Morocco

Asilah

Asilah is a pleasant, whitewashed town located on the northern Atlantic Coast of Morocco not far from Tangier. Supposedly there are a couple of really nice beaches nearby, but seeing that (1) I just spent the past few weeks in the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas and (2) it’s a little odd to prance around in a little bikini in a Muslim country, I decided to pass. Instead, we found a nice little Spanish restaurant to have lunch at and walked around the town’s Medina for the remainder of the afternoon. Dinner was typical Moroccan fare – salad and tangine (meat and vegetable stew). The food was great, except for the fact that there was twice as much food as we actually ate, if not more.

We also visited the Thursday souq, which had everything from clothing to food...obviously the food section was the most interesting, with piles and piles of fresh vegetables, fruits, olives, and bread.

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Tangier

The following day we went in to Tangier where we planned to lunch and then wander around the much-larger medina. Learning from our lesson the night before, we ordered one set lunch and all shared it – harira (a thick soup with chickpeas, tomato, herb, and spices) and couscous (with meat and vegetables). Despite our efforts, we still were unable to finish all the food. The best part of the meal was the live music being played. After lunch, we attempted to visit what used to be the sultan’s riad but is now a museum. By attempted to visit, I meant that we attempted to find it ourselves. Unfortunately, we were accosted by a man who “works for the tourist office” which had “just closed”, but he was hanging around “to help the tourists so that they don’t get lost”. Yeah…right. And the way we were going “the wrong way” and was “just a parking lot”. Unfortunately it is hard to get rid of someone who happens to be walking the same direction you are already headed in.

He did get us to the museum though, where he lingered… We entered, not even sure if we were at the right museum (we were), barely looking at the exhibits and instead worrying about exiting to still find our “friend”. My cousin and I decided that the best course of action would be to follow some other tourists out of the museum…so we stalked a few tourists around the museum. Luckily, it was all for naught (the stalking, I mean) because our “friend” was no longer lingering outside.

We were however, still faced with finding our way out of the medina with only 45 minutes before our taxi was arranged to pick us up. Hmm… If you have been to Morocco, you can probably understand why I said “only 45 minutes”. Medinas are filled with narrow lanes that twist and turn in no discernable order. To get “lost” in the medina is not a difficult task. Luckily, we looked foolish enough staring at our Lonely Planet guidebook and attempting to find a given street name on the map (made difficult by maps lacking the vast majority of street names) that two little boys offered to “help” us. Normally this would be something I avoid, but given the situation, I happily accepted. For a few Dirhams, they led us out in about 10 minutes (I am sure that it would have taken us the entire 45 minutes at a minimum to find our way though the maze.

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Fez

For years, I have wanted to visit Fez. Perhaps I should not have chosen to visit at the beginning of the summer… This tale begins with a 4-hour train ride, in a train that was nothing like what I had imagined them to be. I had read that the trains were very much similar to those in Europe, and in fact, the train that arrived at the Asilah train station going in the opposite direction looked like those in Europe. Our train, however was nothing like that one. There were no windows. Or rather there were, but most of them were broken and thus did not open and the ones that did open, provided about an inch or two of air. All you could do was hope that the train would turn so that the door to the train car would slide open, creating a short hint of a breeze. That did not happen very often. I think pretty much everyone on the train went through a package of tissue trying to wipe the sweat off (trying being the key word). After a very long four hours, we finally arrived in Fez.

Fez in the summer is not pleasant. And of course, much like the rest of the world suffering from unusual weather patterns, this summer seems to be particularly warm (perhaps I should say hot). Our first night, we checked the weather only to learn that that day, the temperature had climbed to 44°C, which is equivalent to 111°F. Sweet. The weather forecast for our second day was equally hot. Really, there is nothing like maneuvering around the crowded medina of Fez when it is 111°F -- while wearing long pants and shirts since we are, after all, in a Muslim country. We managed not to get lost (not really) in the medina, and only had to stop and ask directions twice. We learned all about Berber rug- and blanket-weaving from a co-op located in the medina (which was really interesting) and had a view of the rooftops from the middle of the medina.

In true Africa-fashion, we had some setbacks at our chosen riad (a broken air-conditioner in one room and a broken toilet in the other) that seemed unfixable, so we booked it to another hotel for our last night in Fez. Like every other audible made thus far on this trip, this decision proved to be the correct one. If anyone should venture to Fez, it is worth the money to stay at Riad le Calife. The husband and wife owners just finished renovating the riad 8 months ago, and the detail they put into it is evident once you step inside.

kl.