Fes and Meknes

We crossed from Tarifa in Spain to Tangier in Morocco--our first time in North Africa. Chuck made it memorable by getting lost in the port terminal. Speaking no Arabic and with no way to contact the group, he finally found a helpful local who would--for a price--reunite him with the group. Needless to say, there were anxious minutes on both sides until he returned.

We then made our way deeper into Morocco.

We knew we had arrived in Morocco when we saw tagine pots everywhere. Tagines are the national cuisine--slow-cooked meats and vegetables, well-spiced.

The contortionist was particularly good and even taught one of our fellow travelers a simple maneuver.

Two of our group were chosen to represent a bride and groom--the bride wore a crown. 

The next morning we set out to explore the Medina, or old town, of Fes. Like many public monuments, the entry gate is elaborately decorated, in blue coming in and in green going out. 

The streets were extremely narrow and crowded with people and goods. 

The butcher shops were hard to miss, with carcasses hanging from the overhangs.

One of the most interesting things about this medina is that it is home to many people who refuse to live elsewhere and who make their living within the walls. Everything one might need--shops, mosques, schools--is located within the medina.

Because the streets are too narrow for cars, donkeys are the major form of conveyance. Every few minutes we heard the Arabic equivalent of "look out" and flattened ourselves against the walls to let them by.

Some people used donkeys to get around, although motorbikes were also common.

There are still public fountains, but most houses have running water.

The people who live in the medina varied in dress--most, but not all, of the women wore head scarves and dressed in bright colors. Young men wore mostly Western clothes and older men wore traditional robes.

Some of the streets were too narrow for anything except pedestrians.

Houses were all very plain on the outside and some had elaborate doors like this, which has a smaller inset door for people and a larger one for deliveries.

Trash collection! Disobedient donkeys were probably threatened with being sold to the trash service!

A carpentry shop that we visited specialized in creating elaborate chairs and couches for weddings.

We also visited a carpet shop, located in an old home. Like many such homes, it was very plain on the outside but very beautiful inside. And, yes, we bought a carpet.

We also had a chance to look in on the oldest university in the world. It is now a school for Islamic studies.

We also paid a visit to Meknes, one of the four places that has been a capital of Morocco. There we visited the royal stables/stud farm where we could compare the classical Arabian horse with the Berber horse.

The city had extensive old waterworks to allow them to withstand a siege.

The city walls were thick and have decorated gates, some of which are no longer used.