People and Jobs

First time I saw one of these oddly dressed guys in Marrakech Souk I thought "Well, this is some kind of exaggerated mask set up for asking money to the tourists wishing to take a photo besides them". I was half wrong. What I saw after this first encounter told me that no, this was not a fake dressing: water vendor do really dress like that throughout Morocco's towns, but yes, they will insist that you pay money (one, two or even more dollars) to get a photo with them. The real water vendors make a living out of selling water by the cup to thirsty clients in Souks, markets, roads. They have a necklace made with shiny metal cups where they pour water from a goatskin thru a long slender copper beak ending with a tap. They walk around ringing a bell to alert people of their presence. Naturally in touristic places like Marrakech and Fes thay make much more money selling their image for photos than with their poor job, and naturally as well turists are fond of taking pictures of such a coloured, odd and "typical" costume, willingly paying for this "service". Not me. I did'n feel like having one of those guys posing for me, that would have had a very high chance of resulting in a bad pic. Furthermore, I didn't want to let them think I was yet another gull to drain money from. But, hell, I couldn't go home without one of those guys trapped in my camera ... So I stayed alertly waiting for the right time to shoot, for some days.
The right moment came in Casablanca when I saw one water vendor sitting on a sidewalk, thinking to his own business and without seeming to pay much attention to turists passing by . The result was the first of the two pictures hereunder. I was happy with that, and I didn't think anymore to water vendors. But when I was taken in the picture shooting frenzy at the Fantasia in Ben Gerir, serendipity came to help me find another lucky shot, having a real water vendor vending real water to a real thirsty client, a knight riding the Fantasia tournment! So, my satisfaction was complete.

CocaCola fishing Jama el Fna Square	Chidren in a Berber village	Small village girls
Inside Fes Medina alleys	Waiting for water	A crowdy market street in Fes Medina
Italian tourists	Old and New	East and West
Moulay Idriss marketplace	At the Bar.. Moorish decorations and new communications	A sweet selling stall Moulay Idriss market
A child in his circumcision garment	Real Guards after the lowering of the flag ceremony.	Happy crowd at the "Fantasia" happening, Ben Gerir
"Convertible" bus	Tiznit	Tourists and young worker Marrakech
Prayer in the Mosque - Fes	Girls on Agadir beach

Snake-and-Tourist-charmer	Escargot restaurant	Tattoo woman
A street vendor and his shop Jama El Fna Square - Marrakech	Tourist junk vendor	A butcher - Fes
A Horseshoer - Fes	Tailors - Fes	Turners - Fes
Turning workshop	Dyers - Fes	Dyeing workshop (I like this one)
Metal trays washing - Fes	Metal punching - Fes	Confectioner with "pastilla" sheets - Fes
Kneading woman - Fes	Pricky pears seller - Fes	At the loom - Fes
Reel winding - Fes	Pottery decoration - Fes	Tailors - Moulay Idriss
Royal guards	Nut selling pedlar - Agadir	Fake Tuaregh on the beach (camel rides seller) Agadir

People ...

... and jobs