Giving Fez a Chance

Today I was determined to have a good day. I woke up really early with tons of energy, waiting until 9am when breakfast is served here at the Riad (why so late? I have no idea), ate and headed out the door armed with two maps, spending money, and my camera.

I got so lost. Really, really lost. I am staying in a neighborhood called Batha, which is on the edge of the Medina, so I can either go into the Medina (where all the most famous sights and shopping are) or go the wrong direction and end up in Fez-el-Jadid, the former Jewish neighborhood (not a bad thing, just confusing). Guess which direction I went? And guess who convinced herself for probably two hours of walking around that she was, in fact, in the Medina but couldn't figure out the street names because they are written in Arabic?

Yeah, me.

The way I found out I was in the wrong neighborhood was interesting. I walked up and down the same three or four streets about 5 or 6 times, exhausted and sweating and frustrated. I was being called a lot of things, mostly acceptable but obnoxious versions of "mademoiselle" and some people would see me and say something snide about the French (in French), stared at (PS: covering my hair makes me more obvious), etc. Then an older man saw me and either pegged me for a tourist or Jewish and pointed to the left saying "Synagogue that way!"

What Synagogue? So I headed his word and found a Synagogue and also a sign written in French, Thank God. Then I flipped to my bigger map and found that I was in the wrong neighborhood.

After CAREFULLY retracing my steps I found my way to the Medina, then I was really harassed. This time it was everything from offers to show me around, being spoken to in French (everything from "bonjour, ca va" to "si belle!" to "bienvenue." I don't remember everything, but it was pretty daunting). The ones who spoke English were worse. A young man followed me for a few minutes trying to speak to me. I ignored him and he said, "Don't be so stuck up, I just want to show you around!" Not nice. Anyway, a random guy saw me and pointed to the right saying "Medina, that way!" I said, I didn't want a tour guide and he said "I'm not a guide, just helping." That was rare that day, so I said thanks and wound up on a big shopping market area and actually ran into the Riad where my friend Vanessa stayed and her favorite restaurant in Fez. It felt good to see something I had heard of.

Things started getting fun then. I haggled (not very well) in French and bought lots of gifts for people back home. I have a short list started for tomorrow too because I forgot some small things I wanted to look at (and my bags were getting heavy). It was nice to be around people who weren't openly preying on me, most of the time. Some shop owners would offer to let me come in and look and when I just kept walking they would get a little annoyed and call after me. Seriously, that doesn't make me want to buy from you. Anyway, I did pretty well and started having fun.

The best thing that happened to me today was meeting Abdul. For the past two days I have started seeing young Moroccan men as predators. They cat call, follow me around, try to sell me things, and that's the tame ones. I was getting really annoyed. Then I walked by Abdul's textile shop. He asked if I wanted to see how the rugs are made. I told him I couldn't take rugs home with me because I just brought a backpack and he said (in English), "No problem. I'll just show you and we'll chat a bit."

I was apprehensive, but decided to go with it fully prepared to bolt if needed. He showed me the rug/textile machine they use (it's an old loom) and took me to see their storage room/workshop area (not as sketchy as it sounds) where his cousin was installing painted ceiling decorations for a new show room. He showed off their bedspreads, rugs, etc and gave me some tea. I said they were beautiful, but unfortunately I just couldn't buy anything that big. I did, however, notice a few scarves that were gorgeous and bought two as gifts. He made a nice price for me when I told him I only had 90 dirham left to spend today, and then we got to talking and he and his coworker said "are you hungry?"

About three hours after I had gone to see the textiles I emerged fed (fish tangine and a huge glass bottle of Coke), "tea-ed," and renamed "Fatima" (sister, which one of the guys called me the whole time). Plus I was feeling so much better about my time here.

Tomorrow I have been invited to meet with them again so they can show me to the real hammam, find me a "madame" to help with the process, and maybe go see some sights if it's still light out after their shop closes. This way I will get a Moroccan price and an authentic experience, rather than going to one that is basically a spa for tourists. Normally I would be very apprehensive about this, but I mentioned to them how vulnerable I felt traveling alone as a woman and they said several things that put me at ease. First, they said men who prey on women like that are not Muslims, they are animals and they are sick while I am a nice girl that "your education and your religion shows through your face and it is beautiful." This was the first time I'd been called beautiful in Morocco without it making me feel dirty.

Then the older of the two compared these men with terrorists, "but terrorists of a different type." After two days of keeping my guard up and feeling nervous every time a man looks at me, I completely understand what he means. They also said that when a man looks at a woman he should regard her as he would his sister (hence my new name) or his mother until they are married. They also teased me that after I leave the hammam boys would follow me everywhere, but that in life you only need one husband or one wife. To this I said, "when I'm on holiday I don't need any boys following me, just good friends." They agreed. At one point in our visit there was a call to prayer and my new friends excused themselves to pray in the next room. It wasn't a big deal, just a little break in their day.

Amazing- and just to prove that kindness is good for business, I have decided to go back tomorrow also to buy some of their beautiful silk scarves. They fed me so well this afternoon that I didn't spend a penny on food today, so I am free to spend some money in their shop and to bring some of their amazing crafts home to share with others.

This is exactly what I needed today.