Richard Bangs' Adventures with Purpose

[WIND HOWLING] >> I'M RICHARD BANGS.

MOROCCO IS OFTEN CALLED THE LAND OF "A THOUSAND KASBAHS," REFERRING TO THE WAY-STATIONS ALONG ANCIENT CARAVAN ROUTES TRAVELED BY TRADESMEN AND ADVENTURERS.

THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM CUSTOMS AND CRAFTS, BELIEFS AND SKILLS, AND THEY SOUGHT SHELTER AND SOCIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN SECURE KASBAH WALLS.

THEN, THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES, THESE KASBAHS--STRONG AND ENDURING--HAVE KEPT SILENT VIGIL OVER THEIR CULTURAL STORE.

"MEET ME AT THE KASBAH" IS AN EVOCATIVE INVITATION IN TODAY'S VERNACULAR, BUT WHAT IS THE MODERN EQUIVALENT TO THIS ANCIENT VAULT, AND WHERE IS IT FOUND?

JOIN ME AS I EXPLORE MOROCCO-- INTOXICATING INTERSECTION OF GREAT CIVILIZATIONS, AS I SEEK THE MEANING OF TODAY'S KASBAH AND WHAT IT MIGHT REPRESENT FOR MODERN MOROCCO AND THE WORLD.

>> SUPPORT FOR "ADVENTURES WITH PURPOSE" IS PROVIDED IN PART BY... >> EX OFFICIO ADVENTURE TRAVEL APPAREL WITH BUILT-IN FEATURES SUCH AS U.V.

PROTECTION, BUG REPELLENCY, WATER, STAIN, AND WRINKLE RESISTANCE.

EX OFFICIO--CLOTHES FOR THE ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT.

ONLINE AT EXOFFICIO.COM.

>> [MEN VOCALIZING] >> "ADVENTURES WITH PURPOSE."

THEY NOT ONLY QUICKEN THE PULSE AND FIRE THE SYNAPSES, BUT ARE ALSO JOURNEYS OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND DISCOVERY.

ODYSSEYS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

OUR GUIDE IS RICHARD BANGS, THE FATHER OF MODERN ADVENTURE TRAVEL.

LEADER OF 35 FIRST DESCENTS OF RIVERS AROUND THE GLOBE, A MOUNTAIN CLIMBER, AND RENOWNED AUTHOR, RICHARD BRINGS A LIFETIME OF EXPERIENCE TO "ADVENTURES WITH PURPOSE."

>> THEY CAME FROM THE SOUTH, FROM THE EAST AND THE NORTH-- AFRICANS, ARABS, JEWS, EUROPEANS, SULTANS, SCHOLARS, PIRATES, AND HOLY MEN-- TO THIS LAND IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF AFRICA.

THEY TRAVELED OVER BURNING SAND DUNES AND CROSSED GRAY, BLUNT MOUNTAINS AND ALONG CRAGGY SEASHORES.

AND AT EACH STOP ALONG THE WAY, WAS A KASBAH, A FORTRESS, A CITADEL, A REFUGE FOR TRADERS AND TRAVELERS, STURDY WALLS THAT SOMETIMES ENCLOSED SMALL CITIES, PLACES OF PROTECTION AND POWER.

LIKE THE TANTALIZING ARRAY OF FOOD AND SPICES FOUND IN ITS MANY MARKETS, MOROCCO HAS EMBRACED AND BLENDED LEGIONS OF INFLUENCES.

IT IS LIVING HISTORY.

ARTS AND TRADITIONS THAT HAVE SURVIVED SO LONG, SOME EVEN LONGER THAN ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, AND JUDAISM, THAT THEY COULD BE CONSIDERED THE VERY ESSENCE OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION.

[HORN BEEPS] [CHUCKLES] MODERNIZATION MOTORS ON IN MOROCCO, BUT TODAY'S MOROCCANS ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO PRESERVE THE BEST OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND CRAFTS, THE RITUALS AND CUSTOMS, AND TO CELEBRATE THE COUNTRY'S RICH AND THE KASBAH--TRADITIONALLY THE HEART OR THE CENTER OF EACH REGION--IS EMBLEMATIC OF THIS COUNTRY'S DETERMINATION.

>> THE KASBAH IS A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY FEELS SECURE AND ENJOY EACH OTHER'S COMPANY.

IT'S A SAFE HAVEN FOR ALL THE TRAVELERS WHO CAME FROM NORTH TO THE SOUTH.

>> SO, HOW COULD I GO AND FIND THE MODERN KASBAH?

>> WELL, IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE MODERN KASBAH, YOU HAVE TO GO EXPLORE MOROCCO AND YOU WILL FIND THE ANSWER.

>> I WOULD TRAVEL TO SOME OF THE IMPERIAL CITIES; I WOULD TRAVEL TO THE ATLANTIC COAST, TO ESSAOUIRA, DOWN TO THE SAHARA TO THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS.

I WOULD TRAVEL TO ALL THOSE PLACES TO MEET THE LOCAL PEOPLE, TO GET THE FEELING OF THE SPIRIT OF THE KASBAH.

>> ON THIS JOURNEY, WE'LL BEGIN IN MARRAKESH.

WE'LL DIP DOWN TO THE SEASHORE, TRAVEL OVER THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS, AND HEAD TO THE DESERT ON THE COUNTRY'S FAR EASTERN BORDER.

WE'LL WORK OUR WAY UP TO FES, FAR NORTH TO TANGIER, AND BACK DOWN TO RABAT, ENDING IN THE REDOUBTABLE CITY OF CASABLANCA.

AS SAINT AUGUSTINE, A BERBER, SAID, "THE WORLD IS A BOOK, AND THOSE WHO DO NOT TRAVEL READ ONLY A PAGE."

AS FASCINATING AS IT IS TO READ STORIES ABOUT ANCIENT LANDS, THE WRITTEN WORD CANNOT APPROACH WHAT IT IS TO EXPERIENCE THEM FIRST-HAND.

>> [MAN CHANTING] >> AND THERE ARE SO MANY CHAPTERS TO MOROCCO'S STORY.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

IT'S THE GIFT OF GEOGRAPHY THAT GAVE MOROCCO ITS MULTICULTURALISM.

IT'S LAPPED BY THE TRADE ROUTES OF 3 SEAS-- THE MEDITERRANEAN, THE ATLANTIC, AND THE SAHARA.

AND HERE, YOU CAN FIND GOODS FROM 3 CONTINENTS: FROM EUROPE, FROM ASIA, AND FROM AFRICA.

