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Published: March 26th 2012
Wednesday
Day Four
It was a freezing night in Camp Azilan, probably due to the higher altitude. I wore my djellaba to bed and tried to snuggle down into my sleeping bag as much as possible.
We broke camp and made for Fes on what was to be our first long stretch of driving. The fields were so many shades of green but though the ground seemed fertile, Morocco received very little rain this winter, worrying a lot of people. The roads were lined with boys herding sheep and goats, sad looking donkeys and prickly pears. I sat at the back of the truck and stared out the window which meant I had my photo taken several times by people travelling in cars behind us! There was a lot of 'come here' gestures and waving and smiling before they overtook us and continued on their way.
Our bathroom stop would've been uneventful had it not been for Maria's shout of surprise. There, in the squat toilet was a frog!
We amused ourselves on the bus with card games like Spoons and Bullsh*t until we reached a small town for lunch. Brittany, Jareb and I were on cooking duty and had
decided on Spanish omelette and ratatouille so we picked up the veggies at one of the small stalls lining the road; the man weighing the items with a brass scale and weights. All we were missing when we entered the marketplace was eggs. Many people in Morocco speak either Spanish or French but we weren't getting anywhere with oeuf and as we didn't know how to say it in Spanish or Arabic, I decided a visual description was in order. Sadly, my chicken impersonation and egg shaping skills did nothing but amuse the masses. I pulled out my phone and Googled it: egg in Arabic is bayd. We were pointed in the right direction and picked up 30 eggs for less than Dh20. Then with lamb brochettes for lunch in hand, we then made our way to Volubilus, the site of the Roman ruins.
It was hot in the sun while we wandered the ruins and I used my scarf as a head covering. There were two giant stork nests at the top of two columns which I was quite fascinated with and I wandered around looking at various angles for photos, having also been here before. In the
brush I found a little tortoise, noisily making his way across the ground and several skinks (? or what looked like skinks) but they were too quick for me to catch! We spent an hour or so there before continuing on our way.
When we reached the campsite in Fes, we had to use the back entrance (a different overland truck had taken out the power lines once before and they weren't taking any chances!) and there were cars parked along the side of the road, blocking our way. But they were no match for the locals. They couldn't find the owner of the car so four of them lifted it out of the way amid much cheering from us!
The campsite was large with tall trees and a river separating us from the road. We steered clear of the 'plastic fantastics' (campervans), most chosing to put their tents up on a small island of grass. This was our first three night stop meaning we could do washing and soon clothes lines were strung between trees with clothes drip-drying.
Brittany, Jareb and I prepared our dinner over the open fire, knowing how to cook on a regular
Detail
King's residence, Fezstove top but having to adjust for flames that couldn't really be adjusted! We learnt pretty quickly though that simmering could be done off to the side while using the middle for faster cooking. The tortilla and ratatouille was a success and it was off to bed in preparation for a full day in Fes tomorrow.
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Thursday
Day Five
We made banana pancakes for breakfast which were quite popular, most breakfasts being cereal and toast. Then it was a matter of finding the least smelliest clothes to wear for the day!
We had met our guide Kalam briefly the day before and left with him on the truck and headed into town, first stopping at the Jewish cemetery. There were rows of unmarked graves from a typhus outbreak over 150yrs ago; with many small ones for children. It's well kept, currently being painted and clean, with several prominent people buried there. The palace was our next stop. The King's wife is from this area so they tend to visit 5-6 times a year. Although we couldn't actually see the palace, the exterior walls surrounding it are beautiful, with seven large ornate doors and intricate
Naturally
The local broom tiling. We then paid a visit to a ceramics factory, saw cups being made on a traditional wheel, using their feet to turn it. All the painting is done by hand, using their imagination. Felt a bit odd wandering around, snapping photos of them like they're on show which they are, but they're also working and I get the idea they're not paid as much as they're worth (though I really don't know).
Fes is situated between the Riff mountains in north and Atlas Mountains in the south. The location was chosen for water and clay (used for buildings and tiles) and wood (there are cedar forests 60km away). Lots of springs make their way into the area but also melting snow from the Atlas mountains. It is the former capital of Morocco and has three distinct areas: Fes el Bari (the old walled city with approximately 156,000 inhabitants), Fes Jdid (the new city) and Ville Nouvelle (the newest section, created by the French). There is a total population of around 1.2 million, with roughly 200 Jewish families (Casablanca has the largest Jewish community). Fes el Bari is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the biggest medina in the
Just because
I think he's cute! world. It also has the oldest university in the world. The wall surrounding the old city dates back to the 14th century and is 15km long. But enough of the history and geography lesson!
