Fes and Sefrou

In 14 years I have traveled to Morocco and never been in Fes, first this year my way led to this town. Actually it was good point to start my trip to Figuig, otherwise I don't know if I would go to Fes yet. It is so that I not need to see everything in one time, I wish to see and enjoy the places without to rush. So I choose one place and then I fit in and look what's around and plan my trip after that.

I spent a few days then in Fes and I liked this town, almost more than Marrakech, it was more calm and not so chaotic on some way as Marrakech. It was also easy to go in Fes, everything was near each other, more compact than in Marrakech, it felt. I not needed any guide, it was enough with to read guidebook, look at the map and then go. I don't think i missed something.

Too bad that it was there those dumpster

But I have not gone up to Merinid Necropolis, has satisfied me to look at it from the bottom up. It was too high up. Can imagine me it would be nice view from there plus interesting even to see it from close range but ...
 

and cats everywhere ☺

It is becoming, or rather, it is already a bit tedious with such images from the tanners' quarterback, all shows it, so me too haha.

I have been even in Mellah, wanted to find the Synagogue Ibn Danan and Fassiyine Synagogue much older than Ibn Danan but even if I asked I not found any of them, I think.

It was one small Synagogue I found only, hidden between houses with one small door, almost invisible. One Rabin was there and he showed me around the Synagogue, unfortunately I got not to make any pictures. It seemed he was glad that someone was interested of his Synagogue, probably not so many people went inside and did know about it at all.

Wonder what they were discussing about LOL

nice Jardin Jnan Sbil

I took the picture with the Royal Palace, but the guard saw me and motioned for me to show what for picture I did. I went up to him to show, and then he said that I had to delete the picture, which I had to do while he looked at, so I have no picture of the palace, unfortunately.

So that was "my" Fes. As said, nice interesting city so it was good I got finally the possibility to visit it also.

Sefrou was one other interesting city on my list. It was near Fes and I had it on the way from my Figuig trip back to Fes from where I would then fly to Casablanca and home to Sweden. I arrive late afternoon and even if I had a couple of hotel tips I could not find anyone. So I drove to taxi station and asked them about to help me. They knew it only one hotel and one guy offered me to show me the way. It was not so far from Medina so it was good place.

But the hotel was as the hotel at anywhere in the world, such a standard hotel. But I was glad to have somewhere to stay over. A little cold it was inside, cold water was there too but was told that they put on a little later. However, I have misunderstand because they spoke only French that I can not so I had to just guess what they said. I thought that within an hour will come the warm water. However, it was not so, they meant that later in the evening it will be the hot water in one hour. So I showered in cold water and when I was finished came the warm water. Well, my fault that I can not French. But I managed me anyhow. But it was in nice garden and as said not far from Medina.

I have gone to take a dinner because it was quite late and I was hungry, usually I not eat lunch when driving so my last meal was breakfast. There was not so many restaurants but I found one and it was interesting to be there and look at the people. It felt that I was the only one foreign, other was only locals. Even next day when I walked through Sefrou I never met any tourist. So it was nice to skip them.

I had chicken, the most obviously food, apart from tajine. It was good but nothing special though when you are hungry you like every food.

From restaurant I saw any Bab, not remember the name so after dinner I took a short look inside Medina but then decided to go back to the hotel and save it to the next day.

At hotel they not served anything, only beer at evening and that I not like in any case. 

So at morning I packed all my things in the car and drove to the center where I parked and gone to one cafe looking at me there.

After breakfast was walking through the town which is actually divided by the river and on one side it was Mellah, on other side Medina. Mellah unfortunately was really destroyed, people not took care so much about and it was little as a dump.

But anyway there were places which was nice also, so not the whole Mellah was destroyed. 

Then I walked over the bridge to the Medina and again, the river was not so much clean, there were plastic bags and paper and other "nice things". Hopefully one day even there it will keeps all streets clean. In any case it was nice to walk there, calm and almost genuine and I liked Sefrou very much. Strange that  tourists go to miss this nice city and only a few find the way there.

 

 

 

Then it was time to go to Fes and that was the end of my trip this time. Before I leave even this page I will show you in which bus I would not like to sit and ride in.

Figuig

Unfortunately Figuig is not more as it was before, but all is changing, of course, so even Figuig. But I was lucky and got to do a trip there from Fes. It was an unforgettable trip, so enjoyable, so free, nothing other than wonderful only.

Figuig. So many years I was thinking at to go to Figuig. And finally I did it.

Started in Fes, going first on motorway to Taza where I turned of towards Guercif and did the first overnight stop.

I found hotel Complex, some kilometer before the town. The price for the room 160,- DH. Pleasant, simple hotel but empty, not so many tourists going there.

In the room there it was one painting and I was very surprised over that such is in one hotel room in Morocco. That I would never expected.

It was there also funny event with one policeman who came there to take more  information about me because the man in reception filled wrong the form there.
He wrote even the car number of the car I rented in case something happened so they knew about me where I am etc. It felt good.
Policeman was really nice, we talk a little and he told me that before he became a police he worked as a fake guide in Marrakech LOL.

Funny, a policeman worked illegally before to be official.


Guercif felt like a little dirty city, and very hot. There was also one other hotel, but expensive and not so pleasant. A couple of restaurants with average food. But nice people. And I got anyway good grilled chicken.

view from the room

Hotel Complex was quite big, had a big, but now empty swimming pool. Policeman wondered if I want buy the whole hotel LOL. They built it many years ago and hoped that tourists will find it on theirs travel to Figuig and stay there a couple of days, enjoying swimming pool and surrounding, but not, no one came.