>> [OVERLAPPING CHATTER IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES] >> THE RED SOIL USED TO BUILD MARRAKESH HAS BEEN TREAD BY MANY DIFFERENT FEET.

>> [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> THE BERBERS, WHO CALLED THEMSELVES "THE FREE PEOPLE," WERE THE FIRST TO TRAVEL HERE, SETTING UP A CAMP AND MARKET.

>> IT'S HERE FOR A WHILE AND THEN RIGHT.

>> THIS IS THE SOUK.

THIS IS THE MAIN STREET OF THE SOUK RIGHT HERE.

>> ON THE RIGHT, PLEASE.

>> YES.

THERE ARE ALL THESE TRIBUTARIES THAT GO OFF ON THE SIDES.

THIS IS THE MAIN-- >> YEAH, YEAH.

THE MAIN ROUTE, YEAH.

>> YEAH.

>> ISLAM CAME WHEN BATTLE-HARDENED PIONEERS SPREAD FROM ARABIA ACROSS NORTH AFRICA TO THE PLACE THEY CALLED "THE PEARL THAT ALLAH THREW OVER THE ATLAS MOUNTAINS."

IT FIRST BECAME A POWERFUL CENTER OF COMMERCE ABOUT 1,000 YEARS AGO, THANKS TO A TRIBE OF WARRIOR MONKS FROM THE SAHARA KNOWN AS THE ALMORAVIDS.

THE BERBER-MUSLIM ALMORAVIDS CARVED OUT AN EMPIRE THAT STRETCHED FROM ALGIERS TO SPAIN, AND MARRAKESH WAS THEIR MOST PRIZED CITY.

THIS CENTRAL SQUARE, WHERE HEADS OF CRIMINALS WERE ONCE LOPPED OFF AND PLACED ON STAKES, IS SCARCELY LESS OUTLANDISH TODAY, THOUGH CERTAINLY LESS BLOODTHIRSTY.

[CHUCKLES] OH, MAN.

THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING VITAL, SOMETHING OBVIOUS, SOMETHING SECRET HAPPENING IN DJEMAA EL-FNA SQUARE.

BY DAY, PEOPLE CONVERGE TO HAGGLE, TO SIP MINT TEA, TO TELL STORIES, AND LISTEN TO STORYTELLERS.

THE TALES ARE TALL HERE...AS THEY SAY, "IF YOU'RE GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH, YOU BETTER HAVE ONE FOOT IN THE STIRRUP."

HERE IN THE SOUK, IT'S A RIOT OF SENSORY EXPERIENCES, FROM SOUNDS, FROM TOUCH, FROM TASTE-- EXOTIC.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS THICK WITH SCENTS THAT BATTLE EACH OTHER IN THE NOSE--THE SHARP SOUR SMOKE OF TOBACCO, THE PERFUMES OF SPICES AND TEAS.

IT IS A MELANGE OF OLD SMELLS AND SNAKING ARABIC SOUNDS.

[HISS] SO, WE'RE IN THE BLACK MAGIC MARKET WHERE PEOPLE CAN FIND POTIONS AND ELIXIRS TO CURE ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING FOR?

>> YEAH.

THIS IS SOMETHING AGAINST INTOLERANCE THAT WOMEN USE TO MAKE THEIR HUSBANDS LOVE THEM MORE OR BECOME MORE TOLERANT TO THEM BY BURNING THIS, OR ACTUALLY, JUST PUTTING IT IN A DRINK.

>> WELL, I COULD USE THIS.

IN FACT, I THINK A LOT OF THE WORLD COULD USE THIS.

I'D LIKE TO BUY A FEW TONS.

YEAH.

>> [CHATTERING IN MANY LANGUAGES] >> FOR MANY MOROCCANS, MULTICULTURALISM MANIFESTS ITSELF IN A KIND OF EASY TOLERANCE, EVEN WITH THE OFFICIAL BOUNDS OF RELIGION AND TRADITION.

HERE IN MARRAKESH, THE SAYING GOES: "NOTHING IS TRUE.

ALL IS PERMITTED."

[PERCUSSION] AT NIGHT, THE MAIN SQUARE TRANSFORMS TO A HUGE OPEN AIR SHOW, BUSY WITH MUSICIANS, DANCERS, TOOTH PULLERS, FORTUNE TELLERS, AND SNAKE CHARMERS.

SPECTATORS WRAP THEMSELVES IN THE POWERFUL RHYTHMIC TONES OF GNAWAN MUSIC.

GNAWA REFERS TO BOTH AN ETHNIC GROUP AND A RELIGIOUS ORDER--DESCENDANTS OF SUB-SAHARAN BLACK AFRICANS WHO WERE BROUGHT NORTH AS SLAVES OR MIGRATED HERE IN TRADING CARAVANS.

>> FOR ME, THE AFRICAN CONCEPT OF MUSIC IS LIFE ITSELF.

IT'S LIFE, YOU KNOW.

WITH AFRICAN MUSIC, YOUR WHEREVER YOU FIND IT, YOUR WHOLE BODY BECOMES INVOLVED IN THE MUSIC.

YOU SEE.

NO MATTER ALL THE RHYTHMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE WEST, WHETHER WE CALL IT ROCK 'N' ROLL, WHETHER WE CALL IT POP, OR WE CALL IT HIP-HOP, ALL THESE TITLES, IF YOU TAKE OUT THE AFRICAN RHYTHMS AND AFRICAN SPIRITUALITY, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING.

>> THROUGH THIS DEEPLY HYPNOTIC MUSIC, DANCERS CAN WORK THEMSELVES INTO TRANCE-LIKE STATES OF ECSTASY.

IT'S A SCENE FROM WHICH YOU DON'T WANT TO AWAKEN.

>> [MAN SINGING IN FOREIGN] LANGUAGE] >> "HE WHO DOES NOT SHARE HIS FOOD IS NOT ONE OF US," THE MOROCCAN SAYING GOES.

>> TAJINE WITH SEA BASS AND FISH EGG.

>> [WHISTLES] >> BEAUTIFUL.

>> FLAT, ROUND, CHEWY BREAD FRESHLY BAKED VERY DAY, IS THE STAFF OF LIFE HERE.

>> THE PASTRIES STUFFED WITH PIGEON, THE TRADITIONAL WITH CINNAMON, SUGAR, ALMOND, PIGEON, AND ORANGE FLOWER.

>> THE STEWS ARE USUALLY CASSEROLES OF MEAT AND POULTRY.

