And by the time Peter O'Toole was swanning around Morocco as Lawrence of Arabia , the country had become a gloriously distorted fantasy land for countless western baby boomers. Various Berber dialects are widely spoken in the countryside and particularly in the mountains. Morocco tends to march to its own Islamic drum in terms of customs and way of life, but men remain firmly in charge. The strict segregation of the sexes in public life may be confusingly inconsistent to the visitor. As a rule, it's in the big cities where the most mixing, and the most fashion risks, will be encountered.
Moroccan food is good and solid, without being wildly exciting.
The national dish is couscous, finely ground semolina, which usually accompanies a vegetable and lamb casserole. Sweet mint tea is the Moroccan drink of choice, but this doesn't mean the place is teetotal. There's no general ban on alcohol. Divided into clans and tribes, they have always jealously guarded their independence. It's this fierce independence that has helped preserve one of Africa's most fascinating cultures.