Next day after breakfast I have continued towards Taourirt and then to Debdou which I was really curious at, I read about a lot before my trip.

Not so many villages along the road, it began be a little like the desert, but not yet properly of course. Approaching Debdou the landscape began be rather forest-like, green and with a few field.

 

Debdou self is known for its multi-ethnic population, including Moroccan Arabs, Jews and Berbers. But now there are not so many Jews, they were moving to area around there. There were maybe still living people Banu Urtajjen, a Berber family related to the Moroccan dynasty of the Wattasids, which had their own semi-independent state here from 1430 until 1563.

The town was small, on the foot of mountain there. I did a "nus nus stop" there. Saw there a military cars and also some kilometer before the city there were military barracks.

Originally I wanted continue to Tendrara on N19, but the people in Debdou said that I can not go there because it's a bad road, good only for motorbice but not for the normal car. The map I had (Marco Polo) is probably not to rely at the every time.

I would go back and at the junction I would take P6046 towards Merija, then on to the P608 to Ain Beni Mathar.

The road was pretty good to begin with, then later it became a little worse, but they held on and repaired it.


So last approx 40-50 km was quite slowly before I came to reached the road to Ain Beni Mathar.

But still I not understand why I could not go as I wanted because when I looked at the map so this road they said I would take is signs on the map as a piste while the other is a gravel road, but probably this piste was still better than the other. Never find out if I not ever go there again and try to take me on.

Then from Ain Beni Mathar it was straight down to Bouarfa. The road was very good and nice, wonderful feeling I had, only me, the desert and blue sky, I felt me so free and wanted fly almost LOL. Wonderful!

Tendrara in the background

On the way I saw the railroad tracks into sand and gravel, the train does not go there, probably not a lot of people traveling to Figuig from Oujda. Not tourists neither. Thought to take a pause in Tendrara and look a little around there because somewhere near would be remains of Jews camp, the best-preserved camp along Moroccos eastern border. The railroad was built by the labors of Vichy prisoners and the camp was located near Tendrara. Unfortunately I could not go and visit it because it is desolate dirty piste and I had normal car only and for this trip is necessary to have 4x4. But it could be very interesting to see it, so next time ...

So I continued to Bouarfa where are few hotels. I stayed at hotel Sahara, simple and really cheap hotel, only 60 DH without breakfast, with "1 class bathroom" LOL. One bucket, but running warm water and really toilet. But I slept very good, even if the bed was not so flat, like a camels back haha.

Bouarfa is not big city and not much of the old city is left, I would believe. Now it is new houses almost everywhere with wide main street with a little shops, coffee shops, a few restaurants. And the worst mint tea I drank ever in Morocco, but very good breakfast I had in one cafe opposite the hotel.

Next morning it was time for Figuig. Only the desert, oh, I love the desert, so free I feel me, open, really good for the soul and so. The road was good so it was only really pleasant to drive there. Before Figuig it was the first (and also the last) police check point. I had with me filled form which I used for Western Sahara and gave it to the police. He was glad for to skip self to write LOL. Took a little pictures of the building but police saw it so I had to remove it from my camera.

I found the hotel Figuig which was empty of tourists so it was no problem getting a room. A fine place and room. Overlooking the 200,000 palm trees and against Algeria.

It is not big city and not much of the old one is left, some piece of wall or house here and there, but so many palms everywhere. 200 000 palms, incredible. And quite many Marabout.

I found nothing of hassle in Figuig, no one sellers trying to catch you on the street for to sell something, no one touts, all locals are only friendly, moreover a little timid. I think it is really genuine community, probably because there are not many tourists. Children smile to you, look at you with curiosity and not begging nothing from you, only stay and loo.

Old gates and roof are replaced with new gates and roof.

Pity that the old city is disappeared and almost nothing left, now there are new Figuig, but it is nice anyway. Clean though it is in the desert. Nice and very quiet.

Oasis Figuig is divided into two levels and consists of 7 Ksars:
Laâbidate, Lamaïz, Foukani Hammam, Hammam Tahtani, Loudaghir, Ouled Slimane and Zenaga. Much of these ruins are on the Algerian territory or border area.

On the top are located six Ksars: El Maiz, Loudaghir, Oulad Slimane, Laabidate, Hammam Foukani and Hammam Tahtani to which joins the small town of Sidi Abdelkader Mohamed Marabout.
Ksour Zenaga which is biggest of them all is located on the down part of Figuig.

Unfortunately there are not much of the old ksars and new Figuig is growing, but still it is nice and interesting.

I drove a little around the Figuig, going to Ksar Zenaga which unfortunately was also rebuilt and are not many remains of the old ksar any more. Only here and there one wall, old house etc.

I was also curious on how it is near the border with Algeria but could not come near because about 100 m before it was a sign STOP DOUANE. So I turned and went back.

 

It is really wonderful there and so many palms, incredible. I would have 4x4 then I could drive more off the road, but I got satisfy me with to drive at least there it was possible to drive with Dacia Logan. Got see   Marabout, mosque, remains of old houses and so.

Then it was time to go back to the civilization so to speak. I have leave it not gladly, wanted to stay a little more and explore more the town and surrounding. But I had to go back. In any case I will plan it in further again and try to have 4x4 so I can drive and do more there than I could do now.