BUT IF THERE'S A NATIONAL DISH, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE COUSCOUS... >> AND THIS, YOUR COUSCOUS WITH LOBSTER.

>> AHH... >> AND YOU HAVE ANOTHER COUSCOUS WITH... >> CREAM-COLORED GRAINS OF SEMOLINA STEAMED OVER MEAT AND VEGETABLE STOCK.

>> WHO'D LIKE SOME SORBET?

>> MARRAKESH EXPERIENCED ITS GOLDEN AGE UNDER THE SULTAN OF A LATER GROUP OF BERBER MUSLIM INVADERS WHO OVERTOOK THE CITY.

THIS MOSQUE, A MASTERPIECE OF MOORISH ARCHITECTURE, COMMEMORATES THAT VICTORY.

THE SULTANS, WHO WERE BOTH KINGS AND SPIRITUAL LEADERS, SURROUNDED THEMSELVES WITH MAGNIFICENT ARCHITECTURE, PALACES AND KASBAHS RICH WITH FOUNTAINS AND TILED FLOORS AND HAREMS.

WHILE MOROCCAN WOMEN ARE SUBJECT TO MANY OF THE CONSTRAINTS AS CONTEMPORARIES IN OTHER COUNTRIES, THEY ARE ALSO FINDING ENTERPRISING WAYS TO WORK WITH EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN.

AT THIS CO-OP, OUTSIDE OF MARRAKESH, WOMEN HAVE TURNED THE TRADITIONAL PRACTICE OF NUT HARVESTING INTO A WAY TO PROVIDE EXTRA INCOME FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

SO THAT'S THE OUTER SHELL.

THE ARGAN TREE, WHICH ONLY GROWS IN SEMI-DESERT, HAS A DEEP ROOT SYSTEM THAT PROTECTS AGAINST SOIL EROSION AND HELPS KEEP THE ADVANCING SAHARA DESERT AT BAY.

ARGAN NUTS PRODUCE ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST SOUGHT-AFTER OILS IN THE WORLD.

THEY OFTEN NOW CALL THE ARGAN OIL THE MIRACLE OIL.

WHY IS THAT?

>> [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> NOW, ARGAN IS USED IN MANY DIFFERENT THINGS: IN COSMETICS, IN MASSAGE, AND IN FOOD AS WELL.

AND, ALSO, BECAUSE IT HAS HELPED THESE WOMEN HERE CHANGE THEIR LIFE FOR THE BETTER.

IT TAKES ABOUT TWO DAYS TO PRODUCE JUST ONE LITER OF ARGAN OIL, SO IT'S VERY LABOR-INTENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING.

>> IT'S HARD.

IT'S HARD TO... HUH.

AT ONE TIME, THE ARGAN WAS A THREATENED SPECIES BECAUSE SO MANY OF THE TREES WERE CUT DOWN FOR WOOD AND CHARCOAL.

BUT NOW THERE'S A RENEWED INTEREST IN PRESERVING IT.

>> SO, WITHOUT THESE COOPERATIVES, THE ARGAN OIL MIGHT HAVE DISAPPEARED, AND WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EXTRACT IT BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE ABANDONED THIS TRADE OR THIS ART FOREVER.

>> THAT'S THE SECRET?

OK.

SO, DO YOU...?

OH.

IT'S LIKE THIS.

THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF MOROCCO'S MANY TRAVELERS AND SETTLERS FUSE IN ESSAOUIRA, A PORT TOWN ON THE ATLANTIC COAST AND BELOVED HOME TO ARTISTS AND FREQUENT MUSIC FESTIVALS.

SOME CONSIDER THIS THE MOST UNSPOILED TOWN IN THE COUNTRY.

ESSAOUIRA'S NARRATIVE REACHES BACK NEARLY 3,000 YEARS WHEN SEA-FARING PHOENICIANS FIRST CAME CALLING.

AN ECLECTIC MIX HAS LIVED TOGETHER HERE EVER SINCE, AND LOCALS PRIDE THEMSELVES IN THEIR OPENNESS AND TOLERANCE.

THIS IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF ANDRE AZOULAY, THE WORLD'S ONLY JEWISH ADVISOR TO A MUSLIM KING.

>> [MAN SPEAKING] >> IN THE 18th CENTURY, MOROCCO'S SULTAN REVAMPED THE CITY IN EUROPEAN STYLE TO COURT FOREIGN SHIPS, AND IT BECAME A VITAL LINK IN A TRADE ROUTE THAT STRETCHED FROM EUROPE TO TIMBUKTU.

MOST SHIPPING COMMERCE HAS NOW MOVED ON TO OTHER PORTS, LEAVING ESSAOUIRA TO ITS ARTISTS, TRAVELERS, AND SALTY SEA BREEZES.

I'M WALKING ALONG ONE OF THE MAJOR ANCIENT TRADE ROUTES OF MOROCCO.

FOR CENTURIES, CARAVANS CARRIED GOLD, SILVER, SPICES, AND SALT TO THE CIVILIZATIONS TO THE NORTH.

AN OLD CARAVAN ROUTE FROM THE SAHARA TO MARRAKESH PAUSED AT WHAT IS PERHAPS MOROCCO'S GRANDEST KASBAH--AIT BENHADDOU.

THIS WAS ACTUALLY AN ENCLOSED CITY, WITH PALACES, HOUSES, AND SHOPS, AND OF COURSE, HIGH WALLS AND WATCH TOWERS.

KASBAHS WERE SAFE HAVENS FOR FAMILIES, FOR TRADERS, FOR TRAVELERS.

AND GUARDS KEPT LOOKOUT FOR INVADERS FROM THESE HIGH, FORTIFIED WATCHTOWERS.

THE WINDING MAZES OF CONNECTING STREETS AND ALLEYS ONCE PULSED WITH THOUSANDS WHO CALLED THIS HOME.

TODAY, IT IS NEARLY A GHOST TOWN; MOST RESIDENTS HAVE MOVED TO OTHER, MORE MODERN QUARTERS.

>> [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> 10 FAMILIES, HOWEVER, STILL LIVE WITHIN THE THICK WALLS, SELLING CRAFTS, WELCOMING STRANGERS, AND LIVING MUCH AS THEIR ANCESTORS DID.

IT IS THE VISITORS WHO BUY THE HAND-WOVEN RUGS AND OBJETS D'ART WITHIN THESE WALLS WHO HELP MAKE THE ECONOMICS OF TRADITION WORK, WHO HELP KEEP THE PROUD CUSTOMS AND CODES VIBRANT AND CONTINUOUS.

