Into the Mountains...

Greetings from the wanderer! As of this weekend, I am a travelled Moroccan. After an exhausting 48 hours of touring, I have experienced my first time returning to Rabat as ‘home.’ Our first excursion, “The Four Dynasty Tour,” took us through Meknes, Mouley Idriss, Volubilis, and finally Fes.

After a two hour bus ride from Rabat, we arrived in Meknes, one of the four Imperial cities (along with Rabat, Marrakesh, and Fes). Unlike Rabat, the city appeared more spread out and intertwined with neighboring fields and farms. Our first stop was in the Moulay Ismael Granery and Stables. The granery, with its domed ceilings and three-foot-thick walls was still in good condition (even after a severe earthquake many years ago). The stables did not fare so well because the roofs were flat and thus not earthquake-sustainable. The design of the stables, however, was flawyless in practicality. Built as rows upon rows of large, wide columns, the perspective allowed the slaves in charge of the thousands of horses to view hundreds of them easily from a single point. From an aesthetic perception, the stables were singularly phenomenal. Along the tour of Meknes, we also viewed the tomb of Mouley Ismael and the Bab Mansour, the most famous gate of the many walls.

Another 45 minutes brought us to Mouley Idriss and Volubilis. Perched atop a prominent mountain range that grows out of nowhere in the Moroccan plains sits the small town of Mouley Idriss. Named after the first prominent Islamic ruler and home to his tomb, this small community seems to have been arbitrarily placed in the mountain scenery. Most of the people move goods with the help of load-barren mules because of the narrow and steep alleys that wind about the medina. Our group received lunch at a traditional house overlooking the city, and after the traditional Moroccan tea, we had to leave this lovely village. A seemingly misplaced relic of Roman times, Volubilis was once a substantial city a few miles from Mouley Idriss. Shook by the same earthquake that destroyed the stable roofs in Meknes, the entirety of Volubilis crumbled years ago. Archaeologists have since reestablished parts of the temple of Apollo, the Forum, the city Gates, and other sites. We decided to extract at least 3 facts from the tour of Volubilis, and the 5 that I recall are as follows:

1. Olives upon Olives – Olives are differentiated according to age, not species. Green olives are the youngest, followed by red and black olives. The blackest of the black are used to create olive oil.
2. The origins of “horny” – In one of the exquisitely designed mosaics that remained almost wholly preserved, Diana is depicted bathing with her nymphs. A stranger, Action, is spying on her in a corner of the mural. When she learns of his dishonorable actions, she condemns him to a life as a deer. Therefore, in the mosaic, Action is depicted with horns and perceived as a ‘horny’ man!
3. Selfish about their Art – The mosaics in the homes of the Romans were always upside down from the entrance, because they believed that the viewing of their artwork was a privilege only allowed to those who are invited inside the room.
4. “Ass Backwards” – A common form of entertainment and also torture as depicted in another of the mosaics involved a blindfold, a donkey, and one unlucky fellow. In the depiction, a man is shown with his eyes covered riding a donkey backwards, which is apparently an unfortunate experience.
5. Smelly Socials – The latrines present in the Roman ruins are meant to allow for several people to be seated at the same time, and archaeologists speculate that the latrines were quite a social experience.

Just before sunset, we had to leave the ruins for Fes, where we enjoyed a lovely dinner in the most tourist-y restaurant I have ever entered. The entertainment provided a melting pot of Moroccan and Arabian entertainment from musicians to belly dancers to a magician. Although the intentions were innocent, I could not help feeling as though I were witnessing a mockery of the culture – an imitation of the reality in which I had been immersed for two weeks. After a restful evening in a swanky hotel, we embarked on an extended tour of the medina in Fes—and by extended, I mean 4 hours followed by lunch and another 2 hours. Features along the way included the Royal Palace, the Jewish Quarter, the southern fortress, a traditional plaza (with hammam, ferran, fountain, and mosque), the Qarawiyine Mosque and University, the blacksmithing area, the tanneries, Moulay Idriss (son) Mausoleum, and the caravanserai (weaver’s market). Quite an exhausting experience, this tour took us through the labyrinthe that is the Fes medina. Over 9,000 streets twist and turn through covered and open markets and homes.

The people in the medina were far more aggressive than those in Rabat, and at times, I found myself overwhelmed by the tenacity of the merchants and harassers. Apparently, I have “the look of an American, but the face of a Berber – the eyes of a Berber” – just one of the many creative lines thrown to me while walking through the medina. Lunch brought a relaxing moment and a blood sugar boost. After lunch, we went to the Bouananiya – the most amazing of the Fes sites and one of the lesser known. This madrassa (school) was originally an Islamic school. As you enter into the main courtyard, your gaze is pulled upward to the open sky by the myriad designs on the walls, gates and pillars. Within the courtyard, there is not a blank, untextured surface. Every door and wooden support is intricately carved with patterns, and every wall is either carved plaster or tiled mosaic. The sheer workmanship in the room took my breath away.

After a few pensive moments, we were whisked away from the medina and granted an evening free to collect our thoughts and enjoy the city as we pleased. As presented to us by our program directors, this weekend was intended to enlighten us to the tourist experience in Morocco. I personally hate being a tourist. I have never felt more uncomfortable and stressed as I did walking the narrow streets of a crowded city as a group of 14 to 28. After this experience, I opted to return to the hotel and relax at a café with friends – a most pleasant experience. After a light dinner at the hotel with the group, my friends and I wandered in search of a taste of America – pizza. We succeeded in finding a restaurant just before closing and were most graciously received by the waiters, for whom I am sure we provided much entertainment. After a taste of home, we returned to rest for our voyage back to our new home – Rabat.