Fes - Day two

Another big exploring day today with the tanneries top of the list. It wasn't hard to find them either - we just had to follow the most god awful stink. Imagine ammonia, assorted animal poop and heat all mashed together and that's pretty much what you smell. Pigeon poop is a top ingredient, being collected and delivered by people from outside the city. The tanneries are medieval and if you go up onto one of the rooftops, you get a view over the whole operation, with men working barefoot  in the vats, just as men have  done for generations.

Four types of animal skin are tanned here - cow , goat, sheep and camel, with camel being the toughest leather and used for shoe soles, and also goat being highly prized. It's apparently very soft yet tough leather.  The skins are chucked in and soaked in ammonia for a week to get the fur off , then dyed according to the week and what's in the pot. It's dark week this week, so there was lots of red about - poppy. There was also some yellow going on but that's saffron and very expensive, so it's done by hand and away from the vats.

What is interesting from above is the just juxtaposition of this centuries old industry going on without having changed much, yet surrounded by buildings with satellite dishes on top and expensive cars parked outside. It's an almost surreal sight.

The bloke who showed us around was quite sweet and unlike yesterday didn't do the hard sell, so we were more inclined to listen to him and visit his shop. Both of us bought a couple of small bits and fended off pressure to 'buy more for big discount' or any carpets from next door. Apart from not wanting any - although very nice - we didn't want to cart stuff round the whole country, discount or not.

We did a bit more wandering after that and went up to the dyers area, where the alleys were literally running with black dye.

Must be a big scary on red day though. The carpenters area is a bit further up and this us where they make wedding thrones. It's all a bit bling in a sort of funereal way but I guess it's still a very skilled thing. Saw the pot men again, this time polishing other stuff they'd made.

Also went through henna square and had an orange juice in a cafe, then to a square with some fountain. My brain was a bit frazzled by this time so all I can say is that it would probably have impressed on most days. Najjarine Square or something.

After a road stopover it was back out again and a look for the water clock which is purported to be  large. Well we couldn't find of until we asked and realised that the thing we thought was a row of windows two stories up was the clock  - the most unclock looking clock going. Turns out it comprised a series of water pots and a rope which once full tipped into the one next to it until it had done twelve. Each tipping took an hour and there was a cart that brought it all back to the start. Well it was designed by a part time  magician......

The mosque across the street was quote interesting. It's a theological college and we were allowed in. The prayer halls were open too although we couldn't go in, they were wide open for us to peer into. The courtyard was spectacularly carved wood and there was a small cat curled up asleep right in the middle of the courtyard, oblivious to tourists and the faithful all stepping over and around it.

We sat in the town square for a hour or so tonight ad the sun dipped.

A clothes market opens up there every night in a sort of Moroccan jumble sale.