Fes - 10-29-08

Hi,
We have arrived in Fes to one of the most beautiful Hotels on our trip - Riad Dar Dmana.

We were delivered to the Medina - city in the residential area which looks a lot like the winding streets of the other cities. Narrow, no more than 5 feet across. No motorcycles but donkeys carrying large packs. Donkeys, by the way, have the right of way. We wound around several blocks turning right and left in hallway type streets to our hotel. You would never know from the outside doorway that such a lovely place was within.

About 20 of our group stayed here. The rest of our co-travelers stayed in an even more upscale place. The rooms in our hotel are not numbered, but have names. Ours is Radia. It is a long suite that has an L shaped sofa filled with pillows, king size bed and interesting furniture adorned with brass upholstery buttons trimming the edges. There is a walk-in closet next to the bath which is big enough to have a party. The colors are rich rust and cream. It is delightful.

The room on the third floor over looks the court yard. Breakfast and dinner are served with table cloths, embroidered napkins and stacks of pretty dishes in burgundy and navy that are filled with delightful soups and meats and fruits.

This is living.

We went to the mountain today to look down on Fes. It is a city built like a bowl filed with rings of commerce, homes and the like. There are miles and miles of these labyrinth type narrow streets more like walkways or alleys with no auto traffic. Our guide wound us around the food markets piled high with dates, oranges, avocados, camel heads, live chickens, sides of meat (goat or lamb) hanging off a hook. You name it is was there in tiny little shops and doorways. If you heard which I temporarily forgot something like Barlak you moved close to the wall as the Donkey was coming through packed with wears and goods to be delivered to the shops. Stan would say here, comes some ass.

We followed all the way to the tanneries and walked up a dark staircase through several crowded tiny rooms filled with leather goods to an overlook to see the men tanning leather. There were hundreds of vats about 6 foot across that men were stomping leather knee deep in some solution to tan and then dye the leather. It was a bit smelly, but they gave us a sprig of mint to keep the odor from being offensive. This is suppose to be the worst job in the world next to crab fishing in Alaska, according to our guide Ali.

We bought a few things and then shopped in earnest for a leather coat for Stan. Once we thought we reached a good price, it had to be verified by the supervisor. You would have thought I was bargaining for a used car in Colorado, the only place Americans get screwed by bargaining. Ali was waiting at the cashier. Keep in mind this is low tech and the cashier was an Arab women shouting at him at the top of her lungs and him in return back, as he helped one of our co-travelers with their purchase. Once he found out our great price more shouting back and forth and we paid $30 less. It’s all good fun.

Ali continued our walk through the Medina and we ducked our head through a couple of doors to an open courtyard. This was Ali’s home as a child. We meet his mother who is probably in her 80's. His wife served tea, cookies and dates to all 33 of us. His little boy Ryan age 14 months was walking around playing with the visitors. It was a delight.

We stopped off at the weavers den where men sitting at ancient looms were pulling ropes to drive the shuttle back and forth through the warp thread. Great scarves and other fabrics were stacked along the walls.

More walking, still no one lost in this maze of streets and path ways. We stopped for lunch in a typical Moroccan restaurant. There was a tea master who prepared the tea. We started off with 15 or so plates of salad type items; olives, tomato with cucumber and onions, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, hot pepper salsa (really hot), eggplant, spinach. We were pretty much stuffed from those things. Then they brought the main course. Stan had meat balls and egg with flavorful sauce. I had couscous and vegetables. There was also chicken with lemon or almonds. The meal was topped off with a large platter of fresh oranges and grapes.

We decided to rest this afternoon instead of more shopping and found this great internet shop down the street from the hotel with an English keyboard. For an hour and 10 dirhams ($1.25) I can type type, type, type.

I wanted to check my email as John, my son, and his wife Rachel are having their baby today 10-29-08. It’s their first child, gender unknown, and our first grandchild. No baby yet, but they are waiting at the hospital now for the doctor to speed things along.

Move later.

For my cousin Jack - Here is a list of cities and highlights
Casablanca
Hotel – Hotel Suisse
Hassan II Mosque
Marrakech
Hotel – Ryad Mogador Opera
Bahia Palace
Saadian Tombs
Menara Basin
Koutoubia Mosque
Djeman el-Fna – large square
Chez Ali – Dinner / Horse show
Essaouira
Fishing village with great wood carving
Berber Village
I Min Tanoute (Nearby village)
Day in a life with of a Berber
Ouarrazate – High Atlas Mountains
Hotel – Kasbab Ait Ben Haddon
Known a film center for major movies such as
Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth Gladiator
Through Tichka Pass
Tingher - Todra Gorges
Hotel Kasbah Tinzini Hotel
Road of 1,000 kasbabs
Kasbahs of Taourit and Tifoulout
Erfoud - Sahara Desert
Middle Atlas Mountains
Azrou - home stay

Mcknes short city tour
Arabian / Barbari Horse breeding center
Fes
Hotel – Riad Dar Dmana
Tour of Medina – shopping area
Restaurant Asman – in heart of medina, best food in Morocco
Fes El-Jdid – Royal Palace
Volubilis short walking tour
Ancient Roman ruins – 2000 years old
Rabat short city tour
Capital city – King’s residence
Casablanca
Hotel Suisse
Rick’s Cafe
NY to Boston