It’s another travel day and this time Christi and I are letting the train take the strain. We leave Marrakesh for the jewel of Moroccan tourism, the mysterious city of Fes located in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains in north central Morocco. And we have first-class window seats. Public transport does not get much better than this. Second class rail tickets are about the same as the bus, but at 295 Dirham first class is 100D more. Still we’re worth it, and it is an 8-hour journey. For once we do not have onward accommodation booked, but we’re tempted by the idea of staying in a traditional Moroccan house or riad. Typically these houses have an interior garden or courtyard, which stems from Islamic beliefs around maintaining privacy for women. In fact, the word riad comes from the Arabian term for garden, which is ‘ryad’. Our Lonely Planet guidebook says that a scam of sorts exists aboard trains going to Fes where friendly locals begin a conversation with innocent tourists that end with the tourist staying in the riad recommended by the local!
The start of another journey comes with the usual frisson of excitement and expectation. Initially, our route is almost due north; we’re heading for the Atlantic coast at Casablanca. The scenery is pastoral with livestock grazing by the train tracks and meadows replete with beautiful wild flowers. Once we reach Casablanca we follow a coastal route to Rabat, capital of Morocco. The train does have a food service – a simple arthritic-sounding food trolley (which resembles something out of the Hogwarts Express, although there are no pumpkin pasties or chocolate frogs) pushed by an equally dilapidated man puts in a regular appearance and we indulge repeatedly. Beyond Rabat, we head inland again through mountainous terrain that ultimately brings us into Fes. Somewhat disappointingly the other passengers do not strike up a conversation with us – until the last leg of the journey between Meknes and Fes. Finally the scam unfolds (I was beginning to think we were not scam-worthy). His name is Jumilla and he really is a friendly chap. He casually recommends the Riad Khouloud, which is located on the fringe of the massive central medina. By sheer luck he even has a brochure and their business card, having stayed there himself recently. As scams go this is quite painless so far and when he offers to make a reservation for us. He whips out his mobile phone at this point and I have put my hand over my mouth to hide my smile. Jumilla even persuades the riad owner to meet us at Fes train station and provide a free transfer. Life doesn’t get any easier than this. Let’s hope the reality matches the hype.
Introductions are effected outside Fes train station and Jumilla then fades into the background. We are whisked off to the riad Khouloud, which is located somewhere in Fes on a non-descript narrow street. Much like the home of Mohamed (our driver from Marrakesh), the exterior of the riad gives no hint of the wonders within. Arab / Berber life really does go on behind closed doors. And the life in this riad is pretty luxurious. We are encouraged to sit in the courtyard and tea swiftly appears. The courtyard is beautifully decorated in classical Moroccan style. There are stunning mosaics, delightful geometric patterns, and gorgeous wood paneling detail. The sofas and cushions have an Arabian Nights feel to them. They are bright, colorful and comfortable. The mosaic floors are covered in plus carpets and animal skin rugs.
After settling into our surroundings, the room rate negotiations begin, which is a surprise to us because the friendly Jumilla assured us the price was 500D per night (about US$65) – the absolute most we are willing to pay (our daily budget remains US$100 remember). Saleem the manager insists their best price is 850D, which is our cue to leave (although quite where we are and quite where we are going are unknown). We begin to strap on our backpacks (a heinous chore), when Saleem ‘blinks’. Clearly Saleem and Jumilla believe Christi and I to be richer than we are! We agree to stay for 2 nights at 500D per night, but the search is on for cheaper accommodation and something nearer to the center of the medina.
Our room is decorated in a similar style to the courtyard and features a 4-poster style bed replete with drapes of deepest red and a red velvet upholstered headboard. Everything is elaborate, yet there are also the modern touches such as satellite TV and air-conditioning. The icing on the cake is the bathroom (adorned with beautiful blue tiles) which features a Western-style toilet and a bath tub. This is luxury beyond our wildest dreams. We can’t afford the fixed price 5-course dinner (230D), though, and are forced to scavenge the trash cans out on the street (OK that’s a slight exaggeration as we eat off food carts) but Christi’s main desire is a long soak in a hot bath. Now that is de-licious.
Blog post by Roderick Phillips, author of Weary Heart – a gut-wrenching tale of love and test tubes.
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