After the train from Casablanca, we wandered around the old medina and shopped in the market until dark. I bought a lot of silly crap. Managed to find beer and wine in a hole-in-the wall shop and took it back to the hostel. Sitting on the porch under the stars drinking and telling jokes and stories will hopefully never be forgotten. Go Team Morocco!
Woke up the next day and wandered the Medina before entering the Kasbah. Based on local comments and third party observations, we definitely rocked this particular Kasbah. Sherif don’t like it. We did however get taken in by a rather slick and well-practiced hustler who promised to show us the way into the Kasbah, then rather nicely showed us around for two hours until, on the way out, saying that we could pay him whatever we wanted, “50 euro, 60 euro, 100 euro - whatever you want.” As no price was stated when we started, this took us by surprise and we left 40 euro lighter. Went back to the hostel and got our luggage to catch the 3 o-clock train to Fez.
Train was great until after the stop-over about 1/3rd of the way here. The next train we caught was ridiculously crowded and we walked through three train cars until we found even a place to stand. Met several nice people who invited us to stay in their homes; it’s usually a genuine and sincere offer but it’s come so quickly in the meeting process that sometimes we (westerners) feel that it must be a scam or a contrivance. Met a man and his sister who were travelling home and they were very nice and helpful with telling us which train to get on and which stop to get off at. They asked us to come see them and stay with them - even extending the invitation to years from now, “… when you come to visit us again.” Met a great drunk guy on the train who works in Dubai for Chevron, is in Mekenes to get married and then goes back in two weeks to work again, loves America and Texas and Obama but hates Bush and wanted us to come to his house so we could stay with him and his family and he would show us around. All of this in less than 10 minutes from introduction. Great fun - had us all in stitches.
Arrived in Fes after dark and had to fiercely haggle with a couple of taxis to get to the Medina for a fair price. Spent a while looking for Jade’s friends and then found Ignacio again and found a horrible little hostel to sleep in. Went to dinner in a Medina cafe and then went to a club called Mezzanine just outside the old city walls. Climbed up to the roof of this nearly empty club and ordered drinks under the stars. Great gin and tonics, good conversation and quite possibly the best atmosphere I’ve ever had in a club, and certainly the best since I’ve been overseas. Exclusive, chill and permissive - great house and trance with a distinctly Moroccan tone. Unforgettable.
Woke up at 4 AM to the loudspeaker on the mosque across the alley and the ‘call to prayer’.
