Catching a train between Marrakesh and Fez was a simple enough procedure but just painful as we had no AC for 7 hours meaning that the tiny opening from the window above was barely enough to survive comfortably. I like to think that it was so hot in our cabin from the other 4 passengers in our cabin who talked the entire trip and took all the oxygen :)
One thing we noticed and later discussed is also something that I noticed in India. Travelling by train in these countries complete strangers have long winded conversations for hours on end together and we both agree that generally this just doesn't happen in Australia. We really are quiet conservative. I know many of you may not agree, but you really need to see how it unfolds... strangers take a seat next to each other, greet then start in heated debates and talk for hours like they are long lost friends. They share food even if the portion for themselves is little, they help each other with bags. Its something that I think on planes and trains in Australia we just don't see so much of anymore - if you have a chatterbox next to you people tend to read or plug in their earphones and pretend there is no one around them.
Anyway that was our 7 hours to Fez. Arriving in Fez we were greeted to a very modern and extremely clean train station with all the traditional Moroccan architecture and artisan work from the wood work in the ceilings, the zelij mosaic tile work on the poles and marble floors - I was really impressed. For the first time this trip we were met as had been arranged by a driver at the station. To book this part of the trip we decided to enlist the help of Helen Ranger who is an agent for many of the Riads in Fez and whom I found thanks to the Suzanna Clarke book "A house in Fez". Again we find ourselves piling into a tank Mercedes for the 10 minute drive to the Riad in an area called Batha. Straight away I am impressed by the scenery in the streets - generally clean, traffic lights that people actually follow, road rules, police cars - I know it all sounds normal but remember the places that I have been travelling people rarely obey such advanced technology.
I am told Baksheesh (bribes) are still a common daily occurrence throughout Morocco and as a result we see people in the front of the cars wearing seat belts to avoid 600 Dirham fines or having to slip 100 dirham into their license as they hand it over to the police.
One unique scene throughout Fez is the water fountains - they are obsessed and it seems every neighbourhood has one and it often taps into a natural spring. Surprisingly you don't find people bringing buckets down to take the water as you might in other parts of Africa!
The car pulls up in a cudlesac and some young teenagers come to see if they can make a few dirhams taking our bags to our riad but our driver shoo´s them away. Again we find ourselves towing our luggage down yet another windy lane way to get to the riad. We arrive at a large old wooden door and are greeted by Abdul who is our humble maitre de for the 8 nights we will stay. He´s very quiet spoken and I find it very strange that as an Arab man this is so and that he appears to be either very shy or lack confidence - its really strange in such a culture, but he is the perfect host and nothing is ever too much trouble for him.
Inside the riad is absolutely amazing. It has been restored over a few years by a French woman who up until the purchase thought she could renovate the riad from abroad. She said that after 6 months of seeing no progress, she realised that she would have to move here to see the renovation complete and now she lives here full time. There is a photo album on the coffee table which show photos of the riad before and during the renovation and I have to say I am a junkie for such things! The whole riad is 3 or 4 floors with the home built as a square and a centre open air area for relaxing and where they serve breakfast and dinner. The clever thing about this riad is that they have an automatic roof that they use to close the open air area in the event of rain and yes I didn't believe it possible but it did rain whilst we were there!
Breakfast each morning is served whatever time we arrive - so we take the opportunity to finally get some decent sleep in a huge comfy bed with the shutter windows closed so its pitch black still at 10.30am :) We arrive downstairs and our host Abdul madly begins to scatter around serving us coffee, juice, dates, Moroccan sponge bread, something that looks like a crumpet cross pancake, yogurt and my favourite that I devour for the two of us - pastries mmmmmm.
So Fez has the little red "petite taxi" and unlike Marrakesh where we find ourselves tire of bargaining with the extreme rates they charge for a few KM´s, we are pleasantly surprised when we hope in and say our destinations (me in my most convincing French accent) and the meter kicks off. No trip was ever more than 10 dirham!!! Most of the time the trips are 6 or 7 dirham and we don't even bother to wait for change - seriously we are talking 60c!
The city of Fez has the main wall still standing around the city and its really a case of just throwing yourself in rather than reading a book as the book confused the hell out of me. One thing we did learn from Lonely Planet though is that the government in Fez have realised that tourists tend to get lost maneuvering around the medina, so they have placed coloured signs around the windy medina lanes that you can follow according to whether you would would like to go through the artisan area, copper smiths, museums etc. Sounds easy enough but a couple of times we did a massive circle following the signs so we resorted to hiring a guide for our last day there to make sure we didn't miss anything. All we really missed were a few great painting shops which we ended up cleaning one out nearly of his stock!
The painting shop was quiet interesting. I was convinced we should play good and bad cop with the bargaining for one particular beautiful person, but my partner in crime decided to tell me out loud in front of the store owner -"yes i definitely want this one" not something you want the owner to hear when you are about to bargain - kind of like buying a house you play it cool like you really don't care. Too funny! In the end this young guy showed us he was a prick and wouldn't budge even slightly and on principal as he didn't want to play ball we went to another guy a few doors up and started with a painting each and walked out with 9 paintings in total!! ummm we need a house first perhaps?!
