Dorothy Would Be Proud...AKA Welcome to the Casbah, Part III

And just why would Dorothy be proud? Well, we are walking EVERYWHERE!! Actually, getting into one of the many Petit Taxis is tantamount to taking your life into your hands. Driving is -- well, interesting! Traffic laws -- what laws? -- seeminly are non-existent. Whoever goes first is the one that has their car nose ahead of another car nose. There are traffic circles that bear absolutely no resemblance to any of those I've had the misfortune of navigating in Boston.

Oh -- and you are required to wear seat belts in every car -- except taxis. Somehow the taxi-driver lobby (or whatever it is called) decided that putting on seat belts was taking away from their business, so they don't allow seat belts into the taxis. You close your eyes, pray, and hope.

But mostly we walk.

Yesterday was our mini-3 hour course in Darija -- the Moroccan dialect. It was a great class. So -- what can we say? Not much.

"Say salamu alikum" (Peace be upon you)
"Wa alakum as-selam" (And upon you peace)

La bas? (How are you?)
La bas! (I'm fine)
"l-hamdu leelah" (Praise God!)

"Smiti Jan" Shnu smitek?" (My name is Jan, what is your name?"

"Mitsharfin" (Pleased to meet you)

"Baslama" (Goodbye).

Waha -- OK or yes -- said a LOT!

Shukran -- Thank you

La Shukran -- no thank you.

And my favorite word: "Mumpkin" -- Maybe.

Then we had a lovely traditional Moroccan dinner -- SO good. Tim, Bob & I went to Tim's house to do some laundry, then walked to the Medina to sit at the cafe....

I get stared at A LOT! Evidently they don't get a lot of old, blonde fat women in blue jeans and sweaters sitting in cafes. In fact, women never sit in the cafes -- not even with their husbands -- at least not in the medina.

Later we went to a lovely hotel overlooking the medina which is, by the way, the largest non-traffic area in the entire world! Something over 9400 streets -- tiny little streets with vendors on both sides, and donkeys and feet the only mode of transportation.

We stopped at a grocery store -- bought some water, toilet paper, Snickers, juice, and, of course, OLIVES!!

I love Fez. Waha.