>> [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] EL BERBER.

>> EL BERBER.

>> [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> IT IS A MEANINGFUL BENEFIT OF TRAVEL HERE.

EL KELAA DES M'GOUNA, ABOUT AN HOUR FROM THE KASBAH, ASSAILS THE NOSTRILS WITH THE HEADY, HEAVY SCENT OF FLOWERS.

IT IS MOROCCO'S "ROSE CAPITAL."

TWO MASSIVE FACTORIES PRODUCE THE GALLONS OF SCENTED ROSE-WATER POPULAR IN MOROCCO'S COOKING AND PERFUMERY.

MEMORY IS MOST TIED TO SMELL, AND THE FRAGRANCE HERE IS UNFORGETTABLE.

ITS ROOTS DATE BACK OVER 1,000 YEARS TO WHEN PILGRIMS TRAVELING THROUGH PERSIA PLUCKED THE ROSES AND BROUGHT THEM BACK HERE.

IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF A CULTURE AS AN OPEN GARDEN, ONE THAT ASSIMILATES THE FINEST OF WHAT IT ENCOUNTERS AND PLANTS THE SEEDS THAT NOURISH THE SOUL.

NOW FARMERS HARVEST SOME 3,000-4,000 TONS OF PETALS FROM THE SURROUNDING HILLS EACH SPRING.

AND, IN LATE MAY, THE ROSE FARMERS GATHER TO CELEBRATE THE YEAR'S HARVEST DURING THE "ROSE FESTIVAL."

>> [WOMAN SPEAKING] [DRUMS BEATING, RHYTHMIC CLAPPING] >> [MAN ON P.A.

SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> THE THEME OF THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL IS "SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT."

>> [MAN ON P.A., MUSIC PLAYING] [MAN SINGING] >> MUSIC IS OUR REAL LANGUAGE.

IT'S A LANGUAGE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHEN WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE OTHER LANGUAGES, YOU KNOW.

IF WE JUST STOP AND LOOK AT OUR ANCIENT ANCESTORS, SAY, "WOW, OK.

I HEAR ANGOLAN RHYTHM IN BRAZIL.

I HEAR THE RHYTHM OF BENIN IN CUBA."

SO YOU CAN SEE THIS, AT THE SAME TIME, IT GIVES A SENSE OF UNITY, THAT WE ARE ONE PEOPLE.

>> [WOMEN SINGING] ULULATING >> [MAN SINGING] >> IN THE 30 SHOPS THAT MAKE UP THE NEARBY CRAFT COOPERATIVE, SKILLED WORKERS CONTINUE THE PRACTICE OF FORGING MOROCCAN DAGGERS.

>> [SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> WE WALK INTO ONE SHOP WHERE 4 MEN ARE ALMOST MUSICALLY HAMMERING INTRICATE DESIGNS INTO METAL.

>> [WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> BEYOND THE SHIMMER AND SHRUG OF THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS, THE DRAA AND DADES VALLEYS STRETCH FAR INTO EASTERN MOROCCO.

[BLEATING] THE STARK MAJESTY OF THIS COUNTRY'S INTERIOR BECKONS ADVENTURE SEEKERS, AND IT'S EASY TO LOSE ONESELF IN THE UNSETTLING BEAUTY OF THIS PLACE.

[WIND WHISTLING] THE SAHARAN SANDS SWEEP THROUGH A LAND THAT IS MORE SKY THAN EARTH, WASHING TO A SET OF FINE-GRAINED WAVES CALLED ERG CHEBBI.

AN ERG IS A MOVING SAND DUNE, SORT OF LIKE A SLOW OCEAN WAVE THAT CROSSES THE DESERT.

THESE SANDS ACTUALLY CAME FROM ALGERIA.

SAND SKIING IS A NEW RAGE AMONG DESERT-BOUND ADVENTURERS.

THOUGH I'VE HEARD IT'S POSSIBLE TO GET UP TO 30 MILES AN HOUR, TODAY IT'S A BIT SLOW GOING.

[MAKES WHOOSHING NOISES] MAYBE YOU CAN SPEED THAT UP.

[LAUGHS] THE SLOPES ARE SLICKER, I'M TOLD, AFTER THE RARE RAINFALL.

>> [MAN SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE] [CAMEL GRUNTS] >> [SPEAKING FRENCH] >> BUT HERE'S THE REAL REASON I CAME TO THE DESERT: A CAMEL SAFARI TO A NOMAD CAMP.

[CAMEL GROWLS] >> OOH-WHEE!

CAMEL SAFARIS REVEAL THE LONELY BEAUTY OF THIS TERRAIN.

THE RUFFLES AND FLUTES OF THE DUNES ARE A SCENE STRAIGHT OUT OF "LAWRENCE OF ARABIA," WHICH WAS FILMED HERE.

WE ARE IN THE SAHARA, ON THE SHIPS OF THE DESERT, THE VESSELS THAT MADE TRADE POSSIBLE, THAT BROUGHT THE GOLD AND SILVER AND MERCHANDISE FROM AFRICA TO THE MEDITERRANEAN AND BEYOND.

THE DUNES HERE ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE SAHARA, SOME ROLLING WITH CRESTS 1,000 FEET HIGH.

SILENCE IS A SOUND HERE.

>> [MEN SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] >> WHAT DO YOU HAVE, RICHARD?

>> IT'S SOME SORT DESERT REPTILE.

I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT IT IS.

IT MAY BE RELATED TO A SKINK.

OR, THEN AGAIN, IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT.

THE SKY IS BRIGHTER AND CLEARER AND MORE CLUTTERED HERE THAN PROBABLY ANY PLACE ON EARTH.

THE DESERT AIR IS SO CLEAR, CRISP.

IT'S LIKE THE BEST OBSERVATORY RIGHT HERE.

AFTER A TRADITIONAL MEAL BY LANTERN LIGHT, SLEEP COMES EASILY IN THE UNTROUBLED AIR OF THE DESERT.

THERE IS HERE A DRY, SERENE PURITY.

THERE IS, MOST OF ALL, A SENSE OF PEACE.

AS MORNING RISES OVER THE SAHARA, WE JOURNEY ON, CROSSING BACK OVER THE IMMENSE ATLAS MOUNTAIN RANGE TOWARDS FES, WITH A BRIEF STOPOVER IN THE TOWN OF IFRANE.

THE EUROPEAN INFLUENCE ADDS TO THE RICHNESS OF MOROCCO'S CHARACTER.

