Kif Kif

My bad. Should have covered this topic long ago. Kif. Hash. Reportedly the biggest contributor to the Moroccan economy-unofficially; phosphates and tourism being the official money makers.

Why does this come up now? Medina reminders. The Medina-and I use that word as a general term-is where I come across it. Every medina, every time. Whiffs as you walk along the medina’s circuitous alleyways. Right now, it’s the Koranic ramblings of the guy sitting on the pavement outside the riad. Talking to no one, to everyone. Not begging, just rambling. High. On kif.

Then there was the guy who hit Nancy as we were buying vegetables in the Sefrou medina. That guy was more likely to have been a glue sniffer-really high. His eyes were crazy. He was trying to follow Nancy and she wasn’t having any of it. We walked away, and when we came back around, he hit her with his arm full force across her chest. Shocked. The crowd saw it. Did the right thing. Achmed, Jess’s neighbor/guardian angel reported to us later that evening that the guy had been arrested. Nice to know the medina takes care of its problems.

Only been to Chefchaouen once-in the heart of the Rif (aka Kif) Mountains. The guys rode in a taxi together up from the bus stop and were asked if they wanted to buy as soon as they got out of the taxi. When they declined, the seller lit into them-didn’t they know that that he (the seller) depended on them for his livelihood and they could certainly afford it-who did the think they were-etc.

I know (have been told) that I can buy it from my café guys in REK, and that the café on the north side of the “main” street is known for its smokers, but fortunately it’s not really visible here in my town.

Basically too many young guys w/too much time on their hands-no job, no prospects, can’t get married until they have an income, so still living at home (even those w/Univ degrees), nothing to do. No end in sight.

Interesting comment from a Moroccan friend recently. See all the road construction? Yeah-it’s extensive and it’s everywhere. Yeah, she says. Morocco is investing heavily in its infrastructure….instead of its people. Hmmmm.