Ok, so in attempt to register the mass quantities of photos, lessons, and memories that Lucy and I have accumulated in the past two weeks in Morocco, some of it will be in the form of lists. We began our journey in Fez, traditionally the artisanal capital of Morocco, and rightfully so. Everywhere we turned we witnessed breathtaking handcrafted works of leather, pottery, wood, and metal, not to mention the mystifying carpets hanging on every wall in sight. It is difficult to say with place we liked most of all that we visited, but I can say for sure that I am thrilled to have started our journey in Fez, and I would return to our riad and fassian friends tomorrow if I had the chance.
Here are some useful bits that we learned in Morocco (specifically in Fez).
1) the Lonely Planet moroccan arabic book is like gold. The locals are very enthusiastic to find that you are interested to learn arabic and will eagerly teach you new words and phrases before you can even ask for help.
2) Speak french and say you are married. While most people speak english, french is preferred and helps you to momentarily avoid discussion of problems associated with the anglophone world. While wearing wedding bands did not help us avoid catcalls, the statement of having a boyfriends or husband helped to deter advances of the unwanted nature.
3) DO NOT follow the people that offer you guides. They will more than likely rip you off and not show you good places of interest (mostly just the places you would have found on your own). You can do fez without a guide and get a better deal doing it that way. Less hassle.
DO follow people that want to help you find your destination. They are very useful and usually very nice. Most often they want to show you their family restaurant (which is good to know about), or the place where their family practices their craft. They might even tell you some useful history about the area. You do not need to tip them if you do not feel that the detour was worth it, but they do appreciate it. Even if you do not tip them, but are very gracious about their help, they take it with a grain of salt, and always wish you "Bienvenue en Maroc" ("Welcome to Morocco").
4) DO NOT go into a rug shop unless you want to buy an overpriced rug. While Lucy and I learned invaluable information about the different rugs manufactured in Morocco, we were a bit put-off when they refused to let us leave without "offering our best price" and were called liars in the end when we told them we only had a certain amount of money to spend for the rest of the trip. We later gained an orange from the experience, which is entirely a different story for another time.
5) Eat everything!!!!!! While we ate at Restaurant Fassi in the Medina every night, we tried something different each time and were never disappointed. Pastilla is a traditional sweet/savory chicken pie from Fez and is best at Restaurant Fassi (we tried it again in Essouira, and determined that it was best in Fez). In Marrakech we adapted to calling it a "chicken doughnut" after hearing it referred to as such by some friends from the Bronx that we met at the hostel. 6) Buy KILOS of mandarins and bring them back to france. We paid between 3 and 7dh (30-70 euro centimes) per kilo and they never failed to be the best ones we had ever eaten.
7) Visit the Tanneries (the big ones) and buy a pair of super comfy babouches. They are the traditional moroccan slippers/shoes for both indoor and outdoor use. Buy them at the tannery because they are the best quality but be sure to bargain for them. If you are hard, you can get them for 100dh (10 euros). You dont need to tip the saleman if he shoes you around the tanneries and workshops and spends copious amounts of time helping you find the perfect pair of babouches (as he did with us), but you can if you want. 50dh is generous.
8) You do not need a taxi to take you up to the ramparts. We walked. Twice. Try to walk thru the junkyard. It leads past some other tanneries and some cool hides drying in the sun (and a very welcoming workman that will gladly give you directions and take a picture for you) and is a great panoramic view of the city. (You also dont need a taxi to the bus station if you want to take the bus somewhere. We walked and it took 5 minutes. Fez is small).
9) Buses; CTM is the typical bus for tourists because it is clean and timely, but you can take the regular bus for 10 euros with locals and have an interesting experience. If you take the regular bus, expect people to sit next to you, talk to you for the duration of the trip, and tell you about their personally guided tour to some picturesque place where their family lives. Lucy and i took the bus a few times and it wasn't bad, but one time it was pouring outside and thus raining inside the bus as well.
10) The Nouvelle Ville isnt much to be seen in Fez or elsewhere, so stick to the medina. Better atmosphere and safer.
11) Stay in riads and ask to watch them make the traditional mint tea. They will most likely teach you. It is the stamp of "Moroccan hospitality," and is offered everywhere you go. Most of the time, they ask you whether you want it with or without sugar, and not whether or not you want it. I was immediately hooked on this "Berber whisky" (the mint tea; alcohol is strongly frowned upon in Islam, but this tea is just as addictive). I The woman at Riad Hala taught us how to make it. I believe we will be going through withdrawal for quite some time until we can get our hands on some deliciously fresh mint.
12) Buy almonds and other nuts, being as they are cheap in Morocco. Expect to pay 50dh the kilo for good almonds. Do not pay 4 euros for 1/2 a kilo like I did. We did get free raisons with the bunch, many photos, and a detailed description of each of the spices offered by the vendor, so the 4 euros was more than worth the education.
13) If you are with someone else (preferably a man) don't be afraid to take vendors up on their offers to show you the workspace. We got to see people handcrafting products, and then had tea with the vendor. We also came back later for traditional music, and even met his mother.
We stayed at RIAD HALA in the old medina. It cost 20 euros per nite or something, but was worth EVERY PENNY. They had the best breakfast we ate in all Morocco, and even found us a discounted trip to the desert via the jewelry vendor next door, Muhammed, who runs trips to Merzouga. We paid 70euros each for 1 day and nite in a hostel in the desert with food and entertainment, and 1 day and nite in the dunes riding camels and sleeping in tents. The hostel outside of Merzouga was called Lahamada.
Riad Hala
156 Derb Lakram, Talaa Kebira, Fez
tel +212 05 35 63 86 87
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