Fez- Sensory overload
Oh yes, the travelling life is one lesson learned after another. Like one of the most valuable lessons in Morrocco. Local buses hurt your bum, take twice as long, stop every twenty seconds to pick up, drop off, or litter on the country side and you get all those lovely bonuses for 5dirhms less than the cushy, plush reclining seats of the CTM. Just like my friend who invites you in for tea, Lesson learned. It was an experience though, not everyday do you get to see a guy narrowly get on the bus running beside waving a sickle madly only to get off in the middle of nowhere and just start walking off to some unknow destination. Morrocco is a freaking surreal experience in itself.
So the bus ride to Fez was long and hot, but filled with lots of lovely countryside and entertainment provided by the little towns we crossed and the people who were constantly getting off and on. Approaching Fez, you begin to wonder if there is a storm a brewing because a black cloud hovers over the city. Nope, rain wasn’t on the forcast, it is geuinue smog that layers the city and barely lets a peek of blue through unless you are really lucky in the morning.
I can’t blame it all on Fez though, the city is built in a valley between two mountains. Strategically for commerce and saftey it works out great. Enviornmently Fez is screwed. The exhaust from all the scooters, taxis, and buses of over one milloin people leave a black layer that hovers over the city, LA has nothing on this place.
The medina is a labyrinth consisting of 9,400 tiny alleys that twist and turn you until you have no idea how to get out; Your only hope is to follow the flow of people that will eventually end to some “main” throughway.
Also the streets are so narrow that the “medina taxis” mules and donkeys have to carry everything in and out of the Medina. Things like silk, skins, fur, veggies, cigarettes, soda… everything, really it is a crazy sight to behold.
The medina itself houses something like one third of the population of Fez, I swear all of them have a little shop of some kind. You can buy everything and aything your heart could ever desire. Too bad I don’t desire much, and the pressure to buy is everywhere, so I have decided to head on down to Meknes tomorrow. Hopefully to chill out relax a bit before making the plunge down south..
Tags: Morocco, Travel, travelling
jessica
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