Sorry, I've gotten a little behind on my blog posting! Turns out there are not very many places in Morocco where you can get wifi (contrary to what most hotel and hostel websites claim), and since I returned to the UK it's been incredibly busy. So, for a quick catch up:
One more photo of Chefchaouen:
From Chefchaouen I hopped on a bus to Fez, one of the four Imperial Cities of Morocco. The Fez medina is absolutely crazy, except for on Fridays (the day I arrived, of course) when everyone is at the mosque and then goes home to make couscous with their families. At full pace, the medina is overwhelming, with shops and stalls lining the tiny streets selling everything from traditional Moroccan slippers emblazoned with the LV logo, skinned animal heads, black olive soap, leather poufs, nougat candies, etc... Everywhere you walk little boys shout at you that whichever way you're walking is "closed" and that instead you should follow them to the tanneries. There are hundreds of little twisting and turning streets that lead off to dead end alleyways or bustling squares, so even with a map it can be quite difficult to find your way around. It's definitely an experience, and quite different from any place I've been before!
One of the gates to enter the medina of Fez:
Dates for sale:
The most common mode of transport in the Fez medina:
The Fez tanneries:
Lamps for sale in Metalworkers' Square:
From Fez I took a train to Meknes, another one of the Imperial Cities, and caught a taxi (this time wise enough to buy myself 2 places) to the little town of Moulay Idriss. Moulay Idriss is not a tourist destination - I think the reason most people go there is because it's so close to the Roman ruins at Volubilis - but this quiet little town turned out to be one of my favorite places in Morocco. There's not too much going on, but after the energy and business of Fez, a more peaceful and less touristy few days were just what I needed. One of my favorite experiences of the entire trip was going to the local hammam (public bath) in Moulay Idriss, where I was scrubbed down very vigorously by the bath attendant and tried to chat with the local women using sign language. I also loved going to the ruins at Volubilis. I adore ruins in general, and I ended up visiting these ones twice, on the afternoon I arrived and then again the next morning! It was relatively uncrowded, especially when I went in the late afternoon, with a few tour groups that went through very rapidly and then pretty much no one else besides the local cowherd, grazing the cows among the less excavated parts of the ruins.
The town of Moulay Idriss:
Volubilis:
One of the ancient floor mosaics:
View from the ruins:
Another ancient mosaic:
Sunset at Volubilis:
After a lovely two days in Moulay Idriss, I took a taxi back to Meknes where I caught the Marrakech Express, which isn't actually named the "Marrakech Express" and which definitely isn't very express. Marrakech is an extremely vibrant city, especially around the Place D'Jemaa El-Fna. The square is full of women offering henna, snake charmers, storytellers, men with monkeys on leashes, dancers, rows of giant carts selling fresh squeezed orange juice or dates, and stalls selling couscous or fried fish or giant pots of snails. Especially at night, this is the place to be in Marrakech. I took a few photos, but nothing can really convey the experience.
I found this video which gives a little bit of an idea what it's like there. The only thing I didn't see that's in the video is the human pyramid type thing, but I did see this instead:
Doesn't look too exciting, but those things on the left side of the table are dentures and that large pile of small white things is human teeth!
While in Marrakech I also visited the Bahia Palace, which looks strikingly similar to the Alhambra in Granada (just smaller and without so many reflecting pools and gardens) and another Alhambra-lookalike, the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa, a Quranic school founded in the 14th century.
Finally, over a month after I left London, I hopped on an easyjet flight from Marrakech back to the UK. Since I got back to London, I've gone through Orientation with API, International Student Orientation at UCL, and New Student Orientation through my department. I'm all moved in, finally (long story!), and working on getting myself registered for the classes I want to take. Classes start next week and I'm really looking forward to getting settled in to a routine! More to come soon about UCL and life as a real London student.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
One more photo of Chefchaouen:
One of the gates to enter the medina of Fez:
The most common mode of transport in the Fez medina:
The Fez tanneries:
Lamps for sale in Metalworkers' Square:
The town of Moulay Idriss:
Volubilis:
One of the ancient floor mosaics:
View from the ruins:
Another ancient mosaic:
Sunset at Volubilis:
After a lovely two days in Moulay Idriss, I took a taxi back to Meknes where I caught the Marrakech Express, which isn't actually named the "Marrakech Express" and which definitely isn't very express. Marrakech is an extremely vibrant city, especially around the Place D'Jemaa El-Fna. The square is full of women offering henna, snake charmers, storytellers, men with monkeys on leashes, dancers, rows of giant carts selling fresh squeezed orange juice or dates, and stalls selling couscous or fried fish or giant pots of snails. Especially at night, this is the place to be in Marrakech. I took a few photos, but nothing can really convey the experience.
I found this video which gives a little bit of an idea what it's like there. The only thing I didn't see that's in the video is the human pyramid type thing, but I did see this instead:
Doesn't look too exciting, but those things on the left side of the table are dentures and that large pile of small white things is human teeth!
While in Marrakech I also visited the Bahia Palace, which looks strikingly similar to the Alhambra in Granada (just smaller and without so many reflecting pools and gardens) and another Alhambra-lookalike, the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa, a Quranic school founded in the 14th century.
Finally, over a month after I left London, I hopped on an easyjet flight from Marrakech back to the UK. Since I got back to London, I've gone through Orientation with API, International Student Orientation at UCL, and New Student Orientation through my department. I'm all moved in, finally (long story!), and working on getting myself registered for the classes I want to take. Classes start next week and I'm really looking forward to getting settled in to a routine! More to come soon about UCL and life as a real London student.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
