Last week, we had the opportunity to travel to Fes (sometimes called Fez) and the Blue City (also known as Chefchauen). Fes was the capital city of Morocco until 1925. We first arrived in Fes and the excruciatingly hot temperature took us by surprise because Rabat is a city that is usually cool and can sometimes be colder than Boston in the summer. Upon arrival in Fes, we were taken to a ‘Moroccan Riyadh‘ style hotel, which is a rest house for a small group. As a result, our Rabat group were the only inhabitants of the hotel and we had the lovely hotel all to ourselves. On the first evening, we visited Bab Bou Jeloud, the famous gateway to the old city of Fes and we had dinner at a rooftop restaurant nearby. Next day, a guide took us around the busy and narrow streets of Fes. We visited the ancient Fes tannery quarter, and we were able to see the tanning process steps, dye pits, and the final products. We were then introduced to high-quality leather shops that sold top of the line clothing and was significantly cheaper than stores in America. Next, we went to a spices shop where we had the opportunity to buy spices exclusive to Morocco. Finally, we went to a clothing shop where the clothes are hand-woven in the shop. I bought a scarf with beautiful and intricate designs for about ten american dollars. The entire group had fun trying out a traditional Moroccan scarf. We also visited the oldest university in the world, University Al-Qarawayeen. According to UNESCO and the Guinness Book of World Records, this university in the heart of the Fes Medina is the oldest continually operating university. We had lunch at a well-known cafe in the old city, Cafe Clock, and returned to our hotel in the afternoon. Given the extreme weather, we cooled off at a nearby pool.
Next day we traveled to Chefchauen blue city, which acquired that name due to the city’s many blue houses and buildings. Chefchauen is a major tourist spot in Morocco, and famous for its sky-blue buildings. Immediately upon arrival, we checked into our hotel and cooled off in the swimming pool as the weather was quite hot and humid. Later in the evening, we ventured into the city for dinner and exploration. We had a great meal at a restaurant overlooking the city.
After a good night’s sleep. we went on a dangerous and difficult hike to Talassemtane National Park (in Cascades d’Akchour), another well-known tourist spot in Northern Morocco, with a skilled and helpful guide. We had the opportunity to see ‘God’s Bridge’ (a huge naturally formed bridge spanning a small stream), which obtained that name for its naturally made bridge and was used by the area’s inhabitants for transportation. Our guide, Said, had grown up in the park and surrounding areas, and shared some really great information about the park. He reflected on how things have changed over the years and shared the safest routes for us to hike in the park. By early afternoon, we were back in Chefchauen, and in the evening enjoyed a nice dinner at the hotel. After a slow Sunday morning, we returned to Rabat back to our host families. Overall, the trip was an amazing experience and arguably the best part of our visit to Morocco thus far.
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