The most eye opening part of the day was the market in Tetoaun. We got off the bus and walked into a walled section of town: the old city. When we walked through the gates into the market, it was literally like stepping onto another planet. Vendors crowded the narrow streets, and chickens ate feed right at your feet. We walked around a couple quick corners until we were in a restaurant. It's hard to describe how, because I didn't see any signs; just all of a sudden we were in a dining room. The whole thing felt surreal.

Our guide introduced us to his aide, Mahmoud. He said his job was to follow behind to make sure no one got lost. He wore a leather jacket and looked like Lando Calrissian. At one point, I saw him walking with his arm around a blind man: at that point, I realized his role was to keep hustlers away from our group. He obviously knew the market and the people there. He would point us in a direction, and then would be waiting at the next corner to do it again, like a ghost. The streets were only about 10 feet wide, the buildings were tall, and there were no landmarks. It was very disorienting.

I've really never seen anything even remotely like it. People sold vegetables on blankets on the ground. Dates, beans, spices, and other foods sat in huge bins on tables. Shops were built in to the walls, some deep, some shallow. A barber shop was a sink, a chair, and a mirror. A furniture workshop. A shop selling shoes that were piled and hung from floor to ceiling. Cheese on palm leafs. Butchers with chickens hanging from the ceiling. Fish in baskets on the ground. Dozens of stray cats. Sheep heads in windows. The smells and sounds and feel of the place were indescribable.

The people looked weathered and hard. Some were clearly wealthier merchants, but others were poor farmers who walked all morning to get their goods to market. People sitting with their goods were all busy, shucking peas or cleaning vegetables.

We went to a carpet house, which was a large 2 story building somewhere in the bowels of the market. It was essentially a huge sales pitch, and pretty sophisticated. They sold beautiful products; hand stitched and woven, and from my extensive knowledge of carpets, were pretty nice. I got the sense that this was some sort of backroom deal with the guide, who probably got a kickback for bringing a captive audience here. I didn't realize that it was a sales pitch until midway through, like an Amway presentation. By the time you realize what it is, it's too late. We were taught the words "waha" and "la" (yes and no) before the market, but it was difficult. As the expression goes, these guys wouldn't take la for an answer.

By the way, I tried to sell Jasmine, and got a good price for her (2 large carpets!!) before she put the kibosh on the whole thing. She was mildly upset with me. I was mildly disappointed at how plain my living room is going to look.

Our next stop was at an herb shop in the market. These stores, by the way, appear out of nowhere. Only by the smell could you tell what was around the corner or nearby. The shop looked like an apothecary shop- jars of spices and herbs, and unidentifiable items. He sold spices, teas, curry, creams, lipstick, and a bunch of other things. It was a cool presentation, with way less pressure, and fun to experience.

Lunch was in a dining room in the middle of the market. We had soup, kebabs, couscous, and cookies. The kebabs were especially good, and I hope that my package of Moroccan spices will have the same effect when I get home.

It was such a different experience, and I'm not sure I fully took it all in. I guess I would have liked a preview before to get myself ready, because it was such a shift in perspective that by the time I got myself oriented, it was almost over. It was, however, one of the cool moments of the trip and I thought it was an unbelievable experience.