Finally found a Morocco that I don’t like. The constant demands for cash. Everybody wants paying for anything, they interfere with you – parking, walking through the medina, looking for a restaurant – then act as though they made a life changing contribution that must be rewarded.
Also today, I upset a number of locals. They didn’t add value, and I refused to reward them.
Had one guy tell me he had a lot of lovely scarves, invited me to step into his shop. Turns out he didn’t even work there, he was trying to get commission from a tourist trap. They were quoting twice the prices elsewhere and had a worrying number of tourists buying overpriced tat.
I walked off and half an hour later found a quiet man, quoting half the price and confident his broad range would have something I’d want. His lack of hard sell got him three sales to me. I probably overpaid but still under a third of the other place, and I think the lady feeding my cats is going to be a very happy bunny 🙂
Speaking of cats Fes has even more than Marrakech. They’re loved and cared for too. Lots of water and food left in doorways for them and I saw one shopkeeper looking embarrassed at the small feline curled up asleep on him. That’s rare, only seen two sleeping cats the whole time – out of 200+. Right now I’m on a rooftop terrace in the medina having lunch with a mother and three kittens playing at my feet hoping for food.
Lunch is a traditional Moroccan kebab and chips with a mince and egg tangine. Since the other favourite food here is pizza I’m finding it easy to enjoy my meals. Chose this restaurant out of the 8 in this square because
– nobody handing me a menu and demanding I enter
– no white people in it
– several Moroccans eating lunch
Turns out there are two Chinese ladies upstairs but they’re mainly squealing any time a kitten wanders near. This is confusing the kittens.
The main medina in Fes is sort of interchangeable with the one in Marrakech, with similar stuff for sale. I think it may be a bit cheaper here and there’s more metalwork but the biggest difference is that Marrakech is anmorass of life and confusion and everything crammed together while fes has its tannery quarter, its metalwork quarter, the bit for carpets, etc. Far too organised!
The tannery quarter would’ve been interesting to see from a terrace but too much hard sell from the locals. They couldn’t comprehend just backing off and letting me do my thing. So I buggered off and did my thing elsewhere.
Hoping my itchy ankles aren’t feline provided fleas.
My ‘buy coffee only where men are sat outside’ rule continues to pay off. Paid 8 dhiram for the world’s darkest coffee in the middle of the medina, not a tourist within three streets/alleys. The locals seemed to accept me much more easily today – camera was hidden and I had a cardigan on covering my arms. It was near to that cafe that I had to stop and wonder if I’d heard correctly. Moroccans seem quick to anger, they spent 99% of their lives relaxed and smiling then switch from that straight into full on ranting at each other. Passed a house with the door half open, heard ranting inside. Two men having a robust discussion in Arabic. They’re wittering away, then ‘fucking bitch’ then straight back into Arabic.
Saw some less processed meat today. Sheep’s head, lying on the counter, a cow’s head somewhere else being chopped up to put on the counter, and a very unprocessed chicken squawking angrily at the person that just bought it. I heard a pathetic avian mewling at one point and looked down to find a turkey lying on the ground with its legs tied together. Can’t argue whether the food here is fresh – probably why despite the relative poverty nobody shows signs of malnourishment.
I’ve had enough though of souks and crowds. Took advantage of the clear blue skies to explore the mountain behind Fes and found all the fast Moroccans. They clearly save their pacey driving for the narrow roads with a 300 foot drop and no barrier. Still, if that mountain and its views are indicative of the Atlas mountain range passes I’ll be going through tomorrow it’s going to be a marvellous day. Just a slow one, I’ll have to keep stopping for photographs. Sort of hoping the passes don’t go above the snowline though, this kia isn’t going to make it.
Finally, some product placement: Buy Lowa walking shoes. Nearly 40km walked since leaving home on Friday and no blisters, no discomfort and no knee pain. File these in the ‘expensive but excellent value for money’ bucket. (Technically they’re Lowa Men’s Renegade III Gtx Lo Hiking Boots – the Lo bit makes them shoes, not boots).
Anyway, tomorrow I’m on a monkey hunt. I’ll let you know how it goes 🙂
Today’s Drive: