[Kate] The Medina

I wasn't sure if I was going to like Morocco, partially because I saw it as one more country I had to go to before I could go back to the united states and fill my suitcase with TOPramen until it burst (a constant thought in my mind).  But I had been presently surprised by Morocco.  I love the architecture, the mosques, the picturesque scenery, but one of the prominent highlights are the medinas.

The medinas are the local markets in Moroccan cities.  The only big one I've been to so far is the one in Fes.  It wasn't a wide open court like I had sometimes imagined.  It comprised of little, often very narrow streets, sprawling out in every direction like some enormous spider web.  It would be so easy to get lost there, so luckily we had our guide (Samir) guid us through the streets.  There isn't enough room to get a car in their, so any traveling is done by foot, donkey (or other pack animals), bike (not very often), or motorbike (even less often).  Those carrying large loads often use carts. One we saw a cart with live snails inside.

The small shops range in size, from barely enough room for chair, to the size of a small Starbucks.  Other vendors simply place their products out in the streets for people to see while bustling past them.

It was odd walking through the Medinas, because there were sometimes bursts of cold wind from a dark alley to our side.  Sometimes we'd have to duck our heads when entering a new alleyway through a side street or building.  Different smells permeated the air every few feet, smells of dust, freshly baked bread, fruit, gasoline, or other distinct odors. 

There were many, many goods and services for sale, some repeating, others strange and unique purchases.  Here is a list of some, but not all, of the goods/services for sale (some list below them some examples, but not all):

• Various leather products
• shoes
• bags
• jackets
• Various juices
• Many different types of bread
• bagettes
• fried bread
• local flat breads
• Souveniers
• keychains
• magnets 
• etc
• Various beauty products
• Henna
• Haircuts
• Various meats (sometimes still alive)
• chicken (mostly alive)
• beef
• lamb
• camel
• etc
• Fabrics
• Furntiture
• Rugs
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Eggs
• Many different types of clothes

These aren't all of the things we saw, as listing everything would take up at least a page, but this is a list that represents the general kinds of things we saw.

Walking through the medina in Fes was very, very interesting, since I got to see the local markets and the way ordinary people in Morocco lived their lives and purchased their objects.  I'm excited to see the way the medina in Marrakech compares.

A street of the market. 

A street of the market.

A street of the market.

A street of the market.

A street of the market.

A street of the market.

A street of the market with some clothes.

A street of the market.

A street of the market.

A street of the market. 

A street of the market.