Happily, Hopelessly Lost in a Fes Medina: My Survival Tips

First, do not try to navigate this medina without a guide. Or two. Or even three. We are a group of 20 seasoned, fit, veteran travelers. Multi-lingual, mature. This isn’t anyone’s first rodeo. On Saturday here at the Medina, we criss-crossed the Mellah, (the Jewish quarter and visited 13th century synagogue, still active), Andalusian and Kairaouine quarters for most of eight hours, stopping only for lunch. We had an additional local guide, a richly gifted and articulate professor of linguistics including classical Arabic. Born in this Medina, he was eleven before he knew its intimacies! Eleven is old for a Moroccan kid. They are everywhere, just like the impressive cat population. Advice from our guides. DO NOT wear your shopping face. No matter how persistent the seller’s assault. Bargaining here is a custom and a sport. It takes the time it takes. Usually three small glasses of mint tea for a serous purchase. You get your price, you offer a fraction of the ask and you move on from there.

There are many who enjoy this. I am one of those. I loved it.

We spent an hour in a colorful confusion of live wool knots, Berber designs and traditional patterns, riding magic carpets in one dar (house) now a rug artisan gallery. I learned so much about the art of rug making, the owner’s family, his traditions, his friends, his wife and mother-in-law. I didn’t buy a carpet. Almost but not quite. We parted friends, both enjoying the interaction.

Every visit to the medina includes the Chouara Tannery, operating in the same place and the same way since the 11th century. The world’s oldest. They use pigeon poop for its acid content) to cure the leather, which locals happily sell to the tannery on Fridays. I didn’t ask for details. I did breathe into my stalks of crushed mint while touring and spent a fun half an hour with Hammid, eventually buying a creamy soft backpack made of camel’s belly leather. Of course he threw in a free pair of slippers. Of course he did! We spoke French and enjoyed every minute of the exchange. Did I get the best possible price? Probably not. We were both smiling when I left.

I’ll leave you with a trove of pictures and try to caption each. Back at our Riad and too tired even for dinner, I showered and collapsed into bed, crawling underneath my crisp, white, beautifully embroidered duvet. Happy to have seasoned, fluent, GPS imbedded guides…and dreamed of magic carpets.