But to me that pretty much sums up what Moroccos is all about. A country that evokes such a contrast in emotions. I went from loving it, to hating it almost on an hourly basis.
Moroccan souks always seemed so exotic. So foreign! People in strange dresses and stores selling strange things. I knew right away I’d love them.
The souks of Fes is what I always imagined Morocco to be: a frontal assault on the nose, the eyes, and the ears. Here are my thoughts and tips for visiting Fes, which I enjoyed so much more than Marrakech.
Staying in a riad is definitely something you have to do when traveling to Morocco. We were so amazed by the beauty of our riad (Riad Al Moussika) and so pampered by the attention that the staff gave us – it will be really hard to go back to staying in hostels.
Took me 2 weeks to gather up the courage to go a hammam (read here if you’re not sure what a hammam is) in Morocco. Being naked in public has never been on my “Things I’m Dying to Do in Morocco” list. It was more like on my “Things I Still Might Not Do Even I Ever Got Bored Enough” list.
Going camel trekking in the desert has been something I’d dreamed of doing for many, many years. And finally, here in Morocco, I had a chance to make it happen. It didn’t turn out quite how I had imagined. (Most things never do).
I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but after the cramped alleys of Fez, the open desert horizon was disconcerting.
Seriously, Chefchaouen is the most photogenic city we’ve ever been in. And I’m not saying that only because the houses in Chefchaouen happens to be painted in shades of powder blue which happens to be our favorite color.
The first thing we noticed about the ruins of Chellah in Rabat is not the ruins itself, but the friendly community of resident cats who greeted us on the path towards the ruins.
To greet and cuddle every single one of these cats, as one can imagine, makes for a very slow going. But as animal lovers (who miss having cats terribly), how could we not do it? Unless some of the cats in the medina, these ones look like they’re well taken care of. That fact alone makes us feel like our 10 Dirham entrance fee is worth it.
When I think of Morocco, I used to think of the madness and chaous of the souks of Marrakesh and the hassling touts in Fez.
Well, Rabat is nothing like that. We surely didn’t expect to walk out of the train station to find wide boulevards with palm trees, lined with imposing white buildings. Smartly dressed diplomats (it is Morocco’s capital after all) in suites mingle with traditionally clothed men and women on the wide sidewalks.