2Ms: Medina and Matsuri Hunt

Tracey and I planned to go on a day trip to Meknes and see Volubilis, which is an ancient Roman ruin that stretches out to over 40 hectares, however, our client told us that it is not safe for two women to go there on our own since it is very far from everything else.  Since most of our teammates are not available this Saturday, we just went to Rabat Medina and strolled mostly along Rue des Consuls which is the "artisan" end of the Medina, near the Kasbah to do some shopping.  Tracey (the “Shopaholic”) again won the “Shopper Award.” I wonder though how she would pack all those stuff in her luggage. Hmmm…

Day 2: All around Fez

We started the day by having breakfast at the riad and then a little shopping at the souk.  Amy didn't go with us as she wanted to have some more time to sleep. Shopping with Tracey (aka "the shopaholic") is really enjoyable because we don't feel pressured to buy anymore. hehe! :D  This morning, Tracey and Rahul bought some paintings and silver tea pot set while I on the other hand bought some trinkets. :P  

Day 1: All around Fez

I felt safer in Fez.  We've been to Medinas in Rabat, Marrakesh and Fez and I thought all these would just be the same but I noticed that the people in Fez are less aggressive.  They tend to smile more than the others as well.  I also noticed that some of the sellers here speak English so it was easier for us to bargain. 

As soon as we arrived in Fez Yamanda, we just dropped our bags, waited for Thami (our guide) and off we went to a seven hour walking-tour around the labyrinth medina.  According to Thami, there were over 80,000 souks in the medina.  It was soooo large that it’s easy to get lost in it. You can’t tour the medina via a car as the alleyways are so narrow.  Also, it is best to do the tour on foot as you will be able to see and experience more of the city.  

Fight the Fat via Morning Power Walk

I’ve been eating A LOT lately.  My typical breakfast back in the Philippines would consist of just the following: a glass of milk, a glass of apple shake and a glass of water --- that’s it.  For lunch, I would have wheat bread and dessert if I’m craving for sweets.  I would usually have the “real full meal” during dinner because that’s when I’m with my family.  I know it should be the other way around and that I should eat more during breakfast but I prefer to eat my complete meal with the whole family. :-)

Since I arrived here in Morocco, I’ve been eating full meals 3X a day.  Aside from that, we’ve been eating dinner late at night because that’s when most of us are already back at the hotel. I really need to cut down my food intake or else!!  It has only been two weeks now and I can feel that my jeans are getting tighter. >.< 

Marrakesh Weekend

It was a very tiresome week for the whole team.  We need to capture all information needed for our project/s, attend meetings, meetings and more meetings, and then submit a revised SOW by the end of the week.  Another team even experienced getting a request from the client for a totally different SOW. >.<  I thank God that we were able to get most of the information that we need for our project and that we were able to talk to most of the committee heads as scheduled.


To relax a bit, the whole team decided to go for a little roadtrip over the weekend.  We went to Marrakesh which is a 4-hour drive away from Rabat.  We hired a minibus with driver for the weekend since we are a group of 10 and it would be difficult to organize a train ride and reserve tickets, etc.

Kasbah des Oudaias & the Medina

Sunday was by far the best day yet.  The whole team went on a “walking-tour” around our hotel so we would get the feel of the neighborhood.  We checked out some restaurants for our succeeding dinners, nearby gym and grocery as well.  Our hotel is near the Medina.  The Medina is like a walled city and in it is a local market which sells different stuff such as fruits, herbs, spices, veggies, clothing, shoes, bags, etc.