To Fes

One of the best smells in Morocco: the piles of fresh mint that permeate the air. We passed mounds of heavy watermellons and slabs of dangling meat on our walk to the bus station in Essaouria. The bus traveled through open spaces of flat arid land on its way back to Marrakech. We then boarded a stifling hot train to Fes in 2nd class.

The heat was oppressive, and everyone was sleepy. It was hard to imagine being a woman here in the heat, covered completely and in layers. We arrived to Fes at 1 in the morning and haggled the price of a taxi down over 50%. Haggling is expected and part of the culture with all unmarked prices. We are staying in a small hotel inside the old city.

We took cold showers to alleviate some heat. A large open window with decorative cast iron burglar bars looks over the flat roofs in the medina. We woke around 4:10 am as the muezzin began his haunting call to prayer. Today we will explore Fes.