Ibn Ibn Battuta

First Taste of Tangier: Not So Bad After All

Morocco map

Many Moroccans think of Tangier the way Americans think of a place like Newark, New Jersey. (Phrases like "the armpit of the country" come to mind.) TV travel personality Rick Steves once called the city "the Tijuana of Africa".

In seven months here in Morocco, I have had the same conversation every time I’ve asked anyone - Moroccan or expat - about the city. Their response always starts with a great sucking in of air, then a slow exhale. Their eyes wander off. "Wellll..." they say, struggling for a word that could describe the city favorably, yet still truthfully. Their face betrays signs of a struggle -

A Walk in the Medina: Bab Bou Jeloud to Bab Jdid

Fes map west / Fes map east

Jacqueline and I recently bought Fez from Bab to Bab: Walks in the Medina, a renowned guidebook available for sale locally. The guide offers ten walking tours throughout Fes’ old city, one of which Jacqueline and I walked on Saturday, with some of our own modifications and on our own schedule.

Our exploration began at Bab Bou Jeloud (باب بو جلود), among the most ornately decorated of the medina’s dozen or so gates, which allow passage through the ancient city walls.

After walking a few hundred meters through a bustling market, we arrived at the Bou Inania madrasa, named for one of Fes’ greatest sultans, Abou ‘Inan,

The Ummayad Mosque: "Matchless and Unequalled"

Damascus map

The Ummayad Mosque is the hub around which Damascus revolves. During my time here thus far, I've spent several afternoons and evenings propped against a column in the vast open courtyard, reading, people-watching, and enjoying what seems to be the one place in the city where I am permitted a measure of relative tranquility. The cool stones also offer a welcome break from Damascus' stifling midday heat.

Getting to Know Old Damascus

Damascus map

In every way, Damascus could not be less like home, but despite my anxiety during the trip here and first several hours in the city, I have come to really enjoy it, and am adapting to the new climate, schedule, political atmosphere, and people here.

Damascus' Old City certainly does not want for sights to explore. In fact, I am quickly learning why Ibn Battuta raved for page after page about the city after his travels first brought him here, in 1362: