Souk secrets and desert delights!

Hi again every one! It has been a very busy couple days so this post will cover a couple days! When I last wrote, we were still in Chefchaouen, the blue city. We ended our day there with a hike to a mosque on the top of a hill overlooking the city. It was quite the hike and got the ol’ blood pumpin’! We got there just before sunset. It was certainly a beautiful spot with panoramic views however quite busy. It took away a little from the experience as there were hundreds of people, all trying to get the perfect shot. After hiking back down, we headed for dinner. By the time dinner was being served, I was just wiped. It had been a very activity packed day so I was very grateful to see my bed. 

 The next morning was a much appreciated late start. We left our hotel at 11 am for the drive to Moulay Idriss. It was 3.5 hour drive through the Moroccan countryside. It was a lot of winding roads up and down through the mountains. It was very scenic however the road was a little bumpy at times. Our driver was quite skilled which offered comfort to us all. Moulay Idriss is named after Idriss, the first ruler of Idrisid Dynasty. It is spread over two hills at the base of Mt Zerhoun. We arrived at our homestay early evening. Since the homestay itself was in an alleyway atop a myriad of steps and turns. The family owned a donkey and used him to ferry our luggage and backpacks to the doorway. Once settled in, we went for a city walking tour with a stop at a sunset viewing point. From there we headed back to wonderful home cooked meal from our host family. We sat, chatted, laughed and shared pics as we broke bread. I called its a night shortly after that as I was tried and just needed to relax for a bit. 

Today has been a very busy day. We left Moulay Idriss around 9:30 am and headed over for a tour of the Volubilis Roman ruins. Volubilis is a partially excavated Berber-Roman city between Moulay Idriss and Meknes. Some believe that it was once the capital of the kingdom of Mauritania. We arrived early so there wasn’t too many there just yet. Any one who knows me well knows that I like old architecture and ancient ruins. This place did not disappoint. It was absolutely beautiful and offered up many photo opportunities. We spend an hour or two with our wonderful local guide, listening to the history and snapping pics. We then boarded the bus and it was off to Meknes.

Meknes is known for its imperial past. There are still remnants around the city. We took a guided walking tour and learned of its history. We visited a local business where they were hand making plates with silver wired inlay. It was very interesting to watch. They had many very nice creations however my carry space is limited which is probably for the best. After the tour ended, we went for a nice lunch before boarding the bus for our drive to Fes which is where we are now. I will pick this up again tomorrow. 

Today was a very busy day in Fes. We had an early breakfast and met with a local guide for the day. I had sooo much information jammed into my head today on the history of Fes, most of which is already lost. I will talk about a few high lights today but honestly, we visited a dozen sacred places, all with giant doors and quite frankly, I couldn’t recite which one was what even if I tried. 

Early in the day we we went for a nice panoramic view of the old city, took a few minutes for pictures and then headed on. It was a little chilly and overcast here today so the lighting wasn’t great but still good to see in person none the less. From there, we went to a local potter where we watched some beautiful work. It started with the a guy on the clay wheel. He made a Tangine pot within seconds. It was something to see. It was then on to people chipping and breaking clay tiles to make mosaics. The mosaics were just phenomenal. We wandered around taking in all the beautiful work before ending the tour in the shop of course. There were thousands of beautiful pieces but one would need a lot of money and luggage space to buy everything of interest. I did however buy a nice little teapot and cup to display on my buffet at home. 

 From there is on to the old Medina. The phrase Old Medina refers to “old city” or “old town”. They are commonly surrounded by a wall and found in northern Africa or other Islamic cities. The old Medina of Fes is the biggest in Africa and has over 10,000 alleys. It is extremely easy to get lost for hours there if you’re not careful. It is very busy as it is the main shopping area for locals. You can buy everything here from a camel steak to a fridge magnet. We spent a few hours wandering the Medina, taking in the sites, smells and people. The highlight for me was a visit to the leather tannery. This is something I saw on National Geographic when I was a kid and have wanted to see every since. Today……I saw it and it did not disappoint. We were handed a sprig of mint leaves and then climbed the winding stairs to the top of the viewing area. There is was, the site I had been waiting to see. The tannery is jus dozens of colourful vats where leathers and animal hides get dyed. The smell is simply horrendous hence why we are given the mint sprig. It is to hold under your nose. Smell aside, it was a very interesting site. The colours change as needed as well so its a different site at any given day. From the viewing area, we went inside to the leather shop to look at all the beautiful finished products. A couple people in the group even bought a new leather jacket. I was tempted but I restrained…….hard! The fact that I already have a leather jacket AND 200 other other coats helped with the restraint of course! I have to say though, the leather coats there were second to none that I have ever seen. Very soft and supple. Worth every penny. 

From there it was a late lunch and on to a local weaving company with demonstration. That was also interesting as everything there was hand made with a very old loom. We watched a man work away at making a blanket, one thread at a time. Of course then it was time for the sales pitch. They did have many beautiful items so a few us did make purchases. I just bought myself a nice agave silk scarf. Blue of course! 

To end off the private tour, we stopped at a few more places with giant doors. I know, I’m terrible at memorizing the significance of each but they were all nice and really, do you need to know more??

 We are now back at the hotel. Not sure if anything is happening tonight as we have a very early start tomorrow. I just picked up my laundry, posted some pics, finished writing this and now I have to repack all my stuff …..AGAIN! Tomorrow we take an early train for a 7 hour ride to Marrakech. This is my last stop on this journey unfortunately! Almost at the end already. Seems like 5 minutes ago I was boarding my plane in Edmonton and now in the blink of an eye I will be getting off my plane in Edmonton and driving home. However for now, still a couple days of adventures ahead! Cheers!