[Jan. 2026] In Marrakesh, Morocco, where the calendar is different, we celebrated the New Year without any festivities.
Like the locals, we calmly checked out of our riad.
We loaded our luggage into the car and set off on a day trip to Essaouira, a town on Morocco’s Atlantic coast.
Along the way, we saw a vast landscape with snow-capped mountains visible beyond the flat plains.
We took a break at a tourist-orientated cafe in a town called Chichaoua.
In the villages we passed through around this area, donkeys and mules were widely used for transportation, and it seemed as if nothing had changed in 30 years.
Morocco has grown considerably economically in the past 30 years, and is said to be transitioning from an agricultural country to an industrial and service-orientated one, but seeing these scenes, it still feels poor.
However, it’s an attractive landscape for tourists, and I selfishly thought that I don’t want it to change too much.
Furthermore, this region is also home to argan trees.
Argan oil has recently become famous as an ingredient in high-end cosmetics.
According to online information, it is rich in oleic acid, linoleic acid, and vitamin E, and is effective for moisturizing the skin and adding shine to the hair.
It is also used as cooking oil.
And, due to its rarity—argan trees only grow in southwestern Morocco—cosmetics made with argan oil are expensive.
We passed through an area lined with argan trees.
Our driver, Youssuf, had told us that photos of goats climbing argan trees and eating the fruit are popular among tourists.
We saw that very scene from inside the car.
It was certainly quite unusual.
Seeing us taking pictures, a goat herder came to collect money, but we didn’t have any coins, so we passed by without giving him anything.
According to Youssuf, at one point, farmers would tie goats to argan trees for tourists and charge them money.
This practice was deemed problematic and banned by the local government.
Therefore, the goats we saw must have climbed the trees voluntarily.
We took a photo break at a viewpoint just before Essaouira.
Here, they also offer a service where you can ride a camel for about 10 steps.
Tourism has been one of the pillars of Morocco’s economic growth over the past 30 years, so perhaps these kinds of services are encouraged.
