Aug 18 – In Fes

The nightlife in Fes under our window was as happening as that in Chaouen, and resulted in poor rest. I guess afternoon siestas translate to less sleep overall at night, so the noise in the streets ends very late and starts unbelievably early. There was no air conditioning though, so closing the windows was not really an option.

Because we stayed at budget hotels and hostels the whole way, there was never air con. We were ecstatic if the place had clean, draining showers (hot water wasn’t actually an issue for me, since I preferred cool showers after being so hot all day) and clean ‘Western-style’ toilets (TP and handsoap were also welcome, but we learned not to expect either). More bonus points if we did not have to share these toilets and showers with the rest of the establishment. If we were lucky, the rooms came with electrical plugs where cameras and batteries could be recharged. Electricity is expensive – rooms are poorly lit with bare bulbs, and they are anal about turning lights off when you leave a hallway, bathroom, bedroom etc. Stores remain unlit until customers enter. My camera ran out once after we stayed in the same hotel sans electricity in Marrakesh for four nights. There was only TV once, at the most expensive hotel we stayed in the final night (but still no AC).

The view from our hotel in Fes was quite nice though. We were across the street from a beautiful old madrissah, and through the grating on our window we could see a series of old-style stained glass windows. I showed a closeup of the carvings above the door of the madrissah earlier.

This was our first hotel with no included breakfast, so we wandered into the streets uncertain of what to expect. We do not have to spend long looking, as the hawkers are working the streets even in the morning. “Breakfast? We have crepes with honey!” Sounded good to us! These weren’t classic French crepes, but a local yellow, greasy, somewhat chewy flat pancake, close in texture and thickness to the Chinese green-onion pancakes. Smothered in a thin honey and washed down with mint tea, they made an excellent breakfast.

The plan for the day was to hire a guide for a half-day to show us the major sites, then grab some lunch and go shopping on our own.

Next - Aug 18 – Guided Tour of Fes