Ouidakem - I came for the stars.

We pray and wish and despair but Time has its own schedule. 

I have read about the renaissance of Arab astronomy for over 10 years. Now those years have focused into a single moment, this one.

Since the formation of the Arab Astronomical society over 7 years Marrakesh has been its HQ. 

Yesterday I was fortuned to be meet Professor Zouhair Ben Khaldoun the society's president and founder. He has very kindly let me lodge at the world famous Oukaïmeden observatory...new worlds became famous here. 

In 2016 the Oukaimeden observatory co-discovered the Trappist 1 a system of 7 exoplanets in Aquarius. 

''There is a truck taking some equipment to the observatory tomorrow." Prof Zouhair words were the music of the ears. So I leave for Ouikadem from a garage on the outskirts of Marakessh.  My driver is an Amazigh man in his early 30's. Hassan. He's wears a baseball cap and hits the road.

The horizon is rugged, we seem on a collision course with a lions mouth.

Marakessh have more Moroccan flags a first time visitor would think this was still living in Almoravid times when Marakessh was Morocco's capital. 

I start to see a grove of trees on my left.

"Ici c'est les jardin?'' 

'''La ziyat'' .....Menara's...le Jardin de olives. So neatly spaced they look like a flank of Oliver Twists asking for more aperture's attention. We give each other a solid Attention!