Itinerary for MOROCCO  TOUR Page #2

Day 04 Thursday Overnight @ Fes

The morning call to prayer echoes from the minarets as the city wakes up. We will  leave the hotel at 09:00.

There are three cities of FEZ. Simply we can remember them as the old one, new one and the very new one. The cities have been built in three different valleys as if each is respecting the other.
The Jewish quarter of the 15th century and Andulician neigbohoods reflect the influence of Spanish architecture. If one were in another place, this neighborhood could have been worth a day's siteseeing but in Fez the most amazing place to be at is the Market.The  Medina. the Market of Fez is  orderly in its own way. Walking in the streets, the right a way is given to the donkeys.
The cats have the right to keep the head of the line in front of the butcher shops, and shop keepers have the right  , in a pleasant way, to drive you crazy with their salesmanship. bargaining  is the name of the game. GOOD LUCK!!

Leather tanning, weaving, wood carving, leather dying, brass and copper engraving, tile making, are only few of many other crafts being practiced under the arches, in dark alleys and in small  courtyards. Walking in the old city is overwhelming, exciting, and tempting. Make sure your camera has sufficient film and battery. After lunch in the Medina, The Medina restaurant ,  we will continue appreciating the amazing craftsmanship of the Moroccans when we visit a huge ceramic mosaic work shop. If you still have energy for dinner, to night we will listen to UT music while we dine at Isla Blanca . Overnight at the same hotel in Fez. The restaurants where we will eat today will have the wonderful traditional architecture and authentic food.
 

Day 05  Friday Fes - Ifrane - Azrou - Midelt- Overnght @ Erfoud
We will leave at 08:00 am from the hotel  in Fes for a long but very interesting ride. As we climb up to the Atlas Mountains,  the smell of the seeder trees will  indicate the altitude.
The higher we go , the tenser the seeders smell. After a short stop by a lake which looks like a bird paradise , we will hit  7000 feet with snow on the ground. Hard to believe that at the end of a long drive , we will end up in SAHARA desert to day.   We will be able to make home visits  at Bouran village  and meet locals. We will suggest you to learn few words from the phrases section of the tour hand book . It will help very much
MERHABA - Heloo
SHUKRAN - Thank you !!!
The lunch will be at Midelt city at Hotel Ayashi.

Once we enter the  Valley of ZIZ,  the  landscape changes from Alpine to  Grand Canyon to
Gobi desert image .The palm forests are dotted by poplar trees whose leaves are bright yellow. The villages are surrounded with pink city walls.  The major  form of transportation is either donkeys or bicycles. The Berber people definitely look different from those we have seen in the other cities of Morocco so far.     To night we, will stay at a hotel where the sounds of the desert will whisper to your ears the stories of the Berbers that we will meet tomorrow. Dinner and overnight will be at the Palm's Hotel in Erfoud

Day 06    Saturday Erfoud - overnight @ Sahara Desert

Today is a relaxing day in the morning . We will not leave our hotel until 10:00 am. If any one is interested in internet, the connection is available in the lobby. To night , we want to have a night bag so will have to leave our suitcases and purchases at the hotel. Those who do not want to go shopping can spend the morning at the hotel by the pool. We will have picnic at the desert with fruits and sandwich. In  Erfoud there is a small market which has  easily accessible to old valuables. For Berber scarves, brass and copper items you can have some good choices. The bargaining is tremendous. Please be prepared.  After market visit we ride in 4-wheel drive land rovers. We will leave for the SAHARA DESERT. We will get to see the fossils of the desert, and visit Nomad families in their black tents.  Their hospitality is amazing but they are really poor. They instantly offer bread and mint tea. I would very much like to bring food purchased from the local market to these children rather than giving them candies . To night we will have the option of staying at a tent or hotel room in the Sahara Desert at Merzouga Unfortunately ,since the rooms and the tents are limited,  you have to decide which you prefer. you can change your preference only if room or tent available when we arrive. for more info on the hotel rooms and tents please check the Tourhandbook Hotel Info   Before the sun goes down, we will take camels for an hour ride to the top of the sand dunes to watch the sun set in the desert. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel Timbacktou or at the tents if you choose.