Fez

Fez is the former capital and is one of the four 'imperial cities' found in Morocco.  We stayed in a riad in Fes el Bali (translates as old walled city) which is a listed World Unesco Heritage site.  Most of these pictures are taken from inside the medina or a view from above the city looking down.

Fez - the old town is surrounded by a wall.

Blue gates

Outside of the old town.

Looking over part of the city.

Old fort ruins

Surrounding countryside where many olives are grown. A graveyard sits at the base of the valley.

View from above

Traditional leather shoes that are hand made in Fez.

Cow leather

The tannery

workers dyeing the leather hydes

Craftsman engraving a golden tray by hand.

Qur'an School doorway

Shoes made from camel leather.

A traditional coffin built in carpenter's square.

University of Al-Karaouine, founded in AD 859, is the oldest continuously functioning university in the world.

Now I want to tell you a story...

[Act 1]  Once upon a time, two backpackers (heavily laden with too much luggage) find themselves complexed by the repetitive maze they find before them.

[Act 2] Enter a small boy

A small boy mysteriously appears and offers to show you the way to your accomodation.  En route you just happen to pass his uncles restaurant which has the "best food in town".  Coincidentally a few minutes later you are likely to end up at his parents leather shop where they sell "only the best handcrafted goods made from only the finest leather". (You can change restaurant or leather shop  with any shop be it carpets, butchers or one of many textiles outlets but you get the idea)

[Act 3] The young entrepreneur continues on his quest ensuring you that "we are very close" and at this stage it would be wise to reach into your pocket for some spare change - about 10-20 Dirham ( £1 or $1.50) will be more than enough and I have now started collecting small change for such occasions as these.

Upon receiving the coin, the boys eyes light up and he acts all surprised as if he didn't expect anything for his help.

Before parting he might chance his arm once more by offering a tour of the city.  Mention something about it being illegal and you will see a clean pair of heals as the small boy vanishes as quickly as he appeared.

The End. (Until next time you leave your hostel and turn into the nearest street).

That said, Fez is remarkable in so many ways.  Fez manages to be simultaneously chaotic and enchanting. It is fascinating, shocking and ultimately provides too many sights, sounds and smells for the brain to comprehend.

Paul Theroux once remarked that "travel is only glamorous in retrospect" so with that notion, I feel that Fez as most of Morocco, will continue to burrow deep beneath my skin long after I have left and I look forward to being able to comprehend the wonderful experiences that are spinning like an unfathomable kaleidoscope in my mind right now. 

Marrakech

Last wednesday after a 3 hour flight from London, we arrived at Marrakech airport - a humble building in the middle of the desert at 8.30am.  In the background were the foothills of the Atlas mountains set against a vivid blue sky broken up by the odd palm tree.  Despite being so early in the morning, the heat immediately hits you and there has been little respite since.

An overpriced taxi ride in a battered old mercedes benz later, we arrived at our accomodation on the outskirts of Marrakech Medina.

We visited Marrakech a few times both at night and day.  Our first experience was at night time which was exhilarating to arrive at the square amidst thousands of people who just seemed to be congregating.

DJemaa El Fna (translates as death square)

On the streets

Street Vendor

Street food

Juice seller near the Minaret Gardens

Marrakech Park

Snake charmer in the town square.

Storks nesting high on a chimney top.

The many types of olives that are grown locally.

One of the main exports - leather, in this case shoes.

Walking into the souks.

Inside a store in the souk.

Marrakech Art Museum

Inside the museum - it was a palace.

One of many Minarets.

Tangine - a clay pot that is used to stew meats and vegetables in.

Gueliz in the new part of town.

Marrakech is exotic, vibrant, colorful, bustling, chaotic. A wonderful world of mayhem dropped into the middle of barren desert.  The city consists of high red walls holding small mysterious doorways that are linked to mysterious meandering corridors which weave an intricate maze around the city making it impossible not to get lost.  It is all part of the experience - walking through souks selling brightly colored carpets and tapestries, delicately hand-crafted leather shoes and just about anything from the necessary to the bizarre.  The city throws the smell of spices into the air with fresh food and drink always close at hand.
By day the sun is stifling, most locals dibilitated by the heat leaving people sleeping in the shade under palm trees, sprawling for cover or into cafes where they refresh themselves with fresh mint tea.

Josh Ritter once wrote a quite brilliant song named 'other side' - I doubt he was in a souk at the time but his words describe it pretty accurately nonetheless "twisted cul-de-sacs and the one way signs, I'm going round in circles, on the other side".

Marrakech is quite simply magical!