A New Year's Fez

The Ceramics Cooperative

We woke up way too early again this morning for a full day in Fez. I preferred the whole sleeping-in thing we were doing until the last two days. We had a delicious breakfast of yogurt with dried fruit, Moroccan breads with endless spreads, mint tea, and fresh OJ. I was stuffed by the end of it, as usual.

We waited outside our hotel at 9 am to meet the guide we had set up the day before. He came around the corner a little after and was incredibly relieved because there were three streets in Fez with the same name as ours. That just proved how much we needed a guide to navigate the city. We got in his car to go see a panorama of the city but stopped first at a pottery cooperative. It was really cool to see the whole process of how they make the pottery and tiles that line this city. We only intended to stay for a few minutes but ended up staying for an hour to see every step of it and make the decision of what to buy. My parents ended up getting a beautifully painted giant vase.

In the Medina

Then we drove a little further to see a panorama of the whole city, which was really pretty from above. After that, we walked through the medina and saw various sites in Fez. I much preferred walking through Fez over Marrakech because there are no motorbikes or cars in the medina – just some donkeys. It is also a lot less touristy than Marrakech. Today was Friday, which is the day of big prayer for Muslims, so many things were closed or closed early, so we didn’t get to see all of the shops. But we definitely got a gist of the city – it is still totally unlike anywhere I’ve been before and anywhere I would want to live, but the people seem friendly. I am in love with the little Moroccan kids – they are absolutely adorable. My dad thinks the well-dressed Spanish kids are cuter but I’ll go for the grungier Moroccan children playing in the streets. We spent a long time in co-ops today with people showing us their products and trying (usually successfully) to get us to buy their goods. We spent way too long in a rug co-op, but the tannery was interesting despite the terrible smell. Luckily, they gave us mint leaves to stick up our noses to help calm the stench. We had lunch at a spot where all the guides take their tour groups, but the food was decent and very filling. Eventually, we parted with our guide after making plans to see the countryside and more of the city tomorrow. Then my parents bought me a pretty scarf, and we got a whole demonstration on argan oil, so we had to buy some of that too.

The Tannery

Tonight, there is a party in our hotel so I’m hoping that will be a fun way to celebrate New Year’s Eve. I miss all my friends who are getting their party on in Boston, but I’ll survive with some couscous and Moroccan adventures (apparently the male chef here is an incredible belly dancer). ;)