March 28

On the following morning, the distant sound of rain against tarps was overtaken by the more present sound of drops into buckets in our riad.  It was raining in Fes and in our home.  Like our rental in Marrakech, this riad had an internal “courtyard” exposed to the elements.  The large courtyard in the center of our home had a temporary tarp shielding us from the rain.  This tarp leaked steadily

My stomach continued to be a problem so I opted to relax while Ted and Jeff made a trip to the new part of Fes. They directed me to a place where we could use free wireless and enjoy a new variety of food.  This was a welcome respite for me as I was eager to see what was happening in the world after such a long separation.

In the meantime, they visited a trendy café and got a “good” cup of coffee.  Apparently, they also saw the most attractive women of the trip.

That night we went to one of the only places in the city that “legally” sold alcohol.  We arrived at around 10:00pm to find we were one of only two groups in the place.  Either the rain was keeping people away or it was simply too early for drinking.  We took our places at a table over looking the rest of the bar and selected some beverages.  Eventually, a group of twenty-somethings came in dressed in their “going out” attire.  This represented the first time we’d seen girls actually get dressed up in an attempt at ‘sexy.’  We welcomed the effort and ordered another round.

They all smoked rampantly, filling the room with ‘death fumes’ beyond tolerance.  I’ve never been one to complain about cigarette smoke but my threshold was clearly exceeded by their pure dedication.  Ted and Jeff were similarly wheezing so we left “attempting-sexy-girls” for a breath of fresh air.  Once home, I smoked a nice Cuban cigar.