It was amazing to see all this going on. Weekly markets in rural parts of the world have existed for millennia. They have gone upscale in the US, with farmers’ markets. If you look for them, you can still find community sales, flea markets, and auctions.