THE VILLAGE OF IFRANE, BUILT AS A FRENCH OUTPOST, LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE I'M IN AN ALPINE VILLAGE.

AT MORE THAN A MILE HIGH, IT RECORDED THE LOWEST TEMPERATURE EVER IN AFRICA--MINUS 23 DEGREES CELSIUS.

THE TOWN EXPERIENCES SNOW DURING WINTER MONTHS AND A COOL CLIMATE DURING THE SUMMER.

THE FRENCH FLAVOR IS UNMISTAKABLE.

IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY, FRANCE ESTABLISHED A FOOTHOLD IN MOROCCO AFTER OCCUPYING ADJACENT ALGERIA, AND EVENTUALLY MOROCCO BECAME A FRENCH PROTECTORATE.

THIS COUNTRY PEACEFULLY TRANSFERRED TO INDEPENDENCE IN 1956.

>> [CALL TO PRAYER] >> [MEN CHATTERING] >> ENTERING FES IS LIKE FALLING THROUGH LAYERS OF HISTORY AND ENDING UP JUST SHORT OF THE PRESENT.

IT IS MOROCCO'S SPIRITUAL CENTER, A CITY OF MINARETS SCRAPING THE SKY.

FROM THESE TOWERS, 5 TIMES EACH DAY, THE CALL TO PRAYER IS STREWN ACROSS THE CITY...

THE SITE FOR FES WAS CHOSEN BY THE FIRST ARAB TO ESTABLISH WIDE-RANGING AND EFFECTIVE CONTROL IN MOROCCO BY SUBDUING THE PREVIOUSLY UNCONQUERED BERBER TRIBES.

FES SOON BECAME A HAVEN FOR RELIGIOUS REFUGEES FROM EUROPE AND AFRICA.

THE FES MEDINA, OR OLD TOWN, IS ONE OF THE WORLD'S OLDEST CONTINUOUSLY INHABITED CITIES.

THE GATES TO THE MEDINA LOOK ANCIENT BUT ARE ACTUALLY ONLY ABOUT 100 YEARS OLD.

DECORATIVE BUILDINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CITY'S PRESTIGE AND HELPED ATTRACT A WEALTHY SET TO TAX.

BY THE LAST CENTURY, THE CITY HAD FALLEN INTO RUIN, BUT UNESCO, THE U.N. PRESERVATION ORGANIZATION, IS HELPING TO RESTORE THE STRUCTURES.

TODAY, IT SPILLS OVER WITH COMMERCE AND LIFE.

>> [MEN SINGING, PLAYING DRUMS] >> THE MEDINA IN FES IS THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPLEX IN THE WORLD.

AND I'M TOLD THAT EVEN THE LOCALS WHO LIVE OUTSIDE THESE WALLS IN FES ARE AFRAID TO COME IN HERE FOR FEAR OF GETTING LOST.

AND I'M LOST.

SO I'M GOING TO SEE IF I CAN GET OUT OF HERE, AND HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO TAKE.

SO, HERE I GO.

STEPPING THROUGH THESE GATES IS LIKE ENTERING A TIME TUNNEL.

THE LOW-WATT FLUORESCENT LIGHTS, THE ENDLESS, SERPENTINE STREETS, THE MOIST EMBRACE OF THE THICK AIR, THE SWEET, EDGY SMELLS, THE GREETINGS WITH HANDS SO DRY THEY FEEL LIKE CRUSHED AUTUMN LEAVES.

THIS IS GONNA TAKE FOREVER.

WHICH WAY?

>> UP, UP, UP.

>> UP.

OK. OK. >> YES.

OH, NO.

WE'RE BACK WHERE WE STARTED.

[LAUGHS] I NEVER MADE IT OUT.

THERE IS NO WAY OUT.

DESPITE THE CLAMOR OF THE MEDINA, THERE ISN'T A SENSE OF BEING RUSHED IN MOROCCO.

TIME IS SOMETHING PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE PLENTY OF HERE.

WHILE WESTERNERS GET ANNOYED WITH SMALL INCONVENIENCES AND DELAYS, MOROCCANS HAVE A SAYING: "HE WHO HURRIES HAS ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE."

THE DOORS IN THIS CORNER OF THE MEDINA OPEN TO AN ANCIENT WAY-STATION FOR CARAVANS KNOWN AS A CARAVANSERAI.

CARAVANSERAIS WERE KIND OF LIKE MOTELS FOR CARAVANS, AND THERE WERE ONCE HUNDREDS IN FES.

THE BUILDINGS WERE TALL; THE ANIMALS WOULD EAT AND SLEEP ON THE GROUND FLOOR WHILE THE MERCHANTS WOULD TAKE ROOMS UPSTAIRS.

>> [CHILDREN CHATTERING] >> ANOTHER CARAVANSERAI NOW HOLDS A FAMILY-RUN SHOP THAT PRODUCES A RAINBOW OF WOVEN FABRICS.

3 GENERATIONS OF WEAVERS CREATE MILES OF HAND-CRAFTED CLOTH.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE ONE?

>> TO MAKE ONE PIECE OF 3 METERS, I NEED LIKE 5-6 HOURS.

>> WHOA.

>> YEAH.

AND YOU SEE THE WORK: IT'S BY HAND, AND ALSO BY FEET.

TWO PEDDLES DOWN TO CROSS THE THREADS LIKE THIS.

>> THE MEDINA HISSES AND CLANKS WITH THE CREATION OF HANDMADE PRODUCTS.

>> LOOK.

CAMEL SKIN, THOSE.

>> SO YOU FILL THIS?

>> WE STUFF THEM.

>> THEN YOU SIT-- >> AND WE SIT ON IT.

>> TANNING TRADITIONS GO BACK THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AND THE TANNERIES OF FES HAVE BEEN PRODUCING MOROCCO'S HIGHLY-PRIZED LEATHER SINCE THE MIDDLE AGES.

SOME OF THE VATS HAVE BEEN IN CONTINUOUS USE FOR CENTURIES, VATS OF MANY COLORS STEWED FROM PLANTS AND MINERALS.

THE SKINS SPEND 10 DAYS IN A BREW OF LIMESTONE AND PIGEON DROPPINGS TO HELP SOFTEN THEM, AND THEN ANOTHER 25 DAYS IN THE VATS OF DYE.

EACH DAY, THE LEATHER MUST BE TURNED BY HAND.

HOW DO THEY MAKE ALL THOSE DIFFERENT COLORS?

>> RED FROM POPPY FLOWER... >> FROM THE POPPIES FOR RED.

