Day 7 - Fez

Went for an amble through what used to be the old Jewish quarter today - the mellah in Fez el-Jdid. It was very much away from the tourist traps of the main medina - Fes el-Bali, which we toured yesterday - and consisted largely of markets selling consumer items for the local population. That said it wasn't without its fair share of touts.

I am finally beginning to realise the true importance of hiring a guide, whether official or not. Though having someone to show you around is all fine and good, their true value is that they keep the touts at bay, though of course the guides will always lead you to certain stalls, shops and restaurants that they have an arrangement with. The restaurant touts can be particularly annoying. Its almost as bad as walking down Lygon Street.

On the subject of touts, it is amazing how accurate the guide books are. The old city seems to have more than its fair share of 'students' who 'live' in the Medina, usually 'studying English', who are very keen to show you around, only to accuse you of being 'paranoid' (or worse) when you decline their offer. Perhaps one or two of them are genuine, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I will credit the touts with having quite a network though, this morning when I went for a stroll by myself I was approached by a carpet salesman who asked me where the other Australian and Swedes were.


For lunch Tim and I took our lives, or at least intestinal well being, in our hands and ate some 10 dirham (a little over an Aussie dollar) sandwiches from a hole-in-the-wall vendor. First, you select your filling from the piles of raw meat gently glistening in the sun, then the vendor digs out some dodgy coloured meat from the bottom of the pile and puts it on a plate and then onto the grill. He then puts the salad ingredients on that same plate before putting them in the bread. The now cooked meat is put back on the plate before being stuffed into the sandwich and handed to you. You then sit on the roof top terrace of your hotel eating your sandwich, admiring the view and trying to remember the extent of the hospital coverage your travel insurance provides you.

After lunch we went for a walk along a ridge to the north of the city to some old ruins whose origins no one seems particularly sure of. The weather today is a vast improvement on yesterday and we have sweeping views of the city and surrounding mountains from the ruins, which we share with a goat herder and his charges.

View of Fez from the ruins (Photo: Mills)

We eat dinner at one of the restaurants near the gate tonight. The food is alright, though not spectacular. Of course when you are paying the equivalent of £3 for three course plus tea you can't get too picky. What really makes this a good place to eat is its terrace. While our hotel terrace and the terraces of other restaurants give great views of the city and mountains this one is lower down. It looks out over the stalls of the local produce market where the locals do their food shopping. It is a great place to watch the locals go about their lives without anyone trying to sell us a carpet.

Tonight we had a couple of beers with the Swedes in a bar attached to one of the larger hotels. It is my first taste of Moroccon beer and it isn't too shabby, all things considered.