The tea poured, he began to tell me about the wondrous herbs, spices and crystals that filled his shop. Cardomon, star anise, grains of paradise and ajwain seeds to make delicious couscous and spicy tagines. Thyme to use as an antiobiotic, marjoram to combat rheumatism. The aphrodisiacs ash berries and monk's peppers to tempt my lover when I returned home. Lavender to soothe (my hangover). and a white crystal to stop the bleeding when shaving.

My senses drunk with the wonderful aromas and the delicious tea, and my hangover beating its revenge behind my forehead, I knew I would soon be spending some money. He asked me which herbs and spices I was most keen on. I weakly selected four at random, and he began to pour my selections into bags. He put the bags on the table. They were full. I began to feel a bit scared. How much was this going to cost? He reached for the scales and started weighing, then wrote down the price for each of my selections. They totalled £68.

Despite the fog filling my brain, I knew I was in trouble. How had I got here? I didn't actually want to buy any spices at all, but how was I going to extricate myself whilst not offending him and still retaining my dignity?

Perhaps he could see my fear. Or just felt sorry for me. But whatever it was, he realised that I was a bit shocked, so took pity on me and said I could just choose two if I liked. So I chose the lavender, which I thought I would need to relax after my experience, and a strange herb which you mixed with water to make a weight-loss drink - well, it was worth a try. The total now was £32.

I knew I had to haggle. But it doesn't come easy to an English girl of Cotswold origin. I shyly said it was too much, and his eyes lit up as the game began. With the gentleness of a child and the sales techniques of a City trader, he gradually broke down my defences as I struggled to stay strong and keep up the bartering. I reduced the price whilst he threw more ingredients into the deal.

Finally, we reached an agreement with which we were both happy. I handed over the money, and finished my tea. I stood up, and we exchanged a warm and friendly handshake - he was happy with a good sale, and I was happy that I'd escaped with all of my dignity and most of my money intact.

I returned to my hotel and fell asleep, the effects of the unexpected adventure and the remnants of the hangover combining to provoke some colourful dreams. On waking, I looked into the bag that he'd given me. For just £11, I ended up with the lavender, the coriander and the weight-loss herb, and he'd thrown in free of charge the shaving crystal for my boyfriend. Plus an indelible lip balm which turned lurid pink and couldn't be removed for eight hours, making me look like Coco the Clown in my holiday photos.

Many more seasoned travellers will probably now be laughing at my inexperience, my gullibility and my weakness. I'm sure that it was a high price to pay. But the memory of the scent-filled shop, the colourful cushions, the delicious flavour of the tea and above all, the skilled and respectful shopkeeper are worth every penny, and the lesson in haggling meant that two days later I bought a wonderful leather bag at a great price!

Now where did I put my tagine?

So, when our professor explained to my study abroad group that Morocco also has a bathhouse tradition, it was just about all I could do to keep my mind focused for the rest of the class period. The first month of my semester in Morocco had been tough and a sauna was just what my tense body needed. My professor explained the hammam is an important and unique aspect of Moroccan community life and the best way to understand exactly how one works was to visit. I was sold. With visions of steamy baths flooding my head, I asked my homestay mother, Farida, if we could take a trip to the local hammam.

It took a few days for Farida to find the time. Morocco is still a very patriarchal society and the majority of my homestay mother's day was spent cooking, cleaning, serving, or shopping for her husband and two children. If anyone needed something to eat Farida made it. If someone needed something washed Farida cleaned it. If someone got sick Farida cared for him. In addition to her own family, she also spent a good deal of time visiting and helping her mother who was widowed. Somehow she managed to fit in her five daily prayers and that was about the only personal time she got. A trip to the hammam is a welcome break from her daily routine. The first afternoon she had available, Farida, her three-year-old daughter, Samira, and I loaded up buckets with soaps, shampoo, razors, washcloths and headed down the street to the local hammam.

The beautiful, steam-filled Turkish bathhouse I had been imagining is in fact related to a Moroccan hammam only as its polar opposite. Moroccan hammams are not Turkish baths. The hammam was definitely not built over thermal springs. There were no beautiful tile mosaics beneath my feet. The hammam had no pools or saunas, just a brown tile floor, concrete walls, and faucets built into the walls. Instead of marble benches along the wall, people dropped their small plastic stools or rubber mats on the floor and proceeded to wash, shave, color their hair, and socialize. Imagine being told you're getting a dream vacation to a tropical island, -- the ultimate in luxury -- and then plane tickets to Alcatraz show up in your mailbox.

