Dear Diary,
This second last day of our tour was literally a day full of ups and downs. Many of us, including myself, had succumbed to either the
common cold or stomach flu and the mood in the group was rather down at the start of this day. After a quiet breakfast at the hotel, we proceeded to board our van to head to the old Town of Fes. Many of us had expected this
day to be a relaxing one as Fes was the only item on the itinerary.
 |
| The expression on this cat pretty much sums up our mood for this day... |
However, due to concerns that it would be too rushed to cover two towns (Chefchaouen and Rabat) and make it in time for our return flight
out of Morocco the next day, our guide decided to push forward the tour of Chefchaouen to this day. Upon hearing this, there was quite a commotion among our tour mates as Chefchaouen is the place that all of us had wanted to
visit and explore the most out of the three remaining towns and we would want to visit it in good weather conditions rather than on this forecasted rainy day. The commotion lasted throughout most of the journey with some even
suggesting that we forgo Rabat totally so that we can have more time at Chefchaouen. This suggestion spiraled down to a crazy debate over the fairness of striking out one item on our itinerary due to the lack of foresight
on the person who planned this itinerary. The initially gloomy mood started to erupt into one that is filled with anguish and frustration and the commotion just got louder with time, definitely not the best condition for those
who were feeling unwell to rest in. Eventually, our guide made the decision to stick to the plan for visiting both Fes and Chefchaouen today and to leave Rabat for the next day. We could only secretly pray hard that the weather
would turn for the better when we reach Chefchaouen!
 |
| Entrance to Fes old town |
The short journey from our hotel to the old town of Fes felt like eternity as the whole van was filled with an awkward silence after
all that commotion. Upon reaching the entrance to the old town, everyone was eager to get out of the van and into the open space for some breather.
 |
| The Royal Palace in Fes...great spot to take photo! |
 |
| Love the vibrant colors! |
The dead silence and awkwardness was broken when we were joined by a Fes local guide. He was a young and handsome chap and certainly
did wonders in lifting the cloud of negativity surrounding the group. When the Fes local guide started to go into detail with regards to our route for the day, we all started to get rather hyped up and excited over the tour
and had completely forgotten about the argument earlier on.
 |
| Saw many interesting doors while walking along the maze-like alleys... |
 |
| More colorful doors... |
Prior to this trip, I had done some research on Fes and had noted that it was a chaotic and messy place with numerous scams on tourists
reported on the Internet. However, the old town of Fes was nothing like what I had read about in this early hours of the day. Most of the shops were not opened and there was barely anyone in sight. This was probably a blessing
in disguise as we did not have to deal with any touts and could safely wander about and explore the old Town of Fes in peace.
 |
| The narrow alleys... |
 |
| This alley was considered wide... |
 |
| A sneak preview of what to expect at Chefchaouen? |
As we walked through the narrow alleys of the old town, it finally dawned on me as to why did the local Fes guide kept emphasizing to
follow him closely and not to wander off on our own. It was literally like a maze inside the old town and we could have easily gotten lost with one wrong turn. The alleys were so narrow that we had to walk in a single file
and it certainly did not help that these poorly lighted alleys were littered with rotting trash. Thanks God for our local guide!
 |
| The entrance of Al Quaraouiyine Mosque |
Winding through the small alleys, we arrived at our first stop - the leather tannery (with some stops in between to view the exterior
of the mosque and Islamic colleges along the way). Although the tannery is the place most frequently associated with scams on tourists, it was also the place that I had been looking forward to visiting here in Fes! There were
many online horror tales about scams by some “friendly” locals offering to lead the way to the tannery only to demand a fee upon arrival at the destination or that some tourists were held hostage after they refused to
purchase anything or pay a fee after viewing the tannery. Some reviews even mentioned that the smell inside the tannery is unbearable and it certainly did not help that even our guide had advised us to put on a face mask if
possible. Bracing myself for the worst, we were led to the viewing terrace located at the top floor of the leather shop. From the terrace, we were able to have a bird’s eye view on the tannery on the ground floor. Being
wary of the potential revolting smell, I took a quick sniff and realized it was not as bad as expected and in fact, I was able to breathe as per normal! Heaving a sigh of relief, I kept my focus on the tannery. At first glance,
it would seem like we were viewing an whole area filled with oversized painter’s palettes filled with various different colors. Upon closer look, we could see the workers hard at work, soaking the various hides with the
dyes and laying them out to dry thereafter. It was indeed an amazing sight and it is no wonder a visit to the tanneries is a must when visiting Fes!
