We wandered through the tight alleyways of Fez's medina and shopping area with a tour guide who weaved us past spice shops, Moroccan clothing and into a very old tannery where leather goods were made. The guide mysteriously handed us fresh sprigs of mint as we entered the leather shop and told us to follow him. After walking up a winding set of stairs, we emerged outside to the worst stench I have ever smelled and I quickly put the mint to my nose. He explained that daily they use pigeon poop from hundreds of rooftops around the city to manipulate the leather during one step in the process. After quickly taking a few pictures of the men working in the dying pools, I gagged and ran down the stairs as fast as I could to escape the smell!
While I could have spent the afternoon getting lost in the medina and people watching as donkeys brought in goods, parents hustled their children around and hawkers tried to sell their wares, I never want to smell anything like that ever again...
Fez, from above:
One of the alleys in the medina:
A storeowner and his shop:
A school where students study the Quran:
A public water fountain:
Another alleyway in the medina:
A sewer, working in his shop:
The dyeing pools in the tannery yard:
A donkey bringing in goat skins to the tannery:
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