We started our day after breakfast as always with a hike back out of the warren of lanes to board our bus.
On our way out and about the city, we drove past “the royal palace.” Although obviously it is one of (number corrected) 22 locations. It occupies a rather large chunk of real estate. This was followed by walking, way too much time spent taking pictures of themselves & others by the group and more walking.
Next up was walk through the old Jewish Quarter. There had been extensive renovations, much funded through UNESCO . Perhaps 90% of the Moroccan Jewish population made Aliyah mostly in the 1950s-60s. This did not mean giving up ownership of their property which is pretty much rented out.
And then it was ride & hike through the souks. If you have been in the souks in old Jerusalem, Istanbul, Jordan, Oman, Bahrain – they are pretty much the same. Dark, narrow covered passageways crowded with small shops selling while customers push through and haggle for daily supplies as well as the occasional treat. Notice that I left out the new locations in the Emirates & Dubai which can feature wide lanes, glass skylights, fancy internal shops with display cases definitely oriented toward those with money.
We had lunch off a small passageway which led down to a lovely covered courtyard.
Then there were more souks to traverse with a stop at a tannery in business for about 11 centuries. Yes, you read that correctly. Little had changed except for plumbing instead of hauling buckets of water.
We wove through even more crowded spaces late in the afternoon on our way to the bus. Tonight’s dinner was a home hosted meal. Since I am still coughing, I skipped it.
We have an excellent guide (local, well educated with degrees in linguistics & tourism. Additionally, there is a local guide who joins us to provide information unique to that area.)
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