 |
| View of the tannery |
 |
| Workers hard at work |
After viewing the tannery, it was time for the leather shop owner to showcase his variety of leather goods and as my other tour mates
were excitedly trying on and purchasing the leather products, my husband and I (who are not so much a fan of leather products) found a bench and just sat down and admire the colorful leather products surrounding us. It was
also interesting to observe how the Moroccans interact with tourists and how they adapt their business strategies to different individuals.
 |
| Moroccan leather shoes... |
 |
| All the other leather products |
The next shop that we visited was a weaving shop where the owner tried to attract our attention
by introducing to us the weaving machine that was used to weave his products (such as cushion covers and scarves). However, it seems like the products in this shop did not have that much of an appeal to us and many of us either
just wandered about halfheartedly or were just taking a rest at the benches provided. My husband and I were feeling quite stuffy in the shop and had decided to step out for some fresh air and many of our tour mates started
to follow us out in no time. I guess this action might have irritated the owner as he started to become quite hostile to us and chased the rest of our tour mates out of his stop. It was at this point in time that we decided
as a group to cut short the tour at Fes and to head to Chefchaouen instead. We were even willing to forgo a sit-down lunch and make do with a grab-and-go lunch.
 |
| The weaving machine |
 |
| Beautiful scarves and cushion covers |
After making known our request to our guide, she gave us some time to buy some snacks for lunch before we board our van. She also mentioned
that we would still have to make a rest stop so that our driver can have his lunch. Happily, we boarded the van and head off for Chefchaouen. However, just as we left Fes, it started to rain and the rain became heavier and
heavier as we travelled on. We were quite disheartened and the excited chatters at the start of the journey soon quietened down as everyone started to pray very hard that the sky will clear up by the time we arrived at our
destination.
 |
| Panoramic view of Chefchaouen (try to locate the blue town) |
Lo and behold, we are indeed a very blessed group because the rain actually stopped when we were approaching Chefchaouen. Our dismay
turned into relief and we started cheering and everyone was in high spirits again. With the weather turning to our favor, our driver decided to make a stop along the roads that provided a good view of the blue town - Chefchaouen.
The whole town, though small, still stood out because of its vibrant blue color! The stop at this viewpoint certainly made all of us more excited then ever!
 |
| Did you manage to spot this in the above photo? |
After checking into the hotel, we eagerly made our way out to explore Chefchaouen and just as we stepped out of the hotel, a huge rainbow
was seen hanging in the sky as tho it was welcoming us to the blue town. It was a clear sign that our stay in Chefchaouen would be an excellent one!
 |
| A rainbow to welcome us! |
Although the path can be covered in less than 1 hour, my husband and I really took our time and even stopped and admired every little
alley that branched out from the main path - you never know what to expect at these off beaten roads! It was a fun time of photo-taking and I must say I have never had this much blue in my photos ever! We are so glad that the
rain had stopped just in time and that we were able to explore Chefchaouen and admire its splendid beauty!
 |
| Love these blue doors! |
 |
| Are you feeling the blues already? |
Overall, this day had been like a roller coaster ride, with adrenaline and emotions running high and low throughout the day, but most
importantly, it is another day of the tour that my husband and I will remember in time to come, and we are indeed grateful to be able to explore two more wonderful towns of Morocco! Looking forward to what’s in store for
the last day of our tour.....
Yours Truly,
Claire
-------------------------------------------------------
