When I’m at home in my little apartment, it’s easy to forget that I’m living in a strange and foreign land (minus the annoying rooster that crows 24/7). Obviously the buildings are much different compared to those “high rise” homes in Defiance, Ohio (or even Memphis), but there are typical grocery stores, typical clothing stores, and even a store that takes its inspiration from Ikea (and the name even sounded similar. . .Kitea??). However, today we trekked to the Medina for a glimpse at a tannery, the Fes al Bali panorama--thousands and thousands of houses stacked on top of each other, and a few other odds and ends for my room. Stepping into the medina is CRAZY different—like stepping-out-of-a-time-machine different. Modern is gone; old-fashioned is in style; time has literally stopped. The sights, smells, and sounds are like no other place I’ve been (or probably ever will be). There’s the shopkeeper beckoning to us so he can have money for food for f’tour. There’s the call to prayer and so many men and women flocking to the local mosque to send prayers up to Allah. There’s the tannery and its five floors of tiny, cramped steps up to the top so tourists like us can look over the pits of dye and everything else that is necessary to make the purses, coats, shoes, and belts hanging on the shop walls. There is the carpet store, found in a room covered with the most beautiful mosaic tile; hundreds of carpets are hung and piled around the large room as the shopkeeper and his helpers unroll carpet after carpet for our viewing pleasure. Although overwhelming, it’s amazing to see the detail and hard work that has been put into these hand-woven and -designed Berber and Arabian carpets. There are the food vendors and meat market—the most strange of all sights and smells. There is the fresh lamb hanging in the doorway; there is the camel head on the wall; there are the live chickens waiting to be killed and plucked; there is the case of fresh, stinky fish; there are the dates, oranges, peaches, hobs, & sweets that will be purchased for dinner and f’tour. But wait, we must move quickly. Up ahead there is a donkey carrying bottles of. . .water?. . . just wide enough to pass through the narrow alleys. The tourists and inhabitants of the cramped houses and alleyways smoosh up against the walls to let the animal and his driver pass. What a different way of life here! Although it is fun to experience this exotic and medieval way of life, I am relieved and exhausted when we return home.
