The great Fez

I had made a post last night after going on a couple of long walks, but the post seems to have been eaten by gremlins, so here I am again. Fez is very different from Marrakech. The Medina is amazing, much bigger and twisted than the one in Marrakech. Between last night and today I probably clocked a total of some ten hours of walking (and those who know me know I can cover a lot of ground in ten hours) and so far I have stayed primarily on the main "thoroughfares." On the down side (depending on your viewpoint), there is no night life, no main square where people got to hang out. Which is why at 10pm I am in my room doing my blog instead of being out and about.

The Medina allegedly holds some 400,000 dwellers. There are times when it feels as though they are all out walking down the same twisting alleys as me. My streak of not eating in restaurants continues, as I have had nothing but street food since after my first night in Marrakech, when I had dinner at my Riad. I have expanded my repertoire, today venturing to include a sort of pita-like sandwich with some chopped chicken, onions, herbs and a spicy salsa-like substance, cooked on a sort of griddle. I also had a cup of "buttermilk," as well as my usual bowl of snails and a yummy pastry.

I have been reluctant to take pictures of places with people and day-to-day things -- it seems so intrusive and paparazzi-like -- but today I took some pictures in a food market, which included interesting items like a camel head (I did not take pictures of other gruesome things, such as, what the lungs of a sheep look like when they are still attached to the inside of the rib cage, but nothing else is). And speaking of animals, interestingly today two or three different men approached me, not for the usual questions of whether I wanted a guide, or a tour of their store, or a good restaurant, but rather whether I wanted a "good massage with a woman." Needless to say, I declined.

Late in the afternoon I made my way up to a hill overlooking the entire Medina. There are some ruins that are a favorite spot for sunset (and sunrise) viewings, but also a five-star hotel with a grandiose terrace. I splurged and got a drink so I could sit down and enjoy the view -- a whopping 70Dh for a mediocre Gin and Tonic. Dinner was less than 20Dh.

Overall it was a great day. Lots of sight-seeing, including a few really cool buildings (two Medrassas were particularly fascinating), lots and lots of Minarets, souks, food stalls, and of course Babs (doorways, as in, to get into the Medina walls). The tanneries were just as interesting (and smelly) as the guidebook suggested. Looking forward to another day of exploration tomorrow.