fez

im writing now from FEZ, which may very well be the greatest city i have ever seen. we took a 7 hour train from marrakech which was very scenic, passing by goat and sheepherders in pastures, mountains, plateaus, cities, etc. fez isnt even a "city" really--it's more a medieval center. it's a huge walled medina, like a lot of moroccan cities, but inside is literally a labyrinth of stone and brick alleys, old street lamps, tiny tiny doors behind which hide narrow twisting staircases leading up to houses and terraces, crumbling walls and dark arched tunnels. i really am having a hard time believing that this place actually exists, never mind that i am here walking around in it. i am amawed at how such a fairytale can preserve its character amidst such a changing world. i know it sounds like an overdramatized description from a travel book sponsored by a tour company, but its all true. david and i saw the tanneries, which is a large square in the middle of which lay large shallow wells of limestone and dyes. it's all a natural process, using the skins of a few different types of animals (we saw only sheep skins). cleaning, drying, de-furring, dyeing, drying, etc. it was incredibly fascinating to watch and smell.

i walked around the second day in fez just to take a stroll and a young boy wanting to be a guide latched on to me. i wandered down an alley to try to lose him, and looked up to find an old man way up high on the roof. this particular alley was so narrow i had to walk sideways, and at teh very end was a very small door. i said hello to the man, he invited me up, i followed him up at least 5 minutes of stairs and finally reached the roof terrace. i met his son, daughters, wife, stayed for an hour or two, and climbed up the walls to check out some higher terraces. everyone here is so open and hospitable, its very easy to meet people and have these kinds of experiences--it seems very commonplace. went to a fun new years party at a new restaurant opened by the friend of a new zealand expat who told us about the place. were allowed to bring our own alcohol, which took a little bit of hunting to acquire in dry morocco, but we did and was loads of fun.