Vol 66 Day 18/19 Fes/Casablanca

We slept in as long as we could the after the previous night’s silliness. Hassan translated while Rabha gave me some recipes for the dishes I had enjoyed while staying there. Including her divine coconut cookies and her version of the almond cookies I had bought at the bakery in Casablanca. I packed my stuff while munching bread for breakfast. I was catching an evening train back to Casablanca as my flight to Oman was the following morning. Hassan and I were heading into Fes for some shopping. Mark decided to stay home with Rabha to learn how to make her delicious bread. I said my sad goodbyes to everyone, and gave Hassan the rug I had bought for him. We headed out for a final walk through the village.

The neighbors kids. After I took this photo, their Mom beckoned me into her home. Hassan told me she was inviting me to see her cave home and that I should go because she has a really nice one.

Her sitting room.

Her kitchen.

I was going to post some video I had taken of walking through the village over the past few days but I am lazy now.

Donkey parking lot.

Market in Sefrou.

Hassan and I made our way to Fez where he took me back to the train staion to see if they had a “Left Luggage” service. They did not so he took me to the bus staion where they did. We ditched my bags then headed to the old Medina so I could do some shopping before catching the train. It was already getting to be late afternoon so I tried to be efficient.

I bought a morocco cookbook and a kiss (the scrubby mitt thing the women were using in the hammam).

We stumbled upon the perfect store that sold both pottery and rugs. I had been looking at these items throughout the trip so I had a pretty good idea about price and quality. This store had both good quality and good prices. And I found the perfect rug. I had been despairing that I would find a rug I liked enough to part with my money for.

Surprise, Mom! I bought myself 2 rugs on this trip. It’s an old tribal carpet and I love it.

Before leaving the house I had Hassan ask Rabha and Itto if there was some kitchen item that they would like but possibly not buy for themselves. They were too polite and would not name anything. Finally I asked if they would like one of the traditional pottery Harira tureens with matching bowls and they admitted that yes, that would be nice.

Since this store had such nice pottery I bought the harira set there as well. Tureen and 6 bowls. I wish I could have brought home a set for myself but it was just way to fragile and bulky and I was already loaded down with rugs!

Hassan sent me this photo taken by his next couchsurfer of his family using the set. I was so grateful for the warm, welcome and wonderful time Hassan and his family gave me I was happy to give them this gift.

We burned more CD’s of the photos and videos I had taken in the last couple of days then headed back to the bus station to pick up my bags. Then we headed to the train station and said our goodbyes.

Hassan was such a great host. I cannot praise this young man enough. He took such good care of me the whole time I was there, he showed me a Morocco I would never have seen on my own and we had so much fun doing it. We have kept in contact now that I’m home. You can look at his new blog by clicking on the link on the right of this page. One thousand thank you’s Hassan.

I sat on a bench on the platform at the train station and waited for the train. I was the only woman waiting. There was a long row of Moroccan men on the benches and as dusk neared they all pulled out plastic containers of food and sat with them on their laps. Waiting. They were waiting for the siren that signals the end of the day’s Ramadam fast. I pulled out the pastry I had bought earlier that was to be my Iftar (the Ramadam breakfast eaten at dusk) and waited along with them.

There was a handsome man sitting next to me and when the siren went off he told me he had forgotten to bring a fork. I ate my pastry and realized it was not going to fill me. I asked the man if he could please watch my bags and I wandered over to the nearby café. I ordered the Iftar special. Dates, hot milk, hard boiled egg, harira and a honey soaked squiggly pastry/cookie. As I left I asked for an extra plastic spoon which I took back to the forkless man.

We chatted a bit, his name was Fouad and he’s a teacher. Very nice man. When the train arrived he helped me with all of my bags. I had left Oman with one carry-on bag and now had three. We sat in the same compartment but did not chat much during the trip. I slept much of the way as it was too dark to see outside.

Once we arrived in Casablanca Fouad helped me with my bags once again. When we reached the street he asked where I was heading. I told him I was flying frst thing in the morning so was just going to head to the airport and sleep there. He was distressed to hear this. He told me it was not safe to sleep at the airport, that I should get a hotel or he offered for me to stay at his place. I politely told him I did not stay at strange men’s houses. He laughed and agreed that was wise as well. He told me his friends were coming to pick him up and he would ask if they would take me to the airport to save me the high taxi fee. There is a train that goes to the airport but it departs from a different station across town. His friends arrived and were nice and they invited me to tea. You know me and invitations…..

We went to a café and drank Moroccan tea. Fouad’s friends were teachers too. 3 of them shared an apartment. They insisted on feeding me so I had a cheese sandwich. After we finished our tea they beseeched me not to sleep at the airport. They said they would take me if that is what I wanted but they would prefer I sleep at their apartment and Fouad promised to take me to the train station first thing in the morning so I could get to the airport in time for my plane.

Call me crazy, but I trusted them. Off we went. It was so funny. When we arrived at the apartment they had me sit in a chair and wait while they scurried around, frantically cleaning their bachelor pad. One of them gave up his room and he shared a room with Fouad. They wished me goodnight, I set my alarm, kept my clothes on and fell asleep. Safe and sound.

As promised, Fouad woke me early, and escorted me to the train station, carrying my bags one final time.


I snapped this photo of him as we said goodbye.

Remember all of the unkind strangers I met on my arrival in Casablanca? These guys undid all of that.

I let a porter carry my bags for me as I got off the train, and tipped him well. I caught my plane to Dohar in Qatar. Waited there for 4 hours then caught my final plane to Muscat where Mahfoodth met me at the airport. I had not had a shower in days and he told me “you’re my friend but you smell bad”. It was true, I did smell bad and I enjoyed my shower that night ever so much.

Pretty awesome vacation, huh?