DAY 41- FES

Stayed in Fes again today (Its Fez for the hat and Fes ('Fess') for the city) and had a great day.

We started out by going to the Medina this morning, which literally translates to the Old City. People who live in these massive cities dont venture out and life is much as it was 1300 years ago when it was built. There are no cars only donkeys and carts.

We had local tour guides take us in in 2 smaller groups and just as well as it is so, so narrow compared to the grand bazaar in Istanbul. It is very skinny and even though the shops are really all shacks, you can only glimpse the sky. The smells are something else again. We started in the food market and OMG even me with a nurses stomach, felt squiffy as the pungent smells from everything you can imagine wafting through the alleyways! Saw live chickens stuffed into a cage on top of each other, some dying- didnt like that and got Graeme to delete the photo he took as it was awful to see.

Other than that you get your head around the donkeys being laden with supplies and they all have shoes on which at least is a plus. They yell "ballack ballack" as they come through meaning, 'attention,out of the way', as there is no room for people and donkeys at the same time. We were taken to the tannery to see the dyeing process of the leather- soaked in ammonia and urine (whose I do not know?!) and they gave us fresh mint leaves to sniff!

Then on to a carpet store and served fresh mint tea with sugar. Even though it was a tourist set up for sure, it was very interesting and of course we liked the traditional tribal antique carpets- woo- he, but at around $10,000 each, I think thats a no! But they were huge!

Then on to the caftans and olther muslims silks and cottons- gorgeous but too expensive and heavy to bring back so had to sit on our hands or we would have been walking home!

After 3 hours of the store owners being constantly in everyones face, it was good to go- although a great experience and Graeme got his Fez hat that he wanted from Fes! The guide bought it cheaper saying it was for himself then Graeme gave him the 5 euro for it! There were much dearer ones too I think....

Back to the hotel for lunch and then we did an optional to a small town where the Berber people still live in caves. The host - around 50 years old still lives in the cave he was born in. Amazing way of life and the older woman is his mother in law, who recently lost her husband but they all band together and care for each other.
She doesnt know how old she is and is always smiling. She let us take lots of photos which is great as some muslims wont let you- its a bit hit and miss.

A really amazing day of seeing things you will never see elsewhere! Lots of pics today cos there were so many amazing sights! Tomorrow we have to be up at 4.45am as we have a long day of travel and are riding the camels at sunset on the Sahara, so may not be able to post for a couple of days but will get some good photos Im sure!