Slow Days in Fes

Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009--Fes (Continued)

It rained as I returned to the medina and my room. But it was clear again before I got there. Showers keep coming and going each day, but only occasionally being at a difficult time. I am carrying my umbrella, so I just whipped it out. It was interesting to see many local people hugging palm trees so that the few fronds at the top would keep the rain off them. The rain messed up my sandals, however. They are wearing out, and a rip allows water to get between the layers of rubber. Then those layers squeek as I walk--much like children's sneakers which are intended to squeek.

I stopped for soup again. There was a different man there this evening, and I was early enough that the big crowds had not formed. He spoke English very well and was so happy that I was buying his soup. He gave me a bigger portion than the man had given me the night before, asked where I was from, etc. To vary the meal a bit, I bought a baguette of bread rather than the flat bread to eat with it.

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009--Fes

I keep exploring the medina which is massive. There are wonderful pieces of architecture to be discovered. I am now confident enough to wander down the lesser-used streets and see what appears. Today, I found a deadend that was the entrance to a wonderful building. No one was there. I do not know what it was. But the tiled and carved walls were elaborate. The arches were beautiful. The doors with their paintings and hardware were impressive. Each day, I also pass the tanneries with their vats for coloring the leather. They can be smelled as one approaches. I also have started stopping and visiting with shopkeepers who stop me letting them know from the beginning that they should help a customer if one comes by, because I have no plans to buy.

I went into the city in the afternoon thinking I would go to the cyber cafe and maybe eat dinner after sunset. However, the cyber cafe closed at 17:30 and sunset was not until 18:32 tonight. It is officially marked by a canon being fired and the mosques screeming from their speakers. By then, I was bored with being in the center where nothing was open and had already walked back to the medina.

I searched for a place to buy something different. A few stands at the front of the medina had large flat breads that were sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon. I asked what they were. They told me there was chicken, vegetables and nuts inside. I bought one and noticed when I ate it that it was deep fried with a crispy crust. It had a bit of sweet and sour taste. I also bought some honey soaked triangular-shaped pastries that were filled with chopped almonds. I took them back to the pension to eat them in the lobby.

During my explorations, I had noticed that no one was smoking and thought maybe they had a ban on smoking to avoid fires which could be devastating in the old medina. But walking back to my room after the Ramadan canon had fired, everyone I saw was smoking. So smoking is apparently something else that is barred as a part of the fasting during the daytime hours of Ramadan.

There is a woman from France traveling with her grandfather and staying at my pension. She and I were visiting after I ate. Then a woman from South Africa came. She joined us. The pension is small and is not full, but people keep showing up each day.

I finished reading A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. Meant to be funny, I only found myself laughing aloud a few times. But it was an interesting story that was told well and was a fast read. I gave it 3 stars out of 4. I think I have read something else by him in the past.

Thursday, September 17, 2009--Fes

I intended to go to Meknes, another old city that is only 40 minutes away by train. But when I got to the station, it would have been almost two hours before the next train. I gave up on the idea. Maybe I will see about taking a bus tomorrow. Anyway, I came here to the cyber cafe to catch up on things since I didn't get to do everything planned when they closed early yesterday.

Will be leaving here on Saturday to go to Marrakesh. I am uncertain about the availability of computers. I will travel all day Saturday. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are holidays here due to the end of Ramadan, so my guess is that the cyber cafes will be closed. Therefore, this may be my last post before I get to Barcelona. If so, I won't be on a computer again before the 24th.