Eating became an sometimes chore in Fez - after Marrakesh and being held hostage to eat dessert which turned out to be my birthday cake! One thing we were realising we needed to start saying was that we didn't want dessert a) we weren't really into the crunchy wafer pancakes and b)we were over the set menu 5 courses!! We had dinner the first night at our riad which was lovely but again too much food - wine was great though! Then we resorted to Lonely Planet for restaurant recommendations.
We really struggled to follow the map to the restaurants so settled on a little place with versace looking tablecloths on the first day - service for food was at least 40 min but definitely the best preserved lemon chicken tajine in Fez. When we went to pay the bill we learnt that Morocco was playing football (soccer for the aussies out there) hence why inside was packed with men and no staff gave a crap about their starving customers. Dinner was delicious though and only around $10-15 for the two of us. The area was ate is in the middle of the Medina with rows of little eateries and their chairs facing the passing foot traffic - reminding me of that in Paris minus the gorgeous men and women of course.
Lonely Planet mentioned a place called Clock Cafe and we decided to check it out as it was highly recommended. We were at the point of giving up when suddenly I got my second wind and saw a street sign and worked it out in a second as I spun around and saw a sign on the inside lane way directing us to the cafe. Its an old riad converted into a multi level cafe with rooms and balcony seating overlooking the downstairs kitchen area. Its owned by an English guy but managed by an Aussie and we both agree the staff were all fantastic and appeared to be like a happy family. One thing I really like about this place is the fact that they offer bellydance, cooking, calligraphy and live music nights. We actually did a cooking class there which was brilliant and I would highly recommend the head chef there who teaches you -Souad. She was a wealth of information and so friendly. We learnt to cook traditional chicken and preserved lemon tajine, eggplant salad, harrira soup and a desert kind of like the baklava nut rolls we make in Greece.
The cooking lesson took us into the fresh food market and Souad cheekily took me to the chicken butcher - he has a room filled with white chickens which he picks up and plonks one on his ancient scales so you pay by the kilo. With a serious face she looked at me and said now it is traditional that you must kill the chicken. I wasn't sure if she was serious but when he handed me the chicken to hold by the wings I realised that she was serious! At first I thought well I have to do this sooner or later don't I, then as it squirmed in my hands I thought this is not going to happen to asked if we could wait till my partner is back as he´d love to do it! She started laughing and the butcher too - obviously I realised this is a common prank she plays with all her clients!
Not only did we buy produce for the meals we were to cook that day, but she also walked through explaining about the traditions of the Moroccan people, the local natural beauty guy who sells the black soap for the hammam and henna for the hair and skin of the women, the water guy who every spring uses some ancient technology to evaporate the juices for rosewater, oregano etc which they offer as cool drinks for guests, to wash babies and as digestive aids. There was even a camel butcher who one night I looked to my right and there was a camel head just hanging from a hook! Strangely enough he looked peaceful with his eye and lips closed and I couldn't get over the long eyelashes! We both tried the camel burgers at Clock Cafe and they were ok, nothing to rave about but heaps better than crocodile or kangaroo.
There was even a lady in the market and her job all day is to make filo pastry and all the locals and restaurants come to place their order with her for the day!
Some customs and beliefs she told us about included:
*In Islam you can have as many wives as long as you can treat them all fairly, which she said is impossible so its really a catch 22 and not really happening anymore.
*children in Morocco are fed separately from their parents until they are 8 years, its considered very rude if your children eat at the table with guests before this age as generally they have not learnt the proper manners and etiquette.
*they don't have bellydancers at their weddings instead they dance themselves and have musicians.
*weddings now days go for 2 days - day 1 for the henna patterns that are applied to the women's hands and feet and day 2 for the actual wedding.
*women keep their surnames in Morocco (as does most of Europe now - come on Australia!!)
*all names for children must have a meaning or you are told to choose from a government list of names.
We were lucky enough one afternoon to see the start of a wedding celebration. I did a stake out for a good hour determined to get good photos and perhaps even an invite to their wedding since that particular day I had dressed like the women in their traditional dress. but alas my dress did not help my cause and we only got to see the start of the celebration as the family were very protective as too many tourists rocked up for photos so they headed inside instead of parading them around the street. The women is carried in an epitaph chair and the man rides a white horse that I will mention got the crap kicked out of it for playing up before the wedding started.
One sight that never ceased to amaze me in not just Fez but all over Morocco is cats. Even as I sat waiting for my flight to check in at Casablanca international airport, a cat strolled on past me inside the airport! Every sight you visit, every restaurant you eat at...cats! And I must say that they are fat healthy cats as the locals and tourists feed them well. There´s a line up of cats out the front of the butcher stalls (I say stalls as all meat is exposed in the open air) every morning they sit patiently waiting for a feed!
Next blog the World Sacred Music Festival in Fez 2010.........
Posts
