Meknes & Volubilis

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Hopped a train to Meknes after my first day in Casa, really nice city. Got lost in the medina a few times which was a little daunting but paid a couple of kids to get me out... Hooked up with a couple of Yanks that night, one of whom worked in Morocco with the Peace Corps and could speak Arabic, very handy! Good hang with them and the following day took a trip up to Volubilis to see the Roman ruins (circa 1-2 AD), really cool...

Culture shock is starting to kick in, I never did really get over it. Just when you thought you had a handle on it you would find things completely different in the next town...

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Photos

Volubilis
Looking down Decumanus Maximus to the Triumphal Arch...

Medina
Coming into the medina for the first time...

Tagines!
Vendor in Place el Hedim selling tagines (crockery pot used for cooking the dish of the same name)....

Fountain
One of the many fountains found in the medina...the tile work is stunning...

Moulay Ismail
Moulay Ismail mausoleum...

Cool gate
Couldn't get enough of these...

Place el Hedim
Main square in the medina

Medina IV
Typical residential road in the medina...got lost twice here and had to pay local kids to get me out...a little unnerving...

Entrance to an alley and homes
Love this pic...there are homes inside and to the left..

Mmm..camel meat...
Two cool Yanks I hooked up with (Peter and Donny) chowing down on some camel meat in Place el Hedim...awesome...

Volubilis II
Entrance to the Roman ruin site of Volubilis, about 30 kms from Meknes

Volubilis III
Looking out on the valley from Volubilis...April is a beautiful time in Morocco with everything in bloom...

Ass!
The guardian's donkey at Volubilis..

Mosaic I
One of the mosaics still existing at Volubilis...they have been exposed to the elements for almost two thousand years...stunning....

Volubilis IV
Looking up Decumanus Maximus. Who knew the Romans invented parking lot lighting?

Columns
Columns along Decumanus Maximus

Mosaic II
Beautiful...still hard to wrap my head around how far these date back...and how well they still look...

Moi
One stunned Canadian...haha...

Comments

[kovik]

Meknes/Volubilis trip
Hi Jeff, I just saw your blog regarding your meknes/volubilis visit. We are planning to go there next month, i just got some questions (i hope you wont mind). Can you please tell me how to go to volubilis from meknes? did you hire a local tour guide or you just went there with your buddies? Thank you, kovik

[el Jefe]

Volubilis
Hi Kovik, For Volubilis I just hired a Grand Taxi for the morning, no tour guide. I was staying in the Ville Nouvelle and found a taxi station behind a gas station west of the traffic circle I think (on the road to the Medina; sorry, it's been a while since I was there but believe that's where it was). I just did Volubilis on my own with the Lonely Planet guide map, although in hindsight I think I should have gotten a guide when I got there (there are plenty hanging around the entrance to the site). Add on Moulay Idriss if you go, it's on the way and really cool (didn't stop there, just drove through it). Any other questions please let me know, glad to help... Jeff

[Pierluigi]

great pics, thanks for sharing
I am going to Meknes-Volubilis this weekend, got inspired by your pictures!

[el Jefe]

Fantastic! Thanks for the compliment, enjoy yourself!