Ramadan Bliss - Don't Miss It... and other Morocco Off The Beaten Path Tips

If you are Muslim, this is so on the beaten path that I'll just say excuse me now.

However, if you aren't you are probably (based on common travel thread questions on Ramadan) filled with ideas about Ramadan being a time that you won't be eating or drinking, fun stops, a time of incredible austerity, no one is open and the majority of the people are in violent and foul moods.
This is generally so wrong that it resembles willful obscuring rather than naivety or honest reporting. But in case you really don't know - Ramadan is a incredibly happy time in Morocco... just on the heels of a season of marriage and the wild spiritual energy of the month of Sha'aban, Ramadan asks Muslims to avoid eating and drinking from dawn till dusk for one lunar month. The fasting includes poor behavior, foul language, smoking, cruelty, etc. And then after a day of cleaning one's self out is a night of celebrating - feasting, loving, (in some houses) dancing, laughing, reflecting...

I am an ex-pat - now a resident - in Fes and am inspired by traveler's concern's about Ramadan travel. So, I invite any of you to drop by and pass Ramadan with us. If you need to just refresh yourself, give me a call. And just in case this scares you too - remember, we would have had another stranger in your place.

Now, in the event you feel self-conscious about drinking and eating while in the medina... the cafes of Bou Jeloud, which are touristy destination in the old medina of Fes, are packed with tourists year round - and they never stop eating or drinking in public.

If you are tourist, make it a point to try to fast with the locals and enjoy the nightly celebrations with them - you will certainly have something to talk about...

Bayti: Care for the Street Kids of Morocco
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Photos by Jamal Morelli, uploaded at Studio Shamharush

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Other Contact: Contact me or eat with friends!

It is so, so beautiful - but the drivers (and periodically the roads) up there can be both terrifying and lethal. The drive itself scares some of my friends, even though I would put it up there with the world's wonders. I have a friend who justs pops some weird dramamine/valium combo to calm the car sickness he experiences. (He does that so he can enjoy the spectacular views.)

If it is your first time there: Do not drive at night. Period.

Summary: I would not miss it for anything. VTer Angiebabe is this particular activity's biggest proponent. Ask her about and watch the poetry flow.

Drive super safe, beware of dumb*sses disguised as grand taxis, pick up something for the carsickness at a pharmacy (if it's really a big problem for you) and dive in.

UPDATE: Night after every other night, there are overturned buses on Moroccan TV - be supercareful up there; don't drive like me.

See also under Dangers and Warnings 'The Roads which So Truly Suck'

Secondary routes in rural areas are often narrow and poorly paved. Roads through the Rif and Atlas mountains are steep, narrow, windy, and dangerous. Maximum caution should be exercised when driving in the mountains. Pedestrians, scooters, and animal-drawn conveyances are common on all roadways, including the freeways, and driving at night should be avoided, if possible. During the rainy season (November - March) flash flooding is frequent and sometimes severe, washing away roads and vehicles in rural areas. Often Moroccan police officers pull over drivers for inspection within the city and on highways. In the event of a traffic accident, including accidents involving injuries, the parties are required to remain at the scene and not move their vehicles until the police have arrived and documented all necessary information. The police emergency services telephone number is 190.

Source for Road safety in Morocco

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Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_975.html

I include getting silver teeth under the off-the-beaten path category - it's not going to be my most popular suggestion on what to do in Morocco. Thanking God for my ample share of bad-ass is the primary step. Step two is flying my colors - and the ease of getting a silver tooth (no, my tooth wasn't knocked out - and neither were most of these Riffian cats)

The old woman in the photo had explained the connection between dangerous Riffi men and silver teeth. I got it. It was fast and painful and the dentist shaved my tooth to fit the silver case over it.

Moroccans seem to dig it. My American and English friends wonder what happened to my tooth.

The male berber tattoos are known both here and in the States as a sign you may have been in prison. (Women's tattooes are something else) The man who had this tattoo felt it singled him out as Riffian - a point of incredible pride and distinction for him in "arab" Fes.

Tattooes and silver teeth - come and get im... about 300 dh for the tooth...

More on me

Bayti: Care for the Street Kids of Morocco
Morocco
Learn Arabic
Bargaining pt 1

Photos by Jamal Morelli, uploaded at Studio Shamharush

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Other Contact: Dentist for the teeth...

Though Islam throws a wide net for activities that can be labelled as that of the 'mooshirkeen' or 'those who partner with God' sorcerery, witchcraft, consulting of spiritual healers is fairly common - it's just a matter of asking the right people. Most people will avoid direct questioning if they have been involved with anything that can be interpreted as withcraft, but if they trust you, you will learn of another Morocco - a Morocco that has an unbroken tradition of powerful magicians that goes back over a thousand years...

Bayti: Care for the Street Kids of Morocco
Morocco
Learn Arabic
Bargaining pt 1

Photos by Jamal Morelli, uploaded at Studio Shamharush

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