Hi All,
Got the train in Rabat and found it was more like a domestic tangara train in sydney. Very similar as it arrived on the platform full with people standing in the doorways. We found our way on and stacked our backpacks against a wall for a seat. Others sat on the stairs for the 4hr trip. Maybe seat allocation might be something for the moroccan railways to consider!
Got to Fes and caught a petit red taxi to the medina gate (bab bou jeloud). Stacked our luggage on top of the taxi as well so lucky it didn't get sqaushed. Found some accomodation just outside after checking out a particularly dodgy place just near our preferred option which was full.
Fes is the largest living medieval islamic city in the world and is quite a maze of streets. Think there is about 9km in streets in the maze and it didn't take long for us to get disorientated and for me this quite stressful. We got out easily in the end and got a map of the area before reentering. It really is a riot of sights, sounds, smells and colours with shops all over the place selling anything from fresh furry camel legs to lovely leather products. Note the Segway. They also had one for sale. The place is known for it's tanneries which we visited. You walk in the door and they hand you a bunch of mint. Guess why? Not good working conditions for the people working in there and it looked like hard work in the ammonia and dye pits.
We bought a few items in the markets but realised we were no match for the skilled berber sales people and had to settle for almost a bargain. They never make a loss in a sale. Never. One was particularly nice to battle with over price for two days. he was a thesbian like person who was educated and should have got an academy award for his macbeth like performance for us. Lots of fun but we are certain we got ripped off but didn't mind to much.
Walked around the palace walls a couple of times.
Lovely looking out over the medina from the roof of the hotel watching the swallows at dawn and dusk.
Heading out to Tangier tomorrow - inshallah (god willing) - tomorrow coincides with the prophet Mohammed's birthday celebrations and the country comes to a stop.
Journal entries:
business is slow. Old men playing checkers with colour plastic bottletops;you will return to my shop if it is gods will (inshallah). perhaps we will if we choose;people crush in the streets;storks with twigs in beaks fly above to their nests on the palace walls and trees;guards all around the palace walls;so many swallows above the medina as we watch from the roof terrace of our hotel. The sound in amazing;watch out for pack mules in the skinny cobbled streets of the medina;dope sellers;live chicken sellers. weighed like on scales then increasingly anxious cries for help from the sold chickens then silence. Not good to be the second chicken in line or the ones left at the back of the shop;dark side alleys but safe;lazy lunchtime dining with people watching from high resturants;inshallah from so many shop keeper;wheelbarrows of live snails destined for the soup pot;fresh milk in plastic bags and bottles straight from the farm;laughter of childern playing in hidden alleys;happy children running with stick and hoops;old store owners giving dried fruit to children with a smile. Genuine kindness. Maybe it will be karma one day; pregnant cats glore fed by the market stands;pet rooster wandering the market streets; where did that peacock go and why do the children now carry feathers?;berbers in yellow slippers and cream gowns.
Bye,
David and Vanessa
