Blogs from Fès-Boulemane, Morocco, Africa

Nach einem Ryan- Air Flug der uns mal wieder vor Augen geführt hat, dass man, wenn man wenig bezahlt auch quasi nichts außer dem reinen Transfer bekommt - weder Freundlichkeit, Service, Komfort, Sauberkeit oder jegliche Art von logischer Organisation - und in unserem Fall nicht mal englisch sprechende Flugbegleiter, landen wir bei strahlendem Sommerwetter in Fés und sind augenblicklich mit der eher unerfreulichen Anreise versöhnt. Der Flughafen von Fes ist modern, sauber, super organisiert und sogar die sonst oft grummeligen Grenzbeamten sind total nett, schäkern mit den Kindern und plaudern mit uns. Obwohl Fés mit 1,4 Millionen Einwohnern nicht gerade klein ist, ist der Flughafen ziemlich wenig belebt und effizient und nach kaum einer halben Stunde sind die Pässe kontrolliert, das Gepäck geholt, Geld abgehoben und wir sitzen bei dem Fahrer unseres Riads im Auto auf ... read more

I have to admit that I probably knew less about Fes than any of the other cities in Morocco, but after having observed the immense 8th century Medina the previous afternoon and our stay at a beautiful Riad within it, I was really excited to explore what Fes was about. The 8th Century Fes el Bali Medina is a UNESCO Heritage site, and makes the others look like a child's maze. The claim is that it has 10,000 streets, by which I mean some being just wide enough to traverse single file and in perpetual gloom because of the high walls. It is so densely populated that the majority of the inhabitants are only familiar with the area that they live or work in and would get lost in any other part of the Medina. The ... read more

We wake up seemingly alive and well … and it even looks like we’re in the same room we went to sleep in, so we appear to have survived the night … unless of course this is yet another elaborate ruse by our would be kidnappers …. We enjoy breakfast in the ground floor courtyard next to the pool and one of the fountains .… well we enjoy some of the breakfast. I’m not sure anyone could eat everything that’s been served up and still be able to waddle out of here - pancakes, roti, flat buns, a massive basket of bread rolls, yoghurt, large bowls of fruit salad, a cup of cheese, olives and scrambled eggs, all washed down with tea, coffee and orange juice. I think I need to go back to bed. This ... read more

"Today, we embark on a fully guided tour of the city of Fes. Explore the tanneries, souks, potteries, and the Medina, and learn the fascinating history of the city. We'll later return to the hotel to get ready for an optional night of Moroccan entertainment and food at a restaurant in town. Overnight Fes (Breakfast included).”... read more

Departure 1 When making a to-do list for an upcoming trip, I work backward. I imagine my return. Cats alive? (Buy cat food.) Electricity on? (Pay bills.) At least a pot's-worth of coffee? (Buy beans.) The hardest part of making travel arrangements is getting to and from airports. It's easier to get from San Francisco to Fes than getting from home to SFO. Jennifer, my travel companion, spent an evening searching through options to get from Newark to her connecting flight from JFK to Austin. In the end, it was cheaper to simply abandon the JFK ticket and buy a new ticket from Newark to Austin. Also, the friendly skies aren't so friendly anymore. I used to look at my itinerary with a sense of satisfaction, a completed jigsaw puzzle with every piece neatly locked into ... read more