30 May 2010

Goats in trees on the way to Essaouira


Goats in trees, you ask? Well...it all has to do with the argane tree, which is famous for producing nuts that are then made into argane oil. The oil has 3 separate phases, one is for cooking, and the others are for medicinal/cosmetic purposes. Mixing equal drops of argane oil and arnica is a great massage oil for bad backs. Now, the goats. Well, they love munching on the nuts. So in the mountainous areas (apparently) they climb up the trees themselves and spend the day gorging on the nuts. Below the mountains, enterprising Moroccans put them up in the trees and wait for unsuspecting tourists to drive by, stop to take photos, and get charged a 'fee'. I hope the goats are getting something out of it!