Hi everyone,

Well here is the low down on my day in Fes.

Got up early and headed into the Medina, which is basically a huge area where all the markets are and not wanting to be rude the poor people basically. The Medina has 8 entrances and is surrounded by a wall and is near castles. maybe this is from ancient times when they needed to protect them selves. Not sure on the history to be fair. Anyway we found a roof top cafe and had pancakes with honey and i had a banana milk shake, whie the man served us the ancient old women was her hands and knees cleaning the floor with cloth, not even a mop with long handle, from the cafe wehad excellent view of donkeys carrying loads of coke bottles and squares with big fires and shacks that people live in, having taken photo's which will load on site when i am home in the Toon next week. We wandered inot the medina and proceeded to be harrassed by many people wanting to be OUR GUIDE. As there are 9000 streets in the medina and we WILL get lost, It didn't particularly bother me as i was used to being continually harrassed in Kenya and the like. It really upset david and hannah, in the end we found a nice young lad who was stressful at all. Once you get a guide nobody else bothers you. the streets are really narrow and you have to keep moving before you are knocked over by a donkey, the donkeys wear shoes made out of tryes to help walk up the hills. In between the poor shacks and stuff there are these big palacial buildings.

Morrocco has absolutely beautiful building, the doors are all carved and there are bright `patterned tiles everywhere, it would look lovely in my back yard. We spent hours following the mint tea carpet ritual in a carpet shop. You drink mint tea while they roll out millions of carpets and tell you they have a small stomach and you are their friend and the firend of their family etc etc. After some hardened bargaining on my part in which I was dramatically storming out the shop throwing my hands in the air while the little shop man pleaded with me i ended up buying the most beautiful silk woven carpet runner for my hall way. Its so lovely. And a good price!! finally, We also went to the tannery, where we could see all the skins laid out on the ground and all the men dying them. Bought some christrmas presents but not as many as i had hoped, they were very hardened and would hardly lower prices, probably as not much trade this time oif year. More storming out the shop and sad eyes ensued and we finally got a reasonable price. After that we relaxed in a restuarant and had lovely kebabs and cous cous. then came the harrowing journey back to tanger,it was dense fog we came off the road (long distance taxi) and ende uop missing the last ferry by ten minutes.

Anyway evryone at school was fine about it, they found it quite amusing, now it is my last week before I go home, lots of parties and things ahead, Was the >christmas fair last night, in whichn i was plyed with wine by my parents (of my kids) and told how great i was, have big head this morning,

adios amigos Philippa