Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting from sunrise to sunset, falls inconveniently in July this year, when the days are longest. Followers of “the one true faith” refrain from eating, smoking and drinking even water, which is especially difficult when temperatures climb well into the 40s – more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
While we infidels are not required to fast, neither should we flaunt our daytime meals. Besides, few restaurants are open at lunchtime during Ramadan. In fact, many businesses close during the day, opening after the evening meal. We have experienced Ramadan before in Egypt in ’06 so we have developed a survival plan, too. We stocked up on peanut butter, crackers and fruit for lunches, a sort of “Ramadan MRE.” We also shifted from staying at medina-based riads to more upscale Western hotels where they are more likely to bend the rules for tourists.
A large percentage of people on our flight from Casablanca to Doha today were fasting, including the cabin crew. They stealthily served us while the faithful discretely looked the other way. They had their turn at sundown somewhere over Saudi Arabia when they received a big meal and we got a meager snack.
