july 2016 medicus 65

Our journey next took us by train to the ancient city of Fez.
fortnight. Far
This really started to get the tourist juices flowing, as we
from what
stayed in a riad – or courtyard hostel – buried in the old
I expected,
market area just inside the Blue Gate of the Old City.
when wearing
Fez was our first taste of the Morocco we had been
a yamulka in
expecting – tiny alleyways perfect for getting lost in,
the streets I
steaming vats of harira (tomato and chickpea soup), baghrir
was regularly
(crumpets) and cooked chickpeas, with Moroccans willing
greeted with
(for a price) to sell you anything at all, guide you through
a friendly
the maze of the medina, teach you how to make the most
“Shalom”
delicious breads, and of course, feed you to bursting point.
and, of
My favourite discovery in Fez, which extended throughout
the whole country, was the magnificent doorways that
would pop up at the least expected moments. You may have
followed a bleak stone alleyway for hundreds of meters,
burying yourself so deep in the medina that you didn’t think
anyone even lived there, and out of nowhere around your
course, locals
attempting
to sell their
shop-wares
to me in
Hebrew.
next corner is a huge, elaborate doorway, emblazoned with
After another
fine wood carvings or ornate mosaics.
bus ride to
On one hand it seemed incongruous, yet it was entirely
enchanting – the real magic of Morocco.
I learnt from an antique dealer that in fact these doors are
extremely sought after – new riads or shops opening up will
often buy the most expensive or oldest they can afford –
and there is a booming restoration business which supports
many of the local tradesmen.
From Fez, a winding bus route took us to the city of
Chefchaouen, nestled in a crescent of the Rif Mountains. The
town (aside from being the marijuana capital of Morocco,
evidenced by the 13,452 locals each day that offered it to us)
is unique for its colouring. The entire old city is painted blue,
ranging from light pastel to deep royal. I was fascinated to
hear this was attributed to many of the Jewish exiles fleeing
the Expulsion
in Spain, and
was modelled
on the ancient
Kabbalistic (and
equally blue)
city of Tzfat.
This
connection
with Judaism
was another
aspect of
Morocco I
revelled in
the coastal
Morocco’s largest: The impressive Hassan II Mosque.
city of Tangier,
and a brief stop at the American Legation museum (the first
American public property outside the US and home to some
fascinating maps of the Barbary coast), we boarded the
night train for the capital.
We spent the days in Marrakesh exploring the numerous
souqs, perusing the night-time market in the famous
Djemma el Fna where we found the best local harira, getting
a taste of the life of modern Moroccans in the New Town,
cooking up a spicy and tagine-y meal at a French Moroccan
cooking school and generally gorging ourselves on local
desserts.
The final and certainly most rewarding part of our journey
though took us high into the Atlas Mountains for a threeday trek. Staying in local Berber villages each night, and
accompanied by our guide Youssef and well-laden donkeys,
we traversed mountain ridges, saw salt lakes and frozen
waterfalls, and marvelled at the juxtaposition of North
African desert dunes with snowy Lord-of-the-Rings-esque
mountains.
I couldn’t recommend Morocco highly enough. It’s equally
accessible to a first-time or veteran traveller, brimming with
fascinating history and culture, topped with magnificent
scenery and most importantly, friendly and welcoming
locals. Do yourselves a favour, and get on board the
Marrakesh Express. ■
Photos: Sarah Cole & Daniel Dorevitch
the whole
Local flavours: Daniel Dorevitch, Sarah Cole and
Danielle Malatzky at a cooking class in Marrakech.
JULY 2016 ME D I C US 65