Finally, Some Photos!

You probably thought I wouldn't update this anymore, but until today, I didn't have much to report. Before today, I hadn't thought much of Fez. It just seemed like kind of a grungy city that was, apart from the noticeable differences in culture, not that interesting. But this weekend, I finally made my way over to the Fez medina, the old medieval walled city. Fez was once the capital of medieval Morocco, and is still known today as the intellectual, religious and spiritual (if not de jure) capital of the country. Its walled city is held by many to be second to none, and today I finally got to see it for myself. What an interesting experience. Time seems to have crawled at a slow pace here, only reaching into the future to grasp what it absolutely needs. It's quite odd to see a pack mule lumbering through the narrow, winding streets with several plastic crates of Coca-Cola, or to see cell phone shops peeking out of 900-year-old buildings. Or even to walk by what I know to be the oldest operating university in the world. Even now as I type this, I can still smell the dyes of the leather tanneries, where there has been little technological innovation in the last few centuries. Much of the main street resembles a chaotic bazaar, with deserted nooks and crannies inviting you to explore its secrets. Some of our companions sought out carpets, traditional bath soaps, or centuries-old copies of the Qur'an. I was just looking for experiences (and photo opportunities). I didn't get much of the latter, but what I did get will be posted on Flickr in due time.

In the meantime, let me mention what I actually came here to say, which was that I posted another set of Turkey photos on my Flickr account, this time of the ancient ruins of Ephesus. Enjoy.