Sunset in the Sahara

We arrived in Taza by train in the afternoon and, after getting settled, piled into a van to drive out to the Kasbah at Msoun about 30km east of Taza. It is inhabited by a tribe of about 100 members called the Daouri. The kasbah is still complete on three of its sides and many of its original features are still present, dating back to the late 1600's. We were at Msoun for sunset, and let me tell you that you have not really seen a sunset until you've seen it over the Sahara. The colors were incredible: purple, pink, orange, yellow, red, green, blue, and colors I can't even describe. For me it was an emotional experience and I was sad to leave it so soon. I grabbed a few stones and a shell to keep as a token of the time I stood and witnessed the sun setting over Sahara Proper with mountains all around me. I love experiences that make me feel small and, for lack of a better term, inconsequential. The world is a big, beautiful place and we are simply a blip on its timeline. I have been thinking about The Little Prince ever since. It will be a very long time before I have an experience that rivals this one. I can't wait to find a way to show this to my daughter.

Tour of Fes medina

On our full day in Fes, we had a hired tour guide take us throughout the medina. In case I haven't mentioned yet, the medina is the old part of a city, usually enclosed by a high wall. This is where souks and many historical sites are found.

The first stop on our guided tour was the Medersa al-Attarine, a school founded in 1325. The plaster is intricately carved and every detail of the school is gorgeous. It is currently a school only for girls. It is open to non-Muslims for tours for roughly $1/each (10 Moroccan dirham.)

We wound through the souk stalls and peered into a mosque where men were readying for prayer by washing. As I've said before, non-Muslims cannot enter, but we were permitted to stand outside and look in to observe the men preparing for prayer. We were also told we could take photos. Once we get to Casablanca we will be able to enter a large mosque there as they welcome tourists in. 

Next we visited the leather souks, and one shop in particular that is run by several artisans. We climbed tot he roof to get a view of the tannery. This was what I had been waiting months for! I have been so excited to see the tannery, and when I climbed those steps and peered over the railing....I was disappointed. I thought we'd get to see the largest tannery in Fes. Instead we saw a much smaller tannery. It was still really interesting to learn about the tanning process and the dyes that are used, I just had completely different expectations. It was still a really great experience. All the leather is dyed using natural substances (saffron for yellow, indigo for blue, mint for green, poppy flower for pink and red...) It smells really bad in the tannery, and that is because one of the steps in the process involves soaking the leather in pigeon excrement. It is highly acidic and works to soften the leather before being scraped and dyed. I purchased a huge duffel bag made from pink camel leather and a hand-woven kilim (Berber style rug) for a fraction of what I would pay in the states for it. I needed a duffel to get all my stuff home that I've picked up along the way. I thought I'd buy a cheap knock-off adidas bag, but now I have something beautiful with a story. 

At this point in our tour it was clear that our guide was bringing us on a shopping excursion, more or less. I was okay with this because we were still getting some great information about the processes and history of these products that Morocco is known for. Some of us felt a little pressure to buy, but it wasn't overwhelming and I felt comfortable saying no. We were next taken to watch fabric be hand-woven. The silk threads used in this shop are made from the silk of agave plants! I wish I had thought to purchase a spool. I will look for some in Casablanca. It's so shiny and vibrant. The gentlemen teaching us about the fabric and techniques taught a few of the ladies how to tie their scarves in traditional Moroccan ways (turbans.) 

A huge rug shop run from the interior of a very large former home was our next visit and these guys were trying very hard to sell us on their rugs! They were beautiful, but very expensive. I saw a rug in Meknes that I wish I would have purchased now. I would have paid only $70 for a hand embroidered decorative "baby kilim" that would set me back much more than that at the shop in Fes. The rugs in Fes were beautiful, but were nothing compared to the kilims I saw at the shop in Meknes. 

Our last two shops were a health and beauty type shop that sold fragrances and argan oil, and a clothing shop. We learned about how argan seeds are harvested and then processed by hand for the oil. A woman was actually sitting on the floor making oil as we learned about it. And, of course, a cat joined us for the discussion. 

In the clothing shop our professor and a couple of the students were dressed in some really beautiful clothes. I bartered for a Fez and completed my goal of buying a Fez hat in Fes (note: the proper term is "tarboosh!") 

To finish out the day, we had a family dinner at our riad, cooked and served to us by the family that owns the riad. It was my first really big meal since being sick, so I ate A LOT. I wish I had photos to post of it, but we ate it too fast for me to snap any. I really enjoyed my time in Fes. If I return to Morocco, I think I'll definitely spend more time there. 

Fes: Day 1

I have to stress again how many cats there are in Morocco. There are thousands of strays in every city. I haven't stopped being surprised by the number yet. Not only are they everywhere, but they have become integrated into everyday life here. After arriving in Fes in the afternoon and settling into our riad, a group of us went out to lunch. We found a place with a rooftop patio so we could get some fresh air and a view of the city. A very pregnant cat made herself at home begging for food while our waiter expertly stepped over or around her each trip to and from our table. When the couple behind us left, the cat happily checked the top of their table for scraps of food left behind.

In the evening our instructors piled us into two vans and we went to a cemetery overlooking Fes just before sunset. Had they told me that Fes was home to nearly 370 mosques, I would have believed them....but being on a hilltop over the city and actually hearing all of those mosques call worshipers to prayer at sunset gave me chills of the best kind. There is nothing like it. It is truly beautiful. 

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. I went to bed early to be well-rested for the next day, when we would be having a 4-5 hour tour of the medina in Fes. That gentleman in the photo above is my professor/advisor/program coordinator extraordinaire! He's pretty swell. 

Day 2 in Meknes: Moulay Idriss and Volubilis

On day two of Meknes I was not feeling well. I spent the previous night shivering instead of sleeping and just felt overall pretty crummy for the entire day. I couldn't bring myself to eat anything. I think I was just exhausted and my stomach had had it with the mass amounts of spices in all the food here. I had every intention of getting up early and visiting the mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, but I felt so awful that I stayed in bed.

Around noon the entire group filed into three taxis and journeyed to Moulay Idriss, a city at the base of Mount Zerhoun where Moulay Idriss I arrived in 789 bringing the religion of Islam to Northern Africa. The city is a holy place to Muslims in this region of the world, and non-Muslims were prohibited from entering the city until just a few years ago. Non-Muslims may now stay the night, but are still prohibited from visiting the mosque or the mausoleum of Idriss. Unfortunately I was feeling ill and didn't snap more than a couple of photos of an alley. I then sat at a cafe in the public square and bundled up in the sun to stay warm. Out of respect, I wore a scarf to cover my hair while in the city. I did see a few foreigners not covering up, but it seemed more appropriate to remain covered. Besides, I look super cute in a scarf!

After Moulay Idriss, we rode not far away to Volubilis, an ancient Roman city. Its ruins are partially excavated and located just down the hill from Moulay Idriss. It was built beginning in the 3rd century BC and covers about 100 acres. These were my first Roman ruins. I was feeling so poorly I really thought I was going to nap under a tree, but decided to trek to the ruins and was SO SO glad that I did. They were awesome. Anything that makes me feel like a tiny speck on the planet or on a timeline gets seared into my memory and makes me feel awed and inspired. Volubilis was one of those places. You could picture the streets as they were in the city's prime. The shapes of homes were still clear, and the huge arc was an incredible site. I would have never thought I'd see Roman ruins on this trip to Morocco. To see them in such a gorgeous setting at sunset? Incredible.

First day in Meknes

Another train ride! Yay! Our very short stay in Rabat was nice as a little refresher post New Year's Eve, but it's hard to move around every day. We stayed in Meknes for two nights, so we were able to wash clothes, settle in, and see the city more in-depth.

The first day in Meknes we arrived at our riad well before it was ready for us. We wandered around, had lunch on a rooftop, and read our guide books for tips on what to do the next day. After we checked into our riad and dropped off our bags, I walked around with Jon, Stefi, Ashlae, and Erin. Our intent was to find a cafe with wifi so we could all check in back home, but we met a Berber artisan who makes metal crafts decorated with silver thread. We went into his shop and he showed us how he makes each piece, firing the metal twice, scouring it, polishing it, and shaping the final piece. I bought a bracelet and ring from him for an incredible price and then he invited us to sit in a back room filled with killim rugs. We sat around and he made each of us a cup of mint tea (everyone here calls it Moroccan whiskey or scotch. It is LOADED with sugar!) He was so kind and taught us the history of each of the four types of killims. I promise to go into more detail in future posts about all the intricacies that make Morocco Morocco, but for now I'm just posting an overview of my visit to catch up on this blog! He asked us to sign a book he keeps as a record of all of the students that come through his shop. He has learned English thanks to students from the nearby university coming through, so we left a note of thanks for his hospitality.