The single greatest difference between the bathhouse in Budapest and the hammam was their dress codes. The Budapest bathhouse had one. The Moroccan hammam did not. And, to my very great surprise and horror, while the plastic stool is a necessity in the hammam, clothing is optional. On the afternoon I went, most of the women were opting out. The bright, tropical print bikini I was wearing could not have been more inappropriate. Having just walk off a street where the majority of women were meticulously covered from the neck down, I didn't expect to step into a room full of uninhibited, naked women.

Through the most awesome display of self-control I have ever exhibited, I kept my facial expression under control as I confronted the most nakedness I have ever experienced in my life. A few women had on white cotton underwear but they were the minority. As I followed Farida into the next room, I observed the naked bodies ranged in age from those that toddled to those that stooped and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves.
The same could not be said of me. I was not enjoying myself. I had seen a naked person before.

I just hadn't seen thirty of them in the same room. Back in my high school gym class, changing into a sports bra had taken a series of body contortions that could have put us all in Cirque du Soleil just so we wouldn't have to take our shirts off. Even if we had all changed freely in class, it would not have prepared me for the hammam. At the gym, clothes come off and go right back on. In the hammam, we all sat together in a big communal bath. I wondered if the men were as familiar with each other over in their hammam.

Because I was the only foreigner in the place, every single pair of eyes watched my family and me come in and pick a place on the floor. I began to mechanically unpack my bucket while keeping my stomach sucked in and clenched. I figured there was no reason to look terrified and fat. I was fully aware I was being scrutinized, and for this reason I struggled to keep my lips from curling in disgust as I realized we were going to be sitting in a giant Petri dish. The water that had rinsed the dirt, henna, and hair off of every woman in the room covered the floor under our bare feet. The only thing between colonies of bacteria I imagined spreading across the floor and me was a tiny plastic mat and stool about six inches off the floor.

In order to take my mind off the fungus I believed was now spreading underneath my toenails, I took my first good look around the room. There was a group of teenagers in one corner, heads bowed, engaged in an intense gossip session. There were families, mothers bathing their young daughters, and several groups of older women engaged in less boisterous but equally intense gossip. Looking at the older women, I concluded under-wire was the greatest invention ever. I also realized that one advantage of not having much for the under-wire to lift in the first place means less for gravity to pull down later. I might not be able to fill bikinis now but at least I won't have my chest resting at my waist line later.
One of these older women sitting near us, leaned over, and began talking to Farida. She gestured to me and I heard my mom say I was taking Arabic classes.

This prompted the woman to turn and, in Arabic, ask where I was from. My immediate reaction was that of a cornered animal. I was sitting in a room full of nakedness, speaking to a woman whose naked breasts grazed the tops of her knees and she wanted me to conjugate verbs in Arabic? I couldn't do it. Even after witnessing gay pride parades in Dupont Circle and buying every Michael Moore movie, I was really only a pair of buckle shoes away from being a Puritan whose eyes burned at the sight of so much nudity. Trying to speak in Arabic was the last straw and this Puritan was ready to take her bonnet and go.

My discomfort had by this point turned into full-blown panic. I could feel the adrenaline send blood pulsing to my head as my fight or flight instinct kicked in. Since I wasn't going to body slam the old woman for asking a simple question, I considered a full retreat to the safety of the locker room. I considered -- but only for a moment. I had chosen to study in Morocco as opposed to, say, England precisely because it would be more challenging. I wanted to be pushed out of my comfort zone and understand things that had previously been foreign to me. Running out of the hammam would constitute a major defeat in my eyes. I was embarrassed and uncomfortable. I was not in physical danger. Fleeing because of discomfort would make me a bit of a coward and a really big hypocrite. I would not be chased away by a pair of saggy breasts.

Since I was going to stay, I decided I might as well enjoy getting to bathe with hot water. I still hadn't quite mastered the luke-warm bucket bath over the toilet in my family's house and had several weeks' worth of unrinsed conditioner coating my hair. I turned my attention to bathing and shampooing, two things I had considered myself proficient at for some time. My Moroccan mom disagreed. When I finished rinsing the conditioner out of my hair and sat back clean and more than ready to leave, she stopped scrubbing Samira and looked me over from head to toe. She asked me if I was finished. When I said yes she shook her head, poured some soap like substance into her hand, and proceeded to rub it all over me.

