That was the sage advice given to my Gate 1 Tour companions by our guide, Aziz, as we prepared to cross a street. Cars whizzed by with nary a care / potentially gunning for us tourists trying to get from one side to the other. Tourists! As a New Yorker, I know the feeling but this time the tourist is moi! This directive was followed shortly thereafter with Aziz’s request to “Hurry up slowly.” Then I thought about how the Jewish Quarter of most of the Moroccan cities we visited house no Jewish People. That the Blind Architecture that informs much of the building design is quite ordinary on the outside and quite extraordinary on the inside (exepting Mosques and Palaces which are extraordinary all over). And of the lovely wine tour taken in a country whose majority Islamic population isn’t necessarily on board with the whole alcohol thang. Contrary. Quite. I tend to like things that are contrary myself excluded. I am kidding (just in case my therapist is reading this).
A few people (okay 2 readers) have asked about Bessie the Bus. She is doing well. AC blasting and plenty of seats to spread out. Right now as Bessie treks us to Casablanca, the movie, actually filmed in Hollywood, is being shown to accompany our ride and this blog posting.
We just left Fes where we roamed its humongous Medina with audio players and name tags around our necks and american garb on our bodies. However, according to Aziz tourists we are not. We are family. As we marched about trying not to lose sight of each other in the mayhem he would tell us “to let the tourists” pass. He didn’t really fool us but I appreciate the attempt. I’ve decided I will not he ashamed of my tourist-ing ways. I am ignorant but interested. Hopefully, that counts for something!
Onward to Casablanca! (Still having pic upload issues!)