The GSWS Gala Dinner featured feats of Moroccan horsemanship.The GSWS Gala Dinner featured feats of Moroccan horsemanship.
The Gala Dinner on day two of the Global Spa & Wellness Summit in Marrakech, Morocco, was held at an offsite location—with no address! On the edge of the city, in a desert setting, the buses delivered the delegates, many dressed in caftans and traditional Moroccan attire, to a magical environment created over the course of three days by Abercrombie & Kent.
We were greeted by a long, lantern-lit red carpet, lined with belly-dancers, musicians, dozens of costumed staff proferring trays of drinks, and even camels, available for a quick spin. Next we entered an enclosure, perhaps 4 acres in size, that was completely carpeted! Dinner tables were arranged around the edge, and a bar and fresh-squeezed orange juice cart were available. In the center of the area was a small ring, in which we were entertained on two occasions by fantastic examples of Moroccan horsemanship: one a high-level dressage-inspired routine, and the other more of evocative of a Western cowboy routine, with the rider athletically swinging on, off and around the horse as it cantered in the circle.
Dinner consisted of a starter of traditional Moroccan vegetable salads featuring eggplant, carrots, lentils and olives, and the main course of beef cooked in clay pots (not tagines) and cous cous with more vegetables. Dessert was also served, but by this time most everyone had left the tables, as the DJ had started up the dance music. A large pile of shoes and bags appeared on the carpet as delegates shod their footwear and danced madly under the full moon.
Probably the most amazing feature of the entire camp was the bathroom facilities: lantern-lined carpets led guests to a number of individual tents, each with its own toilet and a secure zipper. Hand-washing was provided at basins that were created from a clever teapot water supply. The bathrooms were the talk of the evening! People danced into the wee hours, then trudged back to the buses and the reality of the imminent short night of sleep. —Lisa Starr
