Morocco.... A love story - (Day 5 - Fes)

"Never gonna do it without the Fes on. Oh no" ~ Steely Dan

Yes, Jim and I sang this song frequently while in Fes. I tried to do some research on the song and find out what the lyrics were referring to but there were no facts. Just suspicions. Some said it was to promote safe sex (the fes representing a condom). Some said it was written during a Shriner's convention where everyone was wearing a Fes hat. So who knows!

Anyway, getting back to our day, we awoke on Day 5 to another glorious morning. We had a breakfast fit for a king (the food just never stopped!) and got ready to head out on foot. Leaving the hotel, we all took photos of the entrance. You would think we were royalty!

Walking through the streets was reminded me of a mouse making its way through a maze. Abdel (our tour manager) was from Fes and knew every inch of the city. One of the first things we saw was the Bob Boujloud (Blue Gate). This was a city gate in the old portion of Fes and it was quite the masterpiece. The time and artistry involved in creating such a gate was profound.

I'm not sure how to describe some of the streets we were on. They weren't really streets, more like alleys. Cars would not fit but motorbikes did. And people's front doors were located on these narrow alleys. So if they had to go anywhere, they couldn't just walk out and get in their car. They had to walk to an area where a car was allowed. It's a really good think no one got lost. We would have never found our way out of there! We turned a corner at some point and straight ahead of us was a beautiful mosque. The sites went from old wiring and aged street signs to modern beauty. Every turn was something new. And yes, I do believe those are propane tanks being carried by the donkey in the photo below...

As we continued through the city, we walked through markets bustling with merchants and customers. Olives, dates, seafood, poultry, meat, fruit, spices and household goods. Anything you could want. Some of the poultry and meat was a little "too fresh" for me. We watched a chicken being cut up that had just been alive a minute ago.

The sounds and smells were amazing. People laughing, people bartering. The smells of bread and raw seafood, olives and people. It was sensory overload and I loved it! Being an outsider was kind of fun. No one was paying any attention to me so I just got to watch and listen. And try not to get run over by a bicycle or motorbike. Everyone was friendly and just trying to make a living. Once in a while, a merchant would not want you to take a photo. Abdel had told us that sometimes that would happen. As I said earlier, nothing is ever certain in Morocco. I only had one person yell to me not to take a photo. Most people just kept on doing what they were doing.

Our next stop was a Moroccan carpet shop. We walked down a little alley and into a small door. It had once been nothing more than someone's home. As we entered, the room opened into a huge display room of beautiful carpets. There were seats for us around the perimeter of the room. We all sat and were welcomed by the owner of the shop while we sipped our mint tea they had provided. He told us about the process of making the rugs, and how each rug was different. We learned that Fes carpets are 100% wool. The color of Fes is blue. We also learned that nomads use a different weave so they can fold the carpets instead of roll them. We were also shown and example of a nomad-made carpet. Then a team of men put on a show displaying a sample of the beautiful rugs. The quality was evident. They had a variety of shapes, colors, types. Anything anyone could want. After their show, they spoke individually to the members of our group that actually wanted to purchase one. I think we had four people purchase carpets to be shipped home. Paul, Abbye, Gail and Mindy. Since we have returned home, they have all posted photos of their new rugs in their homes. They all look so beautiful!

Our next stop for the day was the Chouara Tannery. Again, we walked through a very narrow "street" and were greeted by people outside a small door. As we walked in, we were handed a stem of mint. I thought this was an interesting way to greet people. However, I quickly learned that this was to put under your nose to help dilute the smell of the decaying flesh.

In a million years, I would have never imagined how these beautiful leather pieces of furniture, jackets, purses, etc. were made. The first thing that shocked me was that pigeon poop is used in the process. The skins are put into vats that area mixture containing water, salt, limestone and pigeon poop. Pigeon poop contains ammonia that helps remove all the hair and everything from the skins. The workers actually get into the vats and knead the skin to help the process. We found out the pigeon poop is actually collected off the streets and sold by people to make money.

The next step in the process is dyeing the skin. The colors come from different plants. Some examples are saffron for yellow, red from the poppy flower and orange from henna. Again, the tanners often get into the vats to assist in the dyeing process. After the dyeing process is complete, the skins are hung to dry then sold to craftsman to turn the hides into whatever they choose. After learning about the leather making process, I now understand why leather is so expensive! What an art!

We continued our day visiting the Nejjarine Museum (museum of wooden arts and crafts), Seffarine Square where we watched local craftsmen making copper pieces and the Karaouine Mosque.

After lunch, we finished out day at the King's Palace (one of them) and then visiting the Jewish neighborhood next to the palace.

We finished with a visit to a Jewish cemetery. We learned about the respectable and friendly relationships between the Muslim people and the Jewish people in Morocco.

While we were in the cemetery, I noticed an olive tree. The day before I had asked Abdel if you could eat an olive right off the olive tree. When he noticed the olive tree in the cemetery, he told me I should go pick an olive and take a bite. I was a little nervous about this but honestly wanted to know what it would taste like. I walked over to the tree and found one that looked ripe. I walked back over to the group with the olive in my hand. Then I took the tiniest little bite. Well I can tell you, I will NEVER do that again. It was the most bitter thing I have ever tasted. It sucked all the moisture out of my mouth, including the moisture on my teeth!

So for everyone reading this, know that olives must be soaked in brine. We also learned that you can get different colored olives from the same tree.

That night, we had free time. Jim and I rested and arranged for dinner by the pool. It was very relaxing. We saw a few others during dinner that had also made reservations by the pool. The pool was in the courtyard with an open ceiling so we could see the sky above. Absolutely stunning. It was a beautiful ending to another unforgettable day in Morocco!

Peace!

Ruthie