Marrakech, Morocco – July 16: The US intends breaking the World Youth record in the Swedish relay, 100-200-300-400. According to a reliable source, the running order looks like this: KRYSTAL CARTER, EBONY COLLINS, BIANCA KNIGHT and BRANDI CROSS.
Cross finished 4th in yesterday’s 400m final running 53.34, a little off her best, 52.46. She gave her all but with the top three running 51.19, 51.30 and 52.04 there was little she could do. She was crying afterwards and a correspondent put his arm around her and pointed out, “There are 166 countries here, over a thousand athletes and you just finished 4th IN THE WORLD! Do you realize how great that is? 4th in THE WORLD? Dry those tears and be proud of what you accomplished.” Her smile beamed and I think she felt a little better.
One of the strongest fields here is the Boys 400mH. Our two kids were given outside shots to make the final. Both did. DAVID KLECH won his heat, 50.96 and TIM GRIER squeezed in at 52.96. Just like Coach Hampton said, “These kids are ready.”
The crowd is terrific as are the people. No one’s made any nasty remarks about the USA although a baggage clerk at the Casablanca airport did some damage to my bag. But yesterday when a Jewish athlete was shown on the Jumbotron the crowd booed and whistled, then erupted in cheers when he fouled. Mickey Mouse.
The meet is being announced by the inimitable SCOTT DAVIS, born in Hoboken, NJ but now living in Southern Cal. Along with his announcing he’s also the voice of the UCLA Bruins and one of the sports great raconteurs. (look it up dummy!)
For the first time ever, no American advanced to the semifinals of the 200m. Eligible to compete here but left off the team, JAMERE HOLLAND. Ironically, Holland is also the World Youth leader, 20.92 but he failed to compete in any of the qualifying meets and was omitted. Obviously, the team could have used him. There’s GOT to be a better way.
It’s extremely hot here, there’s literally thousands of bottles of water available, unfortunately most of it is… extremely hot.
It appears the elaborate tattooing mentioned yesterday in re Ebony Collins is something special in Morocco. It’s called ‘henna’ tattooing and is done at the hotel and in the Jaheeraf-Na, the town square of the Medina, the old section of this fabled city. Many of the kids boast this adornment.
Also to be found in the Jaheeraf-Na, snake charmers with their mandatory cobras, literally a couple dozen orange juice sellers, several henna tatooers and various and sundry others, all selling, or trying to sell, spices, oils, potions, Moroccan caps, etc. AVOID the snake-charmers! They won’t permit you to just look at the cobra and the horn honker, no, they insist you have your picture taken with several reptiles draped around your neck. UGH! Offer them less than $5 and the snake bites. (Not really.)
Then there are the ‘souks.’ These are dozens of alleys filled with little booths and selling almost everything under the sun. Pots and pans, herbs, carpets, clothing, metalwork and woodwork, medications, the list is endless. The shopkeepers are aggressive beyond belief. At one time the souks were considered too dangerous for tourists to enter, a falsehood fostered by more than one motion picture. The truth is, these are hardworking people trying to make a living. Some have had shops here for at least 4 generations.
We ate today in a magnificently decorated restaurant, Dar Es Salaam. It’s claim to fame, besides having us as guests, was having scenes from Alfred Hitchcock’s little-known masterpiece, “The Man Whom Knew Too Much” filmed here.
This culture appears to be dominated by a fixation upon geometric figures. There is rarely, if ever, a plain surface. Everything is angles and arcs, rectangles and rhomboids, circles and curves. It makes for objects of beauty whether it’s an ancient window grill or an ornate doorframe. The style would never make it in America. Far too artistic.
At many track meets the working press is served lunch, a sandwich, apple, bag of chips. Here they bring around a tray of cookies. Little, bitty cookies. They taste great but don’t do much for assuaging hunger. Moroccans are big into cookies. |
