Blog 12: Shepard

This morning, the GSL Morocco troop piled into the van and started on the long, winding mountain road to Fes. The drive was like watching a slow rural to urban gradient. By the end, the difference couldn’t be more stark. Among the familiar corner stores stood proud American institutions like McDonald’s. Between phrases of Moroccan, Arabic, I heard French, and sometimes that sweet sound of American English spoken by some bewildered and overwhelmed tourists. While Souk el Had could be crossed in 10 minutes, the low, lying sprawl of the Medina is staggering. It constitutes both the largest medieval city and car-free urban zone in the world. However, a few hours here is enough to say that the two aren’t that dissimilar. They have roughly the same number of stoplights and crosswalks (zero) and I can still find some of my favorite Moroccan dishes. But most of all the people are as friendly as ever. The servers and restaurants are always willing to share life. The shopkeepers will invite you in for a cup of tea. The hotel housekeeping remade my bed even before I slept in it. Fes is a big, beautiful place filled with little joys.






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