Forums > Meet Others > Looking for the fire community in Morocco
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stranger
3 posts
Location: Normally San Francisco, now traveling the world, U...
stranger
3 posts
Location: Normally San Francisco, now traveling the world, U...
Posted:
I am spinner traveling through Europe as part of an extended journey around the world in search of adventures, personal growth, and new poi moves. Over the past year, I have participated in two circus tours (Thailand and India), connected with spinners in Istanbul and Tbilisi, attended the EJC in Karlsruhe, and immersed myself in trance beats while twirling poi and rope dart at the Boom festival. At home in San Francisco, I am part of a wonderful community of fire folks and have been associated with different performance troupes over the years.
My journey now leads to Morocco. I would love to meet other spinners in this area, share tricks, and stay on some friendly couches. Where are my fire soulmates in this part of the world?
Thanks for any suggestions or offers.
Matt Freedman
freedman.matthew@gmail.com
I am spinner traveling through Europe as part of an extended journey around the world in search of adventures, personal growth, and new poi moves. Over the past year, I have participated in two circus tours (Thailand and India), connected with spinners in Istanbul and Tbilisi, attended the EJC in Karlsruhe, and immersed myself in trance beats while twirling poi and rope dart at the Boom festival. At home in San Francisco, I am part of a wonderful community of fire folks and have been associated with different performance troupes over the years.
My journey now leads to Morocco. I would love to meet other spinners in this area, share tricks, and stay on some friendly couches. Where are my fire soulmates in this part of the world?
Thanks for any suggestions or offers.
Matt Freedman
freedman.matthew@gmail.com
GOLD Member
stranger
20 posts
Location: Home!, Australia
stranger
20 posts
Location: Home!, Australia
Posted:
Hi Matt, I was there just about 2 years ago. Had an amazing time. Very hard to find other twirlers though. If you are in Rabat, it might be a good idea to head down to the beach at sunset. Behind the main surf club a handful of twirlers sometimes gather. In Morocco, fire spinning is seen as an ultimate circus sport, something you seriously train to do from childhood (they often pick up orphans and train them in circus arts so they can make a living - also no parents to object) and not a fun sport or a gig on the side.
Really, the best place to go, though, is to Djemm El Fna square in Merakesh. The square is jam packed full of local buskers. Anyway, go there and either ask around for Aziz, THE firetwirler, or get your gear out and do a performance (the locals will go crazy for it and the other buskers will probably direct you to Aziz). The local buskers have all been banned from performing with fire in the square because it is such a crowd pleaser that many amateurs have tried and hurt themselves. The only person still legally allowed to play with fire in Djem el Fna is Aziz (he also trains monkeys and snakes), who is one of the country's leading twirlers and comes from a family of 9 brothers all highly skilled and trained in circus arts. Also, foreign fire twirlers are also allowed to light up there - odd rule, yeah?
He has a firey personality and is not unbelievably reliable, but a very good heart.
Also, not a very good idea to go couch-surfing in Morocco unless you know the people beforehand. There are just too many internet savvy, intelligent people who are stuck in bad situations and see kidnapping tourists and stealing their money/ passports as a way out. It's not a rumour there - it's a reality. Speaking as someone who scraped out of being kidnapped on many varied occasions ... (on the other hand, I'm also a blond Aussie female traveling on my own)
If you really get stuck for a place to stay or contacts, I highly suggest you go to Rabat's main beach and ask for Boukal. He is a local surfing hero, speaks fairly good English, loves Morocco intensely and loves to show foreigners a fantastic time there and has a tour guide licence. If he is in town, he is unbelievably good hearted and helpful, will offer you a place to stay if you need one and contacts throughout the county (but in the surfing arena, not firetwirling) though I can't say all his contacts are as honest as he is.
There are also sometimes firetwirlers along the Southern coast in tourist season, but they are generally tourists.
Fuel is very easy to find, but you have to find the right words in French (I can't recall exactly, but this info can be found on the internet). It is sold in shops where they sell cleaning utensils, etc. and it is sold in recycled glass bottles with home-made labels. Looks dodgy as hell, but it's the real deal.
Good luck. Morocco is an amazing place to visit - fire or no fire!
Tempest
Hi Matt, I was there just about 2 years ago. Had an amazing time. Very hard to find other twirlers though. If you are in Rabat, it might be a good idea to head down to the beach at sunset. Behind the main surf club a handful of twirlers sometimes gather. In Morocco, fire spinning is seen as an ultimate circus sport, something you seriously train to do from childhood (they often pick up orphans and train them in circus arts so they can make a living - also no parents to object) and not a fun sport or a gig on the side.
Really, the best place to go, though, is to Djemm El Fna square in Merakesh. The square is jam packed full of local buskers. Anyway, go there and either ask around for Aziz, THE firetwirler, or get your gear out and do a performance (the locals will go crazy for it and the other buskers will probably direct you to Aziz). The local buskers have all been banned from performing with fire in the square because it is such a crowd pleaser that many amateurs have tried and hurt themselves. The only person still legally allowed to play with fire in Djem el Fna is Aziz (he also trains monkeys and snakes), who is one of the country's leading twirlers and comes from a family of 9 brothers all highly skilled and trained in circus arts. Also, foreign fire twirlers are also allowed to light up there - odd rule, yeah?
He has a firey personality and is not unbelievably reliable, but a very good heart.
Also, not a very good idea to go couch-surfing in Morocco unless you know the people beforehand. There are just too many internet savvy, intelligent people who are stuck in bad situations and see kidnapping tourists and stealing their money/ passports as a way out. It's not a rumour there - it's a reality. Speaking as someone who scraped out of being kidnapped on many varied occasions ... (on the other hand, I'm also a blond Aussie female traveling on my own)
If you really get stuck for a place to stay or contacts, I highly suggest you go to Rabat's main beach and ask for Boukal. He is a local surfing hero, speaks fairly good English, loves Morocco intensely and loves to show foreigners a fantastic time there and has a tour guide licence. If he is in town, he is unbelievably good hearted and helpful, will offer you a place to stay if you need one and contacts throughout the county (but in the surfing arena, not firetwirling) though I can't say all his contacts are as honest as he is.
There are also sometimes firetwirlers along the Southern coast in tourist season, but they are generally tourists.
Fuel is very easy to find, but you have to find the right words in French (I can't recall exactly, but this info can be found on the internet). It is sold in shops where they sell cleaning utensils, etc. and it is sold in recycled glass bottles with home-made labels. Looks dodgy as hell, but it's the real deal.
Good luck. Morocco is an amazing place to visit - fire or no fire!
Tempest
"Then you shall find that it containeth things of far higher value than the box did promise..."
GOLD Member
stranger
20 posts
Location: Home!, Australia
stranger
20 posts
Location: Home!, Australia
Posted:
PS. Kevlar is like gold for Moroccan firetwirlers! If you go, you might feel the need to give your firesticks away to some amazing twirler who has just never had the cash to pay for the real thing. I seriously advise taking a little spare kevlar with you.
PS. Kevlar is like gold for Moroccan firetwirlers! If you go, you might feel the need to give your firesticks away to some amazing twirler who has just never had the cash to pay for the real thing. I seriously advise taking a little spare kevlar with you.
"Then you shall find that it containeth things of far higher value than the box did promise..."
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