Sunset was at hand; we thought we'd head up to the roof of the ryad for a drink.
As we scanned the hills on the far side of Fes, the moon revealed itself: a matte-white paper plate, dragged above the horizon by an invisible fishing line. Then the prayers started.
There were five muezzins, or fifty — with the echo, who could count? The voices broke, swirled around each other, crashed into the hills and rolled back. We set our wine glasses on the parapet to take in every note. A moment later, the sky drained of its saturation, the waves ended as abruptly as they'd started. Tomorrow we'd begin our 10-day odyssey across Morocco.
Sunset was at hand; we thought we'd head up to the roof of the ryad for a drink.
As we scanned the hills on the far side of Fes, the moon revealed itself: a matte-white paper plate, dragged above the horizon by an invisible fishing line. Then the prayers started.
There were five muezzins, or fifty — with the echo, who could count? The voices broke, swirled around each other, crashed into the hills and rolled back. We set our wine glasses on the parapet to take in every note. A moment later, the sky drained of its saturation, the waves ended as abruptly as they'd started. Tomorrow we'd begin our 10-day odyssey across Morocco.
Sunset was at hand; we thought we'd head up to the roof of the ryad for a drink.
As we scanned the hills on the far side of Fes, the moon revealed itself: a matte-white paper plate, dragged above the horizon by an invisible fishing line. Then the prayers started.
There were five muezzins, or fifty — with the echo, who could count? The voices broke, swirled around each other, crashed into the hills and rolled back. We set our wine glasses on the parapet to take in every note. A moment later, the sky drained of its saturation, the waves ended as abruptly as they'd started. Tomorrow we'd begin our 10-day odyssey across Morocco.
The impossibly-dense medina of Fes
UNESCO World Heritage Site & World's largest car-free urban area
The impossibly-dense medina of Fes
UNESCO World Heritage Site & World's largest car-free urban area
The impossibly-dense medina of Fes
UNESCO World Heritage Site & World's largest car-free urban area
There were five muezzins, or fifty — with the echo, who could count
sunset call to prayer, fes
There were five muezzins, or fifty — with the echo, who could count
sunset call to prayer, fes
There were five muezzins, or fifty — with the echo, who could count
sunset call to prayer, fes
Friday prayer in the Fes medina
Chouara Tannery, Fes
Friday prayer in the Fes medina
Chouara Tannery, Fes
Friday prayer in the Fes medina
Chouara Tannery, Fes
For ten days, we crossed a planet's worth of landscapes and cultures at a dizzying clip.
The Romans encountered this place ('Mauretania') in the 4th century — already a mix of indigenous Amazigh, Mediterranean fishers, Saharan horsemen, and Phoenicians — and called the people 'berbers', meaning 'barbarians'. Centuries later Islam arrived, adding to the rich mix of a land forever at the edge of empires.
From the edge of the impossibly-dense medieval medina of Fes, we hopped into a minivan with our guide Khaled, and hours later crossed the Atlas Mountains into the arid Sahara. As we stepped out of our gas-powered vehicle, our next vehicle spat into the sand and kneeled down to greet us. We mounted two dromedary camels, and slowly traipsed our way to a tent in the dunes.
For ten days, we crossed a planet's worth of landscapes and cultures at a dizzying clip.
The Romans encountered this place ('Mauretania') in the 4th century — already a mix of indigenous Amazigh, Mediterranean fishers, Saharan horsemen, and Phoenicians — and called the people 'berbers', meaning 'barbarians'. Centuries later Islam arrived, adding to the rich mix of a land forever at the edge of empires.
From the edge of the impossibly-dense medieval medina of Fes, we hopped into a minivan with our guide Khaled, and hours later crossed the Atlas Mountains into the arid Sahara. As we stepped out of our gas-powered vehicle, our next vehicle spat into the sand and kneeled down to greet us. We mounted two dromedary camels, and slowly traipsed our way to a tent in the dunes.
For ten days, we crossed a planet's worth of landscapes and cultures at a dizzying clip.
The Romans encountered this place ('Mauretania') in the 4th century — already a mix of indigenous Amazigh, Mediterranean fishers, Saharan horsemen, and Phoenicians — and called the people 'berbers', meaning 'barbarians'. Centuries later Islam arrived, adding to the rich mix of a land forever at the edge of empires.