Once inside the medina, it's a sensory overload. The sights, smells and noises were both wonderfully overwhelming and tiring. And with a group of 16 trying to play follow the leader through narrow chaotic streets on a grumbling stomach (okay, that was my stomach), I just wanted to eat. I think most of us would've preferred street food (which looked so fresh and smelt amazing) but we weaved our way through the streets, following Kalam until we reached...a carpet shop. I think the look of disdain was evident on some faces but all was forgiven when a lunch of pita with chips and egg arrived, followed by sweet nougat and tea. But of course there's no way out of a carpet shop without first looking and when blankets made from camel and sheep wool were laid out for us, I couldn't resist. After a little bit of haggling, Steph and I were proud owners of warm blankets!
The tanneries are definitely a highlight in
Tea break
This man is painting all the unmarked graves in the Jewish cemetery the medina and can be smelt before seen, though it was less prevalent than it had been during my previous visit in summer. I took photos of the seemingly infinite amount of satellite dishes that lined the rooftops and bright yellow cloth drying in the warm sun before we made our way down in amongst the workers. I'm sure other tourists were looking down enviously as we hopped across the large pits of various colours, able to see what the men were doing up close. Jareb was even game enough to put his feet into a pit filled with red dye and sure enough, even after only minutes, his feet had turned a beetroot shade of red!
We made stops in a clothing store (I was dressed up; someone has photos somewhere) and a local pharmacy with oils and medicinal herbs. I'm learning that I'm able to refuse easier if I keep smiling and say I've been to Morocco before.
Back in the darkening streets, we had to keep moving out of the way of donkeys, their owners yelling 'balak' to tell people to move. I had amazing coffee for Dh7, served in a glass so you stand
Survival of the strongest
Not all make it. The ones that do are left to dry in the warm sun around the counter and hand the cup back once you're finished. And then, we were out, back where we started. I climbed onto the truck feeling overwhelmed but happy. We'd left at 9:30 and got back to the campsite at 17:30 so it was a long day. But it wasn't over yet!
After a refreshing shower, we left for dinner at 19:30 and drove to a side entrance of the medina to a restaurant with a traditional four piece band. We were served a huge amount of food and saw a variety of entertainers including belly dancers, more musicians and a magician of sorts. The magician needed a volunteer and guess who he chose. Anyone who knows me can verify that I do not dance, nor do I like being centre of attention. With a scarf tied around my waist I was asked what my favourite animal was. Okay, so I like snakes. Not sure why I chose to say it though! I don't remember every detail (too busy being embarrassed) but I was made to dance and then had a scarf put down my top. I swear, it felt like something was moving and I actually thought for
Skill
He's making the cups you see in the foreground. Using a wire, he trims them from the top of his clay pile. a second that something was alive down there! But after several terrifying moments, he pulled out a bra (not mine like someone asked!), much to everyone's amusement!
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Friday
Day Six
Today was a free day so although some were adventurous and headed back into town, I chose to be lazy. The furtherest my adventure took me was the nearby marjane. We walked there, waving at passing vehicles who beeped at us and I picked up a pillow, clothesline, flip flops (I knew I should've brought mine!) and a few food items to store under my seat for lunches on the go. The taxi rank outside was empty when we arrived and stayed that way so we managed to score a lift with a minibus who dropped us off at the front entrance and refused any sort of payment. Back at camp, using a washing basket and a piece of wood, a basketball ring of sorts was constructed and Suse, ever willing to help, moved the truck so that it could be screwed into one of the tall eucalyptus trees nearby. Brittany, our star basketball player, scored on her second - and last - attempt. The basket
Pedal power
The man uses his foot to turn the wheel came crashing down with the ball, ending what had been a fun project. But never mind, it was replaced with a game of cricket; we Aussies attempting to explain rules we took for granted to the Americans. That too ended badly (who knew cricket was a contact sport??) and people wandered off to do some less dangerous reading, blogging and clothes washing.
** Just a quick note to let you know I'll probably be adding more photos at a later stage but am so behind on the writing that I just want to get this out!
I also want to thank everyone who left me a note or sent me a message, they're much appreciated. For some reason, I can't reply (my netbook is silly) so please don't think I'm ignoring you! Blame the technology!
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anonymous
non-member comment
We traveled to Morocco is October and had a wonderful time
Thank you for the memory. We loved the souks of Fes. The pottery was fascinating. We brought home a tangine.