We ate dinner in someone's home that doubles as their family restaurant. The riad roof was leaking when we got back and mattresses got wet and had to be shuffled around. It was quite the ordeal! Someone had been hosing off the roof earlier in the day and forgot to turn the water off, so the terrace flooded. The riad was truly authentic with no heat and drafty windows. I shook the entire night and didn't sleep a wink. More on that in the next post...

Another train ride and a night in Rabat

Rabat was a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech. We took a 3 hour train ride, which allowed us to see the beautiful landscape of Morocco. Unfortunately the waste management has a long way to go, so the rail line is littered with garbage. A woman on the train told us that Morocco is too poor to have a recycling program, and we have been hard-pressed to find public waste bins while walking around. Still, the distant landscape is gorgeous and the sky is a beautiful blue. Prior to our arrival there were many days of rain, so everything is lush and green. It is interesting to see pastures dotted with dense areas of apartment buildings, many that are abandoned or half-built. Along the tracks we saw a lot of shepherds tending their flocks. The outskirts of cities seems to be where the stray dogs hang out, while the cats rule the streets of towns.

After arriving in Rabat we checked into our hotel and took a few minutes to settle in, freshen up, and drop our bags off. We wandered through the souks, which were very different from the souks in Marrakech. They seemed a lot more calm. I didn't take a lot of photos just because I was exhausted and wanted to remain respectful, but there were men selling whole stingrays from carts and it was awesome! Cats waited patiently behind them hoping for a handout.

We wound our way up through the narrow alleys into the Kasbah. It was beautiful. The walls were all painted white and blue and it was quiet! Such a nice break from Marrakech. I loved the chaos of Marrakech, but I can only take so much of it.

We ended our professor-guided stroll on the edge of the fort/kasbah overlooking the Atlantic ocean. The view was incredible.

Several of us headed down from the fort together to find dinner. You can't look to Yelp for dinner suggestions here! So we wander until we find a place that looks good and has comfortable seating. We took in the sights along the way and had tagine for dinner (tagine comes in many forms and is a national specialty. I will write more on that later.) I also had an amazing banana and milk smoothie.

After dinner we called it a night. I roomed with Stefi and Ashlae and got a balcony with an incredible view. After a good night of sleep, we had breakfast in the hotel and headed to the train station once more. Our visit to Rabat was very short and sweet, but was just what the doctor ordered for our exhausted group of students. Onward to Meknes! 

New Year's Eve in Marrakech

I never know whether I should write Marrakech or Marrakesh....or Fes or Fez! Both ways are correct, so if I switch between the two I'm still right!

New Year's Eve in Marrakech was very eventful for our group, but I will share only the good. We had breakfast at our riad together, which was an assortment of jams with Moroccan crepes, pancakes, and honey. Later we broke into smaller groups to explore the city. The group I was in visited the Carrefour (grocery store) in the new town to get snacks and drinks for a NYE celebration. Then we went into the old medina to a place called Henna Art Cafe where I got henna on my hand. It is a beautiful cafe, and we met both of the owners. One is a local and one is a woman from the United States. She was so kind and accommodating to our questions.

After a trip back to our riad to momentarily relax, we trekked through the souks (markets) some more. You could spend days in the Marrakech souks and not see them all. They are an endless maze of stalls. We stopped in a spice stall and learned about some of the ingredients used in Moroccan food. I purchased some mixed spices for friends back home as well as black anise, which is used for a number of ailments. It is balled up in a piece of cotton fabric and sniffed through the nostrils to clear sinuses and relieve headaches. It is incredible stuff. The shop owner was incredibly kind and explained every spice we could point at. It was a great experience. 

After the second trip through the souks, Erin and I lagged behind to walk slowly and buy fresh-squeezed orange juice in the square. 1.5 liters cost roughly $2.00 and it is the best orange juice I have ever had. I bought a metal lantern from a shopkeeper I had met earlier in the day and we went back to our riad. 

The evening was suppose to end with much celebration, but I fell and possibly broke my knee cap so I went back in early. The amount of blood on my pants wasn't pretty! But, I am feeling fine to walk and will have it looked at back in the States. It's all part of the fun of traveling! 

Happy 2015! This year is going to be amazing, I can feel it.