OK. >> BLUE FROM INDIGO, >> INDIGO FOR THE BLUE.

THAT MAKES SENSE.

>> YELLOW FROM SAFFRON... >> SAFFRON.

THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.

>> GREEN FROM MINT.

>> FROM THE MINT.

OK.

SO, THERE'S JUST A WONDERFUL PERFUME, IF YOU WANT TO CALL IT THAT, THAT'S WAFTING UP HERE.

I WOULDN'T CALL IT A PLEASANT SMELL.

WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT?

>> CHANEL NO.

6.

>> CHANEL NO.

6.

>> CHANEL NO.

6.

MOROCCO.

>> MOROCCO.

WHEW.

WOW.

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KEEP FROM FAINTING.

JEWS HAVE LIVED IN FES EVEN LONGER THAN MUSLIMS AND THE TWO HAVE A LONG AND HARMONIOUS HISTORY OF CO-HABITING HERE.

THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, KNOWN AS MELLAH, IS THOUGHT TO BE THE OLDEST JEWISH ENCLAVE IN MOROCCO.

BETWEEN THE 12th AND 16th CENTURIES, DURING THE INQUISITION, WHEN THE JEWS WERE BEING CHASED OUT OF EUROPE, THEY NEEDED A PLACE TO GO.

MOROCCO OPENED ITS DOORS.

THE MELLAH HAS A DIFFERENT FEEL THAN THE MUSLIM QUARTER OF THE CITY.

HERE, FINELY CARVED WOODEN BALCONIES OPEN ONTO THE STREETS RATHER THAN INTO INTERNAL COURTYARDS.

AND THE SMALL SHOPS GLEAM WITH FINE FILIGREE GOLD MADE WITH AGE-OLD TECHNIQUES CARRIED FROM THE MIDDLE EAST AND SPAIN.

A SHORT DISTANCE FROM FES, THE RUINS OF VOLUBILIS ATTEST TO THE ROMAN CULTURE THAT THRIVED IN MOROCCO IN THE PRE-ARAB ERA.

VOLUBILIS WAS THE CAPITAL OF ANCIENT ROME'S MOST WESTERN OUTPOST.

THIS LONG-ABANDONED CITY IS THE LARGEST AND BEST-PRESERVED ROMAN RUIN IN THE COUNTRY.

IT WAS THE CAPITAL OF JUBA II, A ROMAN-EDUCATED AFRICAN WHO MARRIED THE DAUGHTER OF MARC ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.

JUBA WAS MADE KING OF MAURETANIA BY THE ROMANS IN 25 B.C.

DIAL BACK 2,000 YEARS AND IMAGINE THIS CITY WHIRRING WITH 20,000 PEOPLE, PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER AFRICA AND THE MEDITERRANEAN.

IT WAS A CITY MADE PROSPEROUS BY THE FERTILE FIELDS IT SURROUNDED AND BY THE EXPORT OF OLIVE OIL AND WHEAT TO ROME.

BUT IT ALSO TRADED MORE EXOTIC GOODS, SUCH AS PANTHER, ELEPHANT, AND EVEN LION WHO FOUGHT THE GLADIATORS IN THE ROMAN COLOSSEUM.

IT IS...FOR 2,000 YEARS.

>> YOU HAVE SOME SYMBOL HERE.

THE GORDIAN KNOT.

>> IT'S A GORDIAN KNOT.

>> AND, IF YOU DON'T MIND HAVING A LOOK AROUND THERE... >> EXCAVATIONS HAVE REVEALED WELL-PRESERVED REMNANTS OF DAILY LIFE, SUCH AS THIS MOSAIC OF DIONYSUS AND THE FOUR SEASONS THAT COVERED THE FLOOR OF ONE WELL-TO-DO FAMILY.

TEAMS OF FRENCH AND MOROCCAN ARCHAEOLOGISTS CONTINUE TO MAKE DISCOVERIES AS THEY SIFT THROUGH THIS SITE.

SO THIS IS THE MAIN ROAD RIGHT HERE?

>> THIS IS THE MAIN ROAD CALLED IN LATIN THE CUMANUS MAXIMUS.

>> LIKE THE APIAN WAY?

>> MM-HMM.

>> SO, AND IT GOES SOUTH TO AFRICA, AND THEN IT GOES NORTH TO TANGIER.

>> TO TANGIER, YEAH.

>> TO THE PORT, AND THAT'S WHERE THEY WOULD TAKE EVERYTHING TO ROME.

>> YES.

TANGIER.

EX TANGIS.

IN ROMAN TIMES, IT'S CALLED TANGIS >> UH-HUH.

TANGIER, MOROCCO, AS A ONE-TIME CITY OF SIN, SPREADS ITS ARMS ALONG THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR, WHERE THE BRAZEN BLUE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN MEETS THE STEEL OF THE ATLANTIC.

WAVES OF SEA-FARERS LEFT THEIR MARK HERE: PHOENICIANS, CARTHAGINIANS, ROMANS.

BERBERS AND ARABS SETTLED IN LONG-TERM, AND THE CITY WAS PASSED BACK AND FORTH BY THE SPANISH, PORTUGUESE, AND ENGLISH.

>> [WOMAN SHOUTING] >> TANGIER WAS ONCE CONSIDERED AMONG THE MOST DELICIOUSLY DECADENT CITIES IN THE WORLD.

IT WAS THE INFAMOUS INTERZONE IN WILLIAM BURROUGHS'S CLASSIC BOOK "NAKED LUNCH."

AND IT WAS A PLACE WHERE YOU COULD PICK UP ALMOST ANYTHING YOU WANTED AND PERHAPS A FEW THINGS YOU DIDN'T WANT.

ONCE A SAFE HAVEN FOR SPIES AND OTHER PEOPLE OF INTRIGUE AND DUBIOUS MEANS, TANGIER HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN INTERSECTION OF FAMILIAR CULTURES WITH TEMPTING, UNKNOWN OTHER WORLDS.

TODAY, AS A VISITOR, I FEEL THREATENED ONLY WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF TEA AND HOSPITALITY.

>> [WOMEN LAUGHING] >> THE SOUL OF TANGIER, OF COURSE, IS THE KASBAH.

SET ATOP THE TOWN'S HIGHEST COASTAL POINT, IT'S BEEN THE CITY'S MILITARY AND POLITICAL CENTER SINCE ROMAN TIMES.

VIEWS REACH OVER THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTAR AND ACROSS TO SPAIN.

