Eye Candy from Fes
Fes, Morocco is where I suggested looking beyond Marrakech. She also made a visit to Chefchaouen: The Blue City. My sis is making her way around Europe and Africa.
She says (via text)…
Hey Family heading back to Germany from Africa… few things I experienced/learned while in Morocco:
When shopping everything is negotiable (whether you are buying bread, fruit, perfume or clothes… everything is negotiable) if they start at $100, counter with $30, and work your way to somewhere in the middle that’s palatable for both.
Nothing is free (a few times we had folks offer to carry our bags or offer to show us to a location or offer to take us to a bus station…. Seems cute and kind especially when the kids do it… just know they will do so and ask for some absorbent amount of money for doing it $100.) Either decline the help altogether or give a small tip and tell them that’s all you have.
Google Maps is worthless in the Medina. This is the area where we stayed that had all the shops and restaurants, hammams, etc. The Medina is their version of downtown encompassing 9400 streets, alleyways, and underground passageways. It is a labyrinth-like area that is impossible to navigate. The first few days we paid guides to navigate us through the area so we did not get lost. The last night we attempted the maze ourselves and were able to make it to a restaurant for dinner and back to our hotel without too much of an issue. At night good luck… and be careful of those cute kids offering to help you find your way 🙃
Great Food. So cheap. These folks love to have a good meal and they enjoy quality dishes. The food takes time to cook because everything is always made to order. Most places didn’t even have a menu and your only choices were chicken, vegetables, or lamb. But it was fantastic all the same. A four-course meal would run you about $12.
Morocco is a very religious country; virtually everyone is a practicing Muslim. The Arabic words used to greet people and say goodbye translate to mean “Allah/God is Great” and “Allah/God willing I will see you again.”
Security at the airport was nonexistent. Probably the most lax international intercontinental travel I’ve ever done in my life. They hand-jammed my information on an index card that I could use as a boarding pass to get through security and immigration. At security, they didn’t even ask me to check my electronics or liquids. And even though I beeped when walking through the metal detector ( forgot to take off my watch) they waved me through unconcerned.
Cover Photo: True Sojourn
