Welcome to Morocco on a Sunday

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This is where the story starts to sound like a Clark Grisswald movie. For anyone that's been to Africa, India or any of those countries I imagine they're full of the same stories but for your first time in such a place the culture shock is just amazing, all you can do is survive, soak it up and laugh.

My detailed plan was to arrive in Melilla, which was surely a modern town and catch one of the regular trains to Fes (there was a line of the map connecting the cities, so it must be easy). Noooooooo.

After eating some left over jam and bread like a bum in the park at 8am (it turns out they're in a different time zone as well, I must have missed that in my extensive research) I found a bus driver who took me to the bus stop which takes you to the frontera between the Spanish part and true Morocco. In pidgeon Spanish I explained I needed to change money, was there somewhere at the border, he just laughed and said it's sunday. The first of many 'oh shits'.

But he was a champ and drove the bus to a store and got some of my euros changed into dirhams. Then after being reminded in sign language, by an old Moroccan man on the bus, to keep an eye on all my money we headed to the border where I was told I should get a bus to Nador where I could get a bus to Fes. Too easy.

If it was a culture shock to wake me up that I was after, then it all began as soon as I left the spanish part. At the border I befriended the old Moroccan man and followed his lead through the frontera and about 1km down the road to get the bus to Nador, 15kms away. We jumped on the bus and I was the only white creature on there except for the 2 buckets of sardines that a kid was storing in the aisle. We then travelled into Nador through some of the most rubbush strewn and desolate land I have ever seen. You can't believe the contrast between where you grew up in Australia, to where these kids play in the rubbish and rubble that makes up there towns. It leaves you speechless and is just amazing.

In Nador my great old Morrocan set me up in the bus station/food market/shoe store and told me to wait until 9:30 to get a ticket to Fes. Here I was waiting in a ticket office surrounded by Arabs fighting over mango juice, not understanding a word, not sure if I was even going to make it to Fes and then Sexual Healing comes on the radio, like I said you just had to laugh.

Anyway I got a ticket and handed my bag over to some guy who loaded it and me onto the bus. I had two seats I thought this will be easy, then the people got on, then the rugs, then the shoes, then the food, then the shoes, then more rugs, then more people, then more food, then more old people who had to hold onto rugs, then I realised my seat even came with a free spare tyre on the floor so I had to sit with my knees under my chin waiting for the air con to kick in.

For the next 7 hours that was home, with some more stops for some more rugs, food and shoes just incase we broke down and had to set up a flea market on the side of the road. That trip though had some of the most interesting sights I've seen yet, including the police desk in the middle of nowhere with no shade, let alone a phone. So bizarre.

Finally that afternoon we rolled into Fes, and the offers of taxis and hostels rolled in. It is something that I'm sure you get used to but everyone in that place is trying to sell you something or take you somewhere. It makes for a crazy atmosphere. I climbed into a Petit Taxi (and yes they are small) and got dropped in the middle of the Fes Nouville. When I found the Hostel it was full, but I think the owner saw the 'oh shit' look on my face and he proceeded to direct me to a good hotel near by, he also gave me some info on Fes and and set up a guide for the next day. If you ever go to Fes stay at his hostel cause he was a great guy and even had a tortoise in the courtyard.

So he checked me into a Hotel around the corner with a view of the local Mosque and pointed out the shop so I could get something to eat and listen to prayer time out the window during sunset. I did exactly that and was pretty chuffed cause that was one experience I was hoping to have in Fes. (I won't even talk about the hotel shower cross toilet where the smell is already provided and toilet paper is not).

The next day I discovered (again missing in my research) that it was the Ramadan fasting period for Muslims in October, so I thought I was starving but my poor guide was pretty peckish. He met me at 10am the next morning and we spent about 3 1/2 hours wandering some of the 10,000 streets and 8000 shops in the Medina of Fes, it is just unbelievable and the photos don't go close to explaining how many sights there are to see. From camel heads at the butchers, to men up to their armpits in leather dye, it is just astounding and so cool to visit. I purchased some stuff at the tannery and got into the whole barter practice, if they had their way I would be bringing home beautiful rugs for all my family. That night I wandered around Fes (even saw the new McDonalds there opposite the American Institute) and listened to the prayers again before getting some rest.


My last day there I caught the train to Sidi Kashem chatting with some great locals and then changed to Tanger. At Tanger I got had by a tout and probably paid about 10 euros more for my ticket than neccessary, but you live and learn huh. Again I just had to laugh, finally I lined up with all the english day tourists and then settled into the 1hr ferry ride to Algeciras Spain. Morocco had woken me up well and truly.

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