From the edge of the impossibly-dense medieval medina of Fes, we hopped into a minivan with our guide Khaled, and hours later crossed the Atlas Mountains into the arid Sahara. As we stepped out of our gas-powered vehicle, our next vehicle spat into the sand and kneeled down to greet us. We mounted two dromedary camels, and slowly traipsed our way to a tent in the dunes.
Long shadows, Merzouga
Trusty transportation, Merzouga
Tented desert camp, Merzouga
Long shadows, Merzouga
Trusty transportation, Merzouga
Tented desert camp, Merzouga
Long shadows, Merzouga
Trusty transportation, Merzouga
Tented desert camp, Merzouga
We mounted two dromedary camels, and slowly traipsed our way to a tent in the dunes
Merzouga
We mounted two dromedary camels, and slowly traipsed our way to a tent in the dunes
Merzouga
We mounted two dromedary camels, and slowly traipsed our way to a tent in the dunes
Merzouga
The hypnotic geometry of the Merzouga dunes
Berber nightclub under the stars
The hypnotic geometry of the Merzouga dunes
Berber nightclub under the stars
The hypnotic geometry of the Merzouga dunes
Berber nightclub under the stars
After dancing by the fire in the Sahara night, we headed for the canyons.
Abstract, endless sand gave way to the concrete reality of rock as our minivan snaked through an increasingly narrow canyon. The Dadés Gorge reminded me of the American West — Capitol Reef in Utah, with more signs of human habitation, like the rug vendors lining the side the ride for the entire canyon.
"Any of these rugs any good?" I asked Khaled.
"I know a place."
A few minutes later we're shuffled into a dark, low-ceilinged house carved into the rock. Up a few flights of stairs, and into a room with the acoustics of a recording booth — stunning, vibrant, hand-woven rugs 10-deep on the floor and climbing up the walls.
I spot a gorgeous red one (camel hair) and negotiate like my life depends on it. After agreeing to a price, my treasure is packed in a box, on which I write the address to my studio apartment back in Brooklyn.
After dancing by the fire in the Sahara night, we headed for the canyons.
Abstract, endless sand gave way to the concrete reality of rock as our minivan snaked through an increasingly narrow canyon. The Dadés Gorge reminded me of the American West — Capitol Reef in Utah, with more signs of human habitation, like the rug vendors lining the side the ride for the entire canyon.
"Any of these rugs any good?" I asked Khaled.
"I know a place."
A few minutes later we're shuffled into a dark, low-ceilinged house carved into the rock. Up a few flights of stairs, and into a room with the acoustics of a recording booth — stunning, vibrant, hand-woven rugs 10-deep on the floor and climbing up the walls.
I spot a gorgeous red one (camel hair) and negotiate like my life depends on it. After agreeing to a price, my treasure is packed in a box, on which I write the address to my studio apartment back in Brooklyn.
After dancing by the fire in the Sahara night, we headed for the canyons.
Abstract, endless sand gave way to the concrete reality of rock as our minivan snaked through an increasingly narrow canyon. The Dadés Gorge reminded me of the American West — Capitol Reef in Utah, with more signs of human habitation, like the rug vendors lining the side the ride for the entire canyon.
"Any of these rugs any good?" I asked Khaled.
"I know a place."
A few minutes later we're shuffled into a dark, low-ceilinged house carved into the rock. Up a few flights of stairs, and into a room with the acoustics of a recording booth — stunning, vibrant, hand-woven rugs 10-deep on the floor and climbing up the walls.
I spot a gorgeous red one (camel hair) and negotiate like my life depends on it. After agreeing to a price, my treasure is packed in a box, on which I write the address to my studio apartment back in Brooklyn.
Dades Gorge from below
Dades Gorge from above
Dades Gorge from below
Dades Gorge from above
Dades Gorge from below
Dades Gorge from above
Quiet by day, Marrakesh's Jemaa el-Fnaa was incandescent by night.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Consectetur idipiscing. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Consectetur idipiscing.
Quiet by day, Marrakesh's Jemaa el-Fnaa was incandescent by night.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Consectetur idipiscing. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Consectetur idipiscing.
Quiet by day, Marrakesh's Jemaa el-Fnaa was incandescent by night.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Consectetur idipiscing. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Consectetur idipiscing.
We sat down for a bowl of brothy snails
Jemaa el-fnaa in Marrakesh
We sat down for a bowl of brothy snails
Jemaa el-fnaa in Marrakesh
We sat down for a bowl of brothy snails
Jemaa el-fnaa in Marrakesh
