Morocco Day 5: Fes to Fes

We changed accommodations today, moving to Dar Seffarine.  What a beautiful place!

Relaxing on the rooftop

Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of the courtyard, but you can go to their website.

We decided to hire a guide to get an "official" tour of Fes.  Definitely a good thing to do at least once, particularly in Fes, since the medina is so huge.  We got to see some stuff we wouldn't have ventured into if we were on our own, like:

 The alley where they dye fabrics.

water wheel

dyeing cactus silk (from agave)

Or the tanneries (ok, we probably would have found them on our own, but not sure we'd have found the leather co-op.

The stench is fairly bad, so they give you mint leaves.

These guys are around the smell all day 

Getting dirty

Or the guys who tend the fire to the communal ovens.  What a job!: they are underground all day, just feeding the fire.

Our first rug shopping exprience.  We learned quickly how to bargain, after buying a couple of leather poufs from the co-op above.

 Don't be afraid to bargain, it is expected.  Also, don't worry about offending them with too low an offer.  They generally won't be offended, particularly if you are nice about the low offer.  They won't sell you anything at an unprofitable price, so it's just a matter of figuring out the price point.  Some vendors will open with a ridiculously high bid.  There is no general rule, you can even go as low as 25%.  And be willing to walk away.  It's amazing how quickly the price drops as you leave.