** MOROCCO BOUND **
This is the 15 August 2003 Edition of
this page.
CHAPTER TWO
The town of FES
My PLAN for my Tour to Morocco was as shown in the PLAN, so I wouldn't arrive at Fes
until 20 October! I would leave on 22 October!!
After several awakenings overnight, I started to move and think about getting up at 5.40 am on the
20th October (in the year 2000) - then I quickly got back into bed again! However, I was UP at
6.00 am, getting washed and ready for the day ahead. After such a HOT night, the BIDET came
into good use at 6.25 am..
At 6.45am, I went to the breakfast room which overlooked PRIVATE (?) beaches for a wonderfully
filling Buffet - before being back in my room by 7.31 am..This was in time for a French woman doing
'alarm calls' over the phone. I am sure she was only a recorded-voice because when I said "Merci bien"
there was no response!
I put my case outside my door (at 7.36am) for its later collection and loading and then took two photos
of the private(?) beaches from my own balcony at 7.38am.. I an now thinking of a promenade by the
beaches.
On taking that walk by the whole length by the 'private' club - the promenade being in the centre
of a 'dual-carriageway' - I realised that in two places there was 'private access' to the beaches. I took
the more Easterly of them and walked across the beach (a lovely sandy one, but too dry for sand-castle
building) to the sea here in Tangier and then progressed westwards to the other exit. It could be hot and
insect-infested later in the day, but NOW it was free from them!!
Back in my room at 8.17am, I got my case and placed it outside the room for collection - and then
opened my door-window to the balcony for ventilation and writing further notes. We'll be off to FES
this morning. There was some 'case removal' problem this morning - but I got the 'lift' downstairs at
8.45 am.. Before leaving on the route for FES, the coach did a tour of the exciting sites, beaches and
scenes around TANGIER. I took some photos and we were given a photostat copy of relevant bits
of map of MOROCCO. We headed down the West Coast, stopping at BRIECH for a refreshment
stop (and toilets) and then we motored further on to LARACHE for a lunch-stop.I chose a Shrimp
Omelette.
It was, surprisingly, rather green and lush ALL the way to FES - NOT as desert-like as I had expected!!
En-route, at SIDI KACERN, we stopped for afternoon coffee and 'the gents'. When we got to our hotel,
there was yet another 'form-to-fill-in, which the Moroccan authorities (or, at least, their hotels) seem
overkeen on!! Eventually, I got settled-in in my room (No 251) the cases and other paraphernalia arriving
by 17.30hrs.. We were given a 'welcome drink' ( more like garden weeds and flowers in warm water!!).
This, it turns out, is their legendary MINT TEA!!
The coach journey from Tangier to Fes was about 170 miles, but the evening trip to see the
belly-dancer etc was virtually zero! (Just round the corner!!) Before our evening departure, I
just browsed some TV channels before going out onto my balcony to get cooked!! ('Tis
HOT here!) Not only hot, but DARK too! It was reasonably pleasant as it overlooked the
POOL. I planned to take a few photos here tomorrow. Right now, I noticed by the noise
on the pool's surface, it had started to rain. I found the corridors (to avoid the rain) leading
eventually to the foyer. From there, I followed others by an 'undercover route' to a side-lounge
with a Moroccan Band and a belly dancer! So this is where it all happens!!
However, the meal and the 'dancer' were both 'crap' - although the company was quite good.
Initially, I chatted with an American couple and then a Canadian couple. It is a good mixable
crowd here. We invented stories about a mysterious male newcomer to our lounge - and his
possible relationship to the dancer and his TWO lady-friends. More MINT tea ended a
rather indifferent meal. Eventually we drifted away from the gathering, in ones, then couples,
then larger numbers back to our own individual rooms. I reached mine at 22.00 hrs, and
had some of my medications (at least, those that I'd brought with me!) before bed.
After most of the night's 'cat-napping' whilst thinking of the modifications and contents of the
walking.htm additions & creations on this web-site, I got up at 6am. and prepared for my
interesting day afound FES.
Motoring around FES was done in the pouring rain, going through the winding streets of MEDINA
the walled city, the courtyards, mosques, workshops and bazaars. We visited a CARPET SALE (just
for the women?) - but it got us out of the rain!! Several of the women spent hundreds of pounds, dollars,
etc - from whatever Country they came from, their prices including SHIPMENT back to their
home address anywhere in the World! All rather boring for us men!!
Apart from the CARPET sales, there were also silver and gold craftsmen with their workshops (and
their sales-places). After that is was back to the hotel. Our guide said (en route) that "You have brought
the first ran for THREE years - and the 'growers' certainly needed it!!". We had pouring rain the whole time.
BERBER VILLAGE
Back at the hotel, I bought a "Pizza Marguerita" for 50Dhms. In the afternoon, I caught the coach, and
this time I was to visit the BERBER VILLAGE of BHAHLIL which was a few miles outside FES. There,
we met the great 'character' MOHAMMED, apparently the only educated one in the village of 40000
persons. He had translated the KORAN into German - and he still lives in this cave way up in the hills. He
prepared for us multiple 'Mint-Tea-Welcomes' - and although his English was 'not too good', his sense of
humour came across well! [We learned virtually nothing about the Berbers - but heck of a lot about this
guy!]. After we left his cave and his relations, we called on a china-clay factory (with ceramics!) where they
did a very-poor-presentation if the quite dark, quite unsafe environment - and it was really a WASTE of
time and effort.
Back at the hotel in the evening - we had a buffet-style evening meal [which was OK but not brilliant!]
EMail to:
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Advance to Marrakech part of the journey
or
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of books etc either finished or under preparation.
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