Morocco, Day Two

Today we ventured out for a while into the immediate neighborhood. We didn’t have to go far to find some really interesting local flavor.

Right off the bat, I found a flourishing stand of “ortie,” or stinging nettle, just outside our garden gate. For those who haven’t always followed my blog, I am a bit of an amateur herbalist and learned a great deal about the nutritional and medicinal properties of common U.S. weeds like dandelion, dock, and Japanese knotweed. I haven’t started studying up on European or African plants yet, but while in France, I discovered ortie. I experienced firsthand its powerful anti-inflammatory properties when ingested and when used topically, and as someone who battles daily with autoimmune disease and inflammation, I found this to be quite beneficial. Having an unlimited natural supply of it here in Morocco is very exciting.

The streets here are distinctive and ornate, but not as flashy as the ones we saw closer to El Jadida on the drive in. They’re photogenic enough in their own right, though, especially the sculptured artwork on some of the walls. We'll get photos of other areas as time goes by. Right now we're sticking close to the bungalow and learning the flow of the neighborhood one block at a time.

The beach is magnificent, even during this cooler time of year. It’s clearly a favorite hangout for locals.

Our primary reason for today's excursion was to talk with a pharmacist about my prescription medications and how to have them refilled while in Morocco. What we learned was stunning. He could refill them at the counter without requiring me to consult a doctor, based on the information provided on their U.K. prescription labeling.

On top of this, the price of these drugs was only a fraction of their cost in the U.S. In the States, with insurance, I would have had to pay approximately $16 for the two prescriptions pictured below, which are both blood pressure medicines. Here, they cost the equivalent of eleven euros. Another medication of mine that helps with neurological function had to be ordered and will be available for pickup today. It costs almost $40 in the States with insurance and costs over $300 for a monthly supply if one is uninsured. Here in Morocco, it's less than the equivalent of fifty euros without any insurance or coverage whatsoever. (Euro to dollar conversion is close enough to be nearly negligible in these small amounts, so USD cost can be easily extrapolated by comparison.)

On the way back to our bungalow, we stopped at a tiny restaurant for a bite of brunch. Two omelets with cheese and a large side of fresh bread cost less than three euros, and they were quite tasty.

Two locals are professional beggars at this restaurant, and from the looks of things, they do quite well for themselves.

One the street beside the restaurant, as we returned to the bungalow, we encountered again a street dog we’d met on arrival in Sidi Bouzid the day before. This time as we stopped to pet her, a passerby explained that she is a community dog, not owned by anyone specific, and is both well-loved and named by the people who live there. The spelling of her Moroccan name will require some research, but after a social media post about her yesterday, she’s acquired the English name of “Lenore.”

It is clear upon observation that Lenore is well cared for and healthy. She also behaves like a dog who expects kindness, not abuse. She has not been mistreated. She doesn’t go hungry. The contrast between local attitudes toward Lenore and attitudes toward strays in the U.S. is both striking and depressing.

Morocco does not have kill shelters. In the past, stray populations were controlled by extermination, but recent legislation has put an end to that. Now the populations are managed through TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release) programs run successfully by local advocates. So far we’ve not identified any TNR resources here in Sidi Bouzid and Lenore is not spayed, so in the days to come we’ll be trying to determine if anyone does claim ownership of her and securing appropriate permission to have her sterilized, vaccinated, and dewormed at a local veterinary clinic. It’s the least we can do for her, sweet girl that she is.

As a footnote: Lenore followed us home. Ooooh, she’s good. LOL She convinced us she was dying of both hunger and fatigue (not the case, but the act was quite convincing,) then she spent the night on a soft bed in our bungalow. This morning her “recovery” was complete, and she bounced out the front gate with her tail in the air, sniffing the breeze for a second breakfast, since she’d conveniently forgotten the one we’d just fed her. We expect her return by dinnertime.

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