A day in the medina at Fez, Morocco
11 August 2013
We went on a walking tour around medina with a guide
suggested by the riad (riad verus). The man at the riad explains that it’s a 3-hour
walking tour and the price is 150dh for the three of us. And if we decided to
spend more time with the guide, we’ll have to pay more.
So we walked around the medina. It’s a good thing that we
used a guide. Otherwise, we will be totally lost. The idea of getting lost in
the medina is intriguing but we just don’t have time to get lost :P
The
guide took us to see some restaurants with beautiful interior, some mosques,
and of course many shops. I already told the man at the riad that we don’t want
to go to the carpet shop. And he said ‘’of course, we don’t do that’’. The
guide didn’t take us to the carpet shop indeed, instead he took us to many
other shops, a non-carpet shops (sigh). We are not the shopping type. The first
two shops was fine for me, and then it’s just keep getting iritating. I know
that we could just say no and walk away, but the salesman makes us feel bad if
we say no. So I end up buying a scarf (just one, thank God).
 |
| tannery |
 |
| tannery |
It was already 3-hour walk when we finished at the
tannery. I didn’t say anything to the guide coz I thought there might be
something else interesting to see. The guide didn’t say anything to us either. I
know it in my mind that the guide would ask more money from us.
Anyway,
after the tannery, he took us to a shop selling herb oils (which we are not
interested in at all). And he offered us to go to another shop (I forgot what
shop) which we immediately declined. And then he offered us to have lunch at a
restaurant which supposedly sells the best couscous in town. Thank God we also
said no to this. We said we just want to get back to our riad because we are
tired. I was wondering how much is he going to charge us.
 |
| the guide |
He stops just
near the riad. And when I gave him 200dh (the deal was 150dh, we want to give
extra 50dh to him), he said it wasn’t enough, he wants another 50dh. So I
argued with him (I know its useless, but I just want to show him that I wasn’t
happy). I told him he should’ve said something after the 3-hour has passed. And
he said bla bla bla bla bla.
Anyway,
I kinda know this would happen (after all the review I read about morocco and
after I watch scam city in nat geo adventure, haha). But what makes me a little
bit dissapointed is that because we got the guide from our riad (Riad Verus).
And later when I told the owner (a woman named leonora), she said that we paid
a good price (250dh). Mmm.. I thought I read somewhere that even an unofficial
guide only cost 50-100dh. Well....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Morocco travel info, please click here
No comments:
Post a Comment