Advertisement
Published: December 11th 2004
Edit Blog Post
Fez
The Tannaries Fez. Fez El-Bali and Fez El-Jdid. The old city is a maze of dead ends, Mosques, Madrassa's and souks.
It's also a tourist trap.
But some places are a tourist honeypoot, for a good reason. The Medina of Fez is beyond compare - it's the Moroccan City of your Dreams.
I arrived in Fez yesterday by bus. I walked into the old city from the bus and was approached by a tout who I got rid of. I looked at 4 Hotels. At the last hotel, I was approached by someone outside the hotel I assumed was a tout, but he insisted he worked at the hotel.
He showed my a room, and told me to put my bag down - I didn't. I hadn't yet negotiated a price. I insisted on seeing the showers - so he took me to the roof to show off the spendid view. Again I pointed out he hadn't shown me the showers. So, he showed me the showers. To be honest the hotel was a rat hole, but I had noticed that the room had electric sockets from which I could recharge
Fez
King Hassan II Gate my camera batteries. I have seen cheap rooms in Morocco without any electric sockets - the only electric being the single light bulb.
Because this was the 4th place I had looked at, and the presence of the electric sockets, I had decided to take the room if the price was right.
So I asked the price. He wanted 120 Dinars. I told him he was joking. To his what's your best price I offered 60. I thought I was being over generous with that. When he tried to bargain I walked out. He called me back and said that I could have it for 60. (Note the exchange rate, 16 Dinars to the Pound Sterling). He tried to make up for it by trying to get me to go with him on a tour. I said I had had a long journey and was just going to relax. He promised to take me on a tour the next day. I had no intention of going anywhere with him, or of being in that rat hole the next day.
After dropping off my bags I walked the 2 Kilometres into the
Fez
Berber market new city. It was a nice afternoon, why not? I was looking for possible hotels, banks and the official tourist offices.
I found the tourist offices and booked an official guide from the tourist office, for the next day, starting at 9am. Thus avoiding all the faux guides that pester tourists near the Fez gates, and my friend from the Hotel Cascade.
I walked back from the new city - on my way back I had a strange conversation with a man who only spoke French and Arabic - I had to use French. Maybe I shouldn't have told him I wasn't married because he kept telling me how good looking I was. He also seemed worried that I wanted to walk it, and not get a taxi. Eventually he realised I had every intention of walking the whole way, and we said good bye.
Back at the Medina I found another more expensive hotel and made a reservation for the next day.
I was glad I had booked another place, as I woke up in the middle of the night freezing cold - the blanket was far
Fez
Woodworker's quarter too thin. I got out my silk sleeping sheet from my rucksack to deal with the problem.
Anyway, I spent all today from 9am till 3pm on a tour with my official guide I had booked from the tourist office yesterday. It cost me 150 Dinars. But it was well worth it - Fez has to be seen.
I also had lunch in the Medina at the Restaurant Le Medina, it wasn't cheap for Morocco but the food was outstanding.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.591s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 29; qc: 135; dbt: 0.3284s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.5mb