Back in the flourishing countryside, we had to stop twice. Both times, we saw a turtle in the middle of the road. Luckily, they hadn’t been killed by cars yet, even though several had driven across them. We moved them to safety, hopefully for at least a while. Although our German friends were driving separately from us, we were all heading to the same place.
After a few days, we finally met in Fes. We strolled around the medina, the historic part of town, tried local food, and admired how items were crafted. Fes seems to be known for manufacturing different products, so we took the opportunity to search for authentic souvenirs. Due to the lower wage level, we expected to find many of them. However, it seems that producing items is less popular than selling them. We found more items originating from China than from Morocco, or even Fes. Still, we found some authentic products, and we even visited manufacturing sites. Handcrafted items may have become rare because automated machining is a cheaper and faster way to build something of steady quality with fewer defects. In the end, it’s up to each individual to decide if they prefer the faultless appearance of mass production or the imperfect authenticity of handcrafted items. The good news is: You can find both in Fes and everything in between!
After spending some days in the city, we continued on to another town: Chefchauen, known for its blue color. On the way, we crossed hills and valleys where olives are cultivated. We bought the freshest, cheapest vegetables in one town of those hills. Nice! Later, just a few meters across the same road, we ate soup in a tiny restaurant that Europeans wouldn’t even call a diner. However, the soup was incredibly tasty and inexpensive, making us feel guilty about paying such a low price. As we reached the Rif Mountains, we were reminded that this region is also well known for growing something different: weed. Crazy! It’s almost as crazy as the fact that paying attention to signs along the road is less important than paying attention to the stones one will find at dangerous spots. This is Africa – at least the light version for beginners.