HERE IT'S POSSIBLE TO SEE TWO CONTINENTS AT ONCE.

[SEAGULLS CAWING] WHAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS GATHERING PLACE?

LOOK AROUND.

WHAT DO YOU SEE?

OR WHAT DO YOU NOT SEE?

THERE ARE NO CELL PHONES, PDAs, BLACKBERRIES, OR LAPTOPS.

PEOPLE COME HERE TO ACTUALLY MEET, TO ENGAGE, AND TO EXCHANGE IN CONVERSATION AND REAL IDEAS.

IT COULD BE SAID THAT WE IN THE WEST ARE NOW, MORE THAN EVER BEFORE, BUILDING ELECTRONIC WALLS WITH OUR DEVICES, EMPLOYING SCREENS THAT SCREEN OUT STRANGERS.

YES, THEY REINFORCE FAMILY AND FRIENDS-- WE CAN CHAT AND TEXT AND TWITTER MORE THAN EVER-- YET, WE ARE BLOCKING THE CHANCE ENCOUNTERS, THE RANDOM MEETINGS, AND WITH THEM THE BRUSHES AGAINST NOVEL AND UNFAMILIAR PERSPECTIVES, INSIGHTS, AND NOTIONS.

MOROCCO WAS AND IS DIFFERENT, AND ITS KASBAHS DISARM ALL WHO ENTER.

>> OUR TRADITIONS, OUR CULTURE, OUR LIVING CULTURE, OUR AUTHENTICITY IS AS STRONG AS THE MODERNITY WE NEED TO HAVE IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING OUR COUNTRY.

THIS MIX BETWEEN THE TWO--AUTHENTICITY, CULTURE, WARMNESS, AND MODERNITY--COULD LIVE TOGETHER.

AND THAT WHAT MAKES US ALSO A NATION WITH A POPULATION THAT IS VERY OPEN TO RECEIVING VISITORS AND RECEIVING NEW GUESTS AND SHARING WITH THESE GUESTS OUR WAY OF LIFE.

>> RABAT, PERCHED ON A NATURAL TURRET ABOVE THE ATLANTIC, IS MOROCCO'S CAPITAL, A CITY THAT BLENDS AFRICAN, ARABIC, AND EUROPEAN ELEMENTS IN A ROIL OF COHESION AND WONDER.

RABAT IS A CITY OF GARDENS, EMBASSIES, AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES.

WHEN ARAB RULERS TOOK OVER THE CITY, THEY BUILT A FORTIFIED KASBAH THAT THEY CALLED A "RIBAT," WHICH IS WHERE THE CITY GOT ITS NAME.

EUROPE DIDN'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO THIS REGION UNTIL THE 17th CENTURY WHEN IT BECAME AN INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC KNOWN AS "BOU REGREG."

IT WAS FORMED BY ANDALUSIAN REFUGEES EXPELLED BY THE INQUISITION AND ENJOYED A CERTAIN ROGUE REPUTATION.

BANDS OF PIRATES BEGAN TO MATERIALIZE ON THESE SHORES, PLAGUING THE NORTH AFRICAN COAST AND PLUNDERING EUROPEAN SHIPS.

>> [DISTANT SHOUTING] >> THE BONES OF THIS KASBAH SHIVER WITH ITS PIRATE PAST.

THE CORSAIRS OF RABAT WERE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE CREWS WERE MADE UP OF A WHIRLPOOL OF INTERNATIONAL TALENT.

THEY COMBINED THE MILITARY SPIRIT OF THE MOROCCANS AND EXILED SPANISH WITH DUTCH, GERMAN, AND ENGLISH PROFESSIONAL SKILLS.

THE PARADOX OF THE KASBAH IS THAT IT IS IN MANY WAYS A FORTRESS, DESIGNED TO KEEP CERTAIN PEOPLES OUTSIDE ITS WALLS; YET, IT IS ALSO A PLACE OF GATHERING FOR TRAVELERS AND TRADERS AND, AS SUCH, A LOCUS FOR THE EXCHANGE OF NEW IDEAS AND DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING.

BUT, IN A WAY, IT MAKES SENSE.

IT IS WHEN A PEOPLE FEEL SAFE AND SECURE THAT THEY BECOME OPEN AND RECEPTIVE TO DIFFERENT CULTURES AND MORES; IT IS A SHELTERING SKY WHERE BIGOTRY AND PREJUDICE MELT AWAY.

IT IS THE SANCTUARY MILIEU THAT NURTURES IDENTITY, TOLERANCE, AND EVOLUTION OF THOUGHT.

THE COLOSSAL MINARET OF THE HASSAN MOSQUE PROCLAIMS RABAT'S HISTORICAL STATURE.

STARK ROWS OF PILLARS ARE AMONG THE REMAINS OF THE MOSQUE, BUILT IN THE CITY'S EARLIEST DAYS, AND LARGELY DESTROYED BY AN EARTHQUAKE IN 1755.

OPPOSITE THE MINARET, HUNDREDS OF MOROCCANS EACH DAY PAY HOMAGE TO THE MAUSOLEUM OF MOHAMMED V, THE MOROCCAN KING WHO NEGOTIATED THE COUNTRY'S INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE IN 1956.

NEARBY, WOMEN WITH SYRINGES FULL OF HENNA STAND READY TO PIPE A DESIGN ONTO THE HANDS OF WILLING TOURISTS AS IF DECORATING A CAKE.

THESE TEMPORARY TATTOOS BRING GOOD LUCK AND KEEP THE EVIL SPIRITS AT BAY.

MY LAST STOP IS CASABLANCA, A CITY THAT SEIZES THE SOUL, A QUANTUM CENTER OF INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE, A TAJINE OF SAVORY TASTES AND PLEASURES.

CASABLANCA, MEANING "WHITE HOUSE," IS ALSO A CITY OF PERIOD STYLES.

THE CUPOLAS, TOWERS, COLUMNS, AND ORIELS WHIRL WITH ELEMENTS OF MODERN AND CLASSICAL DESIGN.

IT IS THE WORLD COME TOGETHER IN A SPLASH OF FASHION AND FLAVOR.

LIKE SO MUCH IN MOROCCO, EVEN THE RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE IS A FUSION OF FORMS, STYLES, CONCEPTS, AND TECHNOLOGIES.

THE HASSAN II MOSQUE, THE LARGEST IN AFRICA, WAS DESIGNED BY A FRENCHMAN AND INCORPORATES ELEMENTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

AS A "LIGHTHOUSE FOR ISLAM," ITS MINARET REACHES MORE THAN 650 FEET HIGH.

CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 1989 IN HONOR OF KING HASSAN II's 60th BIRTHDAY.

BUILT TWO-THIRDS OVER THE SEA, IT COST $750 MILLION TO CONSTRUCT AND WAS CREATED ENTIRELY BY MOROCCAN WORKERS USING LOCAL BUILDING MATERIALS, INCLUDING CEDAR, MARBLE, CARVED STUCCO, AND GLAZED TILE.

THE MOSQUE IS SAID, IN PART, TO EXPRESS THE DESIRE OF MUSLIMS TO HAVE THE CALL TO WORSHIP HEARD BY ALL HUMANKIND IN ITS FULL MAGNIFICENCE, GRATITUDE, AND PASSION.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM.

[PLAYING "AS TIME GOES BY"] JUST LIKE SO MANY MYTHS ABOUT MOROCCO, THAT FAMOUS LINE WAS NEVER DELIVERED IN THE CLASSIC MOVIE "CASABLANCA."

JUST LIKE THERE WAS AND IS NO RICK'S CAFE IN CASABLANCA.

OR IS THERE?

FOR MOST OF THE WORLD, "CASABLANCA" IS MORE A MOVIE THAN A PLACE.

RICK'S CAFE FROM THE CLASSIC 1942 FILM WAS AN UPSCALE GIN JOINT THAT ATTRACTED A MIXED CLIENTELE OF NAZI OFFICIALS, REFUGEES, AND THIEVES.

ALTHOUGH IT WAS A CREATION OF THE FILMMAKERS' IMAGINATIONS, TODAY IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO LIFE IN A REPLICATE RESTAURANT AND BAR.

IN A WAY, THIS IS A KIND OF MODERN KASBAH--A SAFE HAVEN WHERE NOMADS, TRAVELERS, AND ADVENTURERS COME TOGETHER TO QUENCH THEIR THIRST, TO BELLY AGAINST THE BAR OF DIVERSITY, AND CELEBRATE THE IDEALS OF TOLERANCE AND SHARED HISTORY.

>> WELL, WHAT I WANTED TO CREATE HERE WAS A PLACE THAT WOULD MIX THE NATIONALITIES.

AND THEY COULD SEE THAT, LIKE DURING THE EPOCH OF THE FILM, WE ARE IN A VERY TURBULENT TIME IN THE WORLD.

MOROCCO HAS MADE SUCH A WONDERFUL EFFORT TO DEFINE ITS IMAGE AS A HOSPITABLE, WELCOMING COUNTRY.

WHEN I TALK TO AMERICAN TOURISTS WHO COME HERE AND TELL ME ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES, THE FIRST THING THAT THEY TELL ME IS HOW DELIGHTFUL THE PEOPLE ARE, AND THEY'RE SO FRIENDLY.

AND TO A ONE, THEY'RE ALL JUST 100% POSITIVE.

>> IT'S LIKE MAGIC.

HARD TO DESCRIBE.

EVERY DAY IN AFRICA, EVERY DAY OF MOROCCO IS AN ADVENTURE.

YOU KNOW, IN NEW YORK, THINGS MORE OR LESS ARE THE SAME.

YOU'VE GOT SOME VARIATIONS ON THE THEME.

YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING, YOU HAVE YOUR COFFEE, YOU COME OUT YOUR HOUSE.

PEOPLE GOING TO THE SUBWAY, THE BUS, YOU KNOW.

THERE'S A CERTAIN THING THAT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.

BUT HERE, THE FIRST PERSON THAT YOU MEET WHEN YOU COME OUT YOUR HOUSE COULD CHANGE YOUR DAY.

>> WANDERING THROUGH THE BLADES OF DUSTY SUNLIGHT IN THE MARKETS OF MOROCCO, WITNESSING THE MASTERY OF CRAFTSMEN, DELVING INTO THE DEEP HISTORY AND BASKING IN THE WELCOMES OF NEW ACQUAINTANCES, ONE IS OVERCOME WITH A FEELING OF BEING PART OF SOMETHING REMARKABLE AND DEEPLY HUMAN.

FRENCH TRAVEL WRITER ANDRE CHEVRILLON SAID ABOUT THIS LAND: "IF SUCH A WORLD WHICH SHARES SO DEEPLY THE SPIRIT OF THE PAST HAD DISAPPEARED 2,000 YEARS AGO, WE WOULD HAVE LOST A CERTAIN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PAST AND OF OURSELVES; FOR, WE COULD NEVER HAVE RECREATED IT.

BUT THAT IT HAS SURVIVED UNTIL OUR OWN TIME, THAT WE CAN SEE IT, WE TOUCH IT, MIX WITH ITS PEOPLE, IS A MIRACLE THAT NEVER CEASES TO ASTONISH."

SO, WHAT IS THE MODERN KASBAH?

IT USED TO BE A PLACE FOR FAMILIES, FOR SAFETY, A PLACE FOR TRAVELERS AND TRADERS TO MEET AND EXCHANGE GOODS AND IDEAS AND CULTURES.

AND IT CONTRIBUTED TO THE RICH, MULTICULTURALISM THAT IS MOROCCO TODAY.

BUT THE KASBAH OF OUR AGE IS REALLY A SYMBOL OF THE WHOLE OF MOROCCO.

IT'S A PLACE OF LIVING HISTORY, A PLACE FOR PEOPLES OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND FAITHS TO GATHER AND SHARE AND CELEBRATE IN THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF ALL HUMANITY.

IT'S A KASBAH WITH AN OPEN DOOR.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE: OPEN YOUR MIND TO OTHER CULTURES AND IDEAS; BUY LOCALLY MADE ARTWORK AND CRAFTS; SUPPORT UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES; VISIT MOROCCO AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND LINKS, GO TO OUR WEBSITE.

I'M RICHARD BANGS FOR "ADVENTURES WITH PURPOSE."

>> DVDs OF "MOROCCO: QUEST FOR THE KASBAH" ARE 24.95 EACH, PLUS SHIPPING.

THE BOOK IS 16.95.

THE DVD AND BOOK TOGETHER ARE 35.95.

TWO HOURS OF DVD EXTRAS INCLUDE BONUS CLIPS, BEHIND THE SCENES GLIMPSES, AND STORIES AND COMMENTARY FROM RICHARD.

"MOROCCO" DVDs AND "QUEST FOR THE KASBAH" BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT ADVENTURESWITHPURPOSE.TV OR BY CALLING 800-866-7425.