Hammams and HaDads

New Year's Eve Party

On New Year’s Eve, our riad had a party. The party started after a fancy dinner that we did not attend. There was a bar set up in the patio and people stood around and chatted. We mostly talked to the owners and their 14-year-old daughter. There was a Moroccan percussion band, including a cute drummer with Down’s syndrome, that played periodically throughout the night and everyone danced around while they chanted and drummed. It was really fun to dance with the band members and the workers who were so excited to get a chance to party. The music went on into the early morning, so it was difficult to sleep, but it was great to start 2011 in Fez.

Cave

On Saturday, a driver took out us into the countryside for a tour. We first stopped at a waterfall and then got a view of the city from above. It was really fun to walk around the medina there – I’m pretty sure we were the only non-Moroccans in the whole town at that time. Things were much cheaper there than in the big cities. I bought dried mint tea for 2 dirham, and Josh had paid 50 dirham for twice as much in an herbal shop. Then the driver took us to another town that was very rural. We visited people who live in a cave. There are literally foam pads lining the stone wall that people sleep on. There was an old lady who made us tea and also carried a water bucket on her head. She wrapped a sheet around my head and had me try to steady the bucket on my head. I did it…with her support.

When we got back to Fez, we relaxed for a little while and had Moroccan bread and jelly for lunch. Then we headed back out into the medina that was actually open that day. I loved it! There were endless shops and so much energy in the streets. I think the social life in Morocco is really good, as people seem to just hang out in the streets all day. This includes the children who are running and playing all the time. I think I pointed out every cute kid in Fez to my parents. Unfortunately, one decided to follow us and beg for money for about 10 minutes. We finally got rid of him but ran into him again in an hour, and he begged some more. Josh had told us that we weren’t supposed to give kids money because their parents are ashamed if they find out their kids got the money from foreigners. We shopped around for a while and bought more scarves and postcards. At the end of the stroll, we got sucked into yet another rug store, and my dad ended up buying a very pretty one. The rug seller spoke Spanish much better than English so at least I got to practice my Spanish during the entire selling process. When we were walking through the streets, I got several offers for a Moroccan husband. The best I got was a guy who walked us back to our riad for free (even though we were not lost) and then offered me 400 camels and 6 houses to marry him. Not too shabby. Right now, I have 0 camels and 0 houses and 0 husbands, so I believe that constitutes an upgrade. If Spain and America don’t work out, I know I can always go back to Moroccan and find myself a mate. Hopefully, he won’t make me wear a headscarf, though. I’m not sure all of my hair would fit under one of those.

We had all scheduled hammams for that night at our riad. A hammam is the Moroccan version of a Turkish bath with lots of steam and a scrub down. We went down to the steam room and boiled in there for a long time. The attendant poured warm water on us, which felt good for a while but eventually I was just too hot. It was really difficult to communicate with her, so she thought my treatment was just the steam room. After I showered and put my robe back on (because she instructed me to do so), I tried to tell her that I wanted the full treatment of an exfoliation and mask. She eventually understood me and sent me back into the steam room. Then she changed her clothes and brought me into the scrub down room. There, she took a rough glove and exfoliated my entire body. I’m pretty sure she exposed a whole new layer of skin. After rinsing me off, she put a mask on my body that smelled and tasted delicious. It was made with honey. I relaxed in the steam room for a while more before showering and feeling my perfectly smooth skin. The treatment was not what I expected – we had heard that they use a traditional black soap and I expected it to be more of a mud bath. Luckily, I had bought some black soap and a glove in a store so I’ll be doing that to myself everyday. Ask to feel my arms sometime.

My dad and I ate dinner at the hotel that night. It was good, but not as incredible and unique as the first night. That morning, the owner had asked us if we wanted anything special that night and my dad said couscous. I am pretty sick of couscous at this point, so I protested, but, low and behold, that is what they served that night. I was pretty flattered that he took our request. It was very yummy but unfortunately, an unexpected piece of fatty lamb was not so tasty. The rest of the meal was good but unnecessary after all the food we had eaten that week. After dinner, we packed up all our clothes and gifts and got some sleep before our early morning departure the next morning. Now I am in the Madrid airport, waiting for our delayed connecting flight to Lisbon. Morocco was truly otherworldly and I loved Fez, but I’m excited to go back to civilization again. Maybe I’ll meet a Portuguese businessman instead of a guy with too many camels.

Update: We made it to Lisbon after hours of delays, but the hotel is awesome and it is time for sleep!