Where we last left this story, I had just completed the deal of a lifetime on a custom made Moroccan carpet in Fes. I have to admit, haggling is not my strong point, although I am getting better at it. It is difficult because I know what I would expect to pay in the states for a product. I also know that depending on what it is, there can be huge mark ups. When shopping for handicrafts, I put a high value on the time and artistic effort that goes into a piece, as well as materials and the overall pleasure it brings to me. My challenge is to know what the production cost of the item is and to temper my value for it, so the seller gets a fair price and I get a good deal. I expect with time and experience, I will get better at it. The sellers also like to feel they have earned their money, so to be a pushover could be construed as an insult. Negotiating is an art, a skill and a very social experience not to be missed, but be prepared to need aspirin after your first one or two attempts.
Our guided tour of Fes wrapped up in early afternoon and our Tour Director, Mohamed, got us back to the hotel for a free afternoon. I met up with some of the other folks on the tour and we ventured out of the beautiful marble entrance of the hotel and through the huge decorative wrought iron gates into a comfortable, clear breezy afternoon. We were on our way across the boulevard and down a block to check out Mar’jane, the Moroccan version of Wal-Mart.
The store was really more like an indoor mini mall. There was a bank where I was able to change USD to MAD. We proceeded down a short mall of shops that carried everything from beautifully trimmed and accessorized kaftans and menswear to shoe stores and children’s clothing. Once in the Mar’jane store, I picked some dates from open bins, selected a handful of soft, dried apricots, picked up a few oranges and then wandered over to the bakery where they had a beautiful assortment of delicate and fragrant French pastries and breads. I choose a few little butter cookies to add to my stash and then made the final stop at the water isle.
I was very careful to not drink the tap water and in fact used bottled water for brushing my teeth, so I took this chance to stock up a bit. There was an isle where wine and other alcohol was sold, since this store caters to Westerners living in Fes. All though Morocco is 99% Muslim, things normally not available in the medina like alcohol can be found outside the area at liquor stores and places that market to non-Muslims. Like any group, there are those Muslims that will on occasion step out of the strict practices and have a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage.
Our little troupe marched back to the hotel where I took some time to have a light snack and gaze out the balcony windows to the garden pool below. Everything is so beautifully, yet simply detailed. There seemed to be artistic details in everything I saw from my hotel room but it was time to check out the local neighborhood. It was late afternoon and I had seen people streaming up a little side street upon my return from the market. I could see what looked like the minaret of the neighborhood mosque over the tops of the apartments in the area, so I assumed people were heading to afternoon prayers.
In the Muslim culture, the Islamic prayer is called and conducted five times a day. In the cities I visited in Morocco, the call to prayer or Adhan, was announced throughout the day from loudspeakers mounted in the local mosques. The prayers are intended to help one stay focused on God, Allah, so there is a sense of spiritual well being through the day. The individual making Wud’u or ablution in preparation for prayers proceeds through a strict washing ritual. It includes a thrice washing of the hands, mouth, the inside of the nose, face, arms up to the elbows, and feet, up to the ankles. Using the wet hands, wipe over the head once - front to back to front and with wet fingers, wipe the inside and outside of the ears once. While the cleansing ritual is going on, there are specific words to be uttered glorifying Allah, while washing away your impurities in preparation for prayer.
Ablution complete, the prayer rug is laid out – if one is used, in the same direction the prayer will be performed, toward Mecca. The rug is used simply to ensure the area used for prayer is clean. Seems a theme in worship, cleanliness is next to Godliness! There are a ritual of prayers and associated physical gestures, prostrations and motions that are part of the overall prayer process. Generally, the whole ritual will take ten to fifteen minutes and is truly an act I felt privileged to witness during my travels. The low murmur of voices is at once calming and leads one to think of a spiritual and mystical time.
Once the call to prayer is heard, you will see people stop where they are along the road, in airports, train stations, hotels, office buildings; just about anywhere they can wash and establish a clean place to pray. Hearing the first call to prayer just before dawn for me was a beautiful way to greet the new day. It is an eerie chant, even if it is through a loudspeaker. Whether it is called live or a recorded call, the sounds echo around the city as the call comes from each local mosque in the district, almost like a song sung in a round. Even now at home, I long to hear those magic chants to wake me to the new day.
Oh, so where was I, …oh yes, I was going to check out the neighborhood and see where all those people were going. Alas, I am out of time for this writing so I will need to continue my story another day.
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