Fes

We checked into a 'Garden Hotel' last night and with all the other tourists in town in their coaches and it looked like being the most expensive night of the whole trip. I didnt care much except it had a big car park and that meant I could get a good run at the tow start in the morning. Getting the old girl to start is a bit of a problem as there are usually one or two good slides involved before it fires up. So at the moment I like plenty of space. It seems to be quite entertaining for the local crowd too. We had a result on the bill this morning. Seems they like us o much we got a 50% reduction on the bill!


We headed for Fes with the sole intention of getting there in enougth time for Richard to get the obligatory Tanneries pictures. We hauled into the Ibis hotel ( nearest the medina AND with a private road to get the all important tow start in the morning) and set off for the tanneries, camera in hand. On the way we passed the Royal Palace and there was obviously something on. Everybody was on guard in their best uniforms. And they have a lot of difdferent ones.


It was getting a bit late and the sun was going down and eventually, some 11 year old could tell we were struggling to locate the Tanneries so he point blank refused to let us muddle on and so guided us there. Persistance pays and he was rewarded with 50p. No point in being too inflationary, Richard said. Up a steep winding staircase through the obligatory shop where I nearly failed to buy a (second) paid of leather slippers and we beheld the smelly sight. I even tried to buy a hat but they couldn't find one to fit. Too many brains in this head. ;-)


These guys have a filthy smelly job and I dont envy them one bit. They stand waist deep in vats of pigeon poo, cow urine and God knows what else. I asked the shop aqssistant if the leather workers working in the pits had an odour problem when they leave work but he said no, the dont smell....and his nose grew a full centimeter when he said it. The Tanneries operate on a Guild system and workers are born into the job. The dyes are reputedly natural but I bet some industrial chemicals are starting to be used. First the hides go in the Pigeon poo/cow wee to soften, then they are pit in the appropriate dye and then dried out and worked.


Like all hard workers, the guys who work there must take time off and judging from this little lot, they watch a lot of television. I cant see why they need so many though. From what I can tell, all televisions in Morocco are permanently tuned to Football stations. So that would mean that 10 or 15 dishes, one for each possible channel should see the city straight and save a lot of money.

Distance 284km

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