If the nakedness had made me uncomfortable, the nakedness plus the manhandling made me want to jump out of my skin. Farida must have sensed this and wanted to help because when she finished with the soap she picked up what felt like the Moroccan equivalent of a Brillow pad and proceeded to scrub my skin off. I think I would have been mortified if my attention had not been diverted by raw pain. Believe me, having the top six layers of your skin scrubbed off with steel wool will effectively distract you from just about any emotional discomfort you might be experiencing.

With raw nerves and now, raw skin, I was done with the hammam. Farida and Samira were not. We stayed an additional two and a half hours. As Samira played in the buckets of water, and Farida talked to another mom, I tried to keep any part of my body from making direct contact with the floor, I figured out why we weren't leaving right away. In all the places I had been in Morocco, other than the kitchen, this was the one place where women were free to set their own rules.

In Morocco, men control the streets, offices, even the majority of rooms in the home. For women, the hammam is an oasis in the midst of strict patriarchy. Here they don't have to worry about getting harassed or tending to the needs of everyone else. For women who used the hijab, the hammam is also the only public venue where they can literally let their hair down. In the end, I had to concede that, while the hammam had nearly given me an anxiety attack, everyone else seemed to be enjoying herself. In all likelihood, if I had to live here and follow the same gender norms, I probably would never leave the hammam.
But the truth is, on future trips to Morocco I won't be going back to any hammams. When it comes to being scrubbed with steel wool by a naked woman I barely know, once is enough for me. I do, however, understand why many Moroccan women keep going back. For me a large communal bath is a mild form of purgatory but for the other women in the hammam, it is a sanctuary. And even I can agree that everyone needs a sanctuary.

Welcome to the tour, enjoy.

"Cocoa Island, in the Maldives, is home to a 23-room hotel owned and designed by Christina Ong, with architecture by Cheong Yew Kuan. The suites, which resemble local dhoni fishing boats, rest on pine poles set into the ocean floor. Steps lead from each suite right into the water." This location is perfectly private for recent honeymooners.

Udaivilas

Located along Lake Pichole in Udaipur, India, Udaivilas occupies 30 acres and offers 90 rooms, including some very luxurious guest suites. The pool, featured in this picture, borders the guest's rooms and measures more than 800 feet in length.

"It's a juxtaposition of old and new," Peter Silling says of Schloss Velden, the historic castle on Lake Wörth in Velden, Austria, and its new addition, whose interiors he designed. The modern, U-shaped wing, by the Viennese architectural firm Jabornegg & Pálffy, wraps around the rear of the castle, which was originally built by Bartholomäus Khevenhüller. Above: Black marble, custom-ordered for the suite, adds a mirrorlike reflection to the bath.

St. Regis Resort

St. Regis Resort Bora Bora, set on a motu, or islet, on island's coral reef, was created as "a kind of village," says the architect, Pierre Lacombe. Villas, secluded by palm groves, wind along the beaches. On its own island in the lagoon is the Royal Estate, a 13,000-square-foot villa. (April 2008)

Otahuna Lodge

A Queen Anne style house designed by architect Frederick Strouts in 1895, near Christchurch, New Zealand, is now an exclusive seven-suite hotel. Otahuna Lodge's owners, Hall Cannon and Miles Refo, recently renovated the property. They worked with a team of gardeners and consultants to revive the grounds.

Hôtel de la Paix

"I wanted to build on the history of the place," designer Bill Bensley says of the Hôtel de la Paix, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which was reconstructed in the Art Déco style on the site of the 1950s original. A porte cochere frames the entrance. The hotels amenities trump its competitors by providing guests with a once in a lifetime spiritual visit. I don't know what that means but, it sounds amazing.

Gran Hotel Son Julia

Located in Mallorca Spain this beautifully constructed countryside hotel has 25 lovely
guest rooms and suites , 2 Turkish baths, 3 pools, a gym, 2 restaurants, 2 tennis courts, and an 18 hole golf course just minutes away.

Peninsula Palace Beijing

Modern architecture meets luxury at this 5-star hotel providing every amenity your heart desires. "The hotel also features the most prestigious shopping arcade in Beijing; the Peninsula Arcade includes 50 exclusive designer boutiques." The hotel was designed by Chhada, Siembieda & Associates

Ice Hotel

The Ice Hotel is located in Quebec Canada. This featured theme suite called "Quebec
400"features animal skins for blankets. The ice hotel is built differently every year but, something does remain the same. Each year, the hotel is built with "5oo tons of ice and 15,000 tons of snow" carved into one of the most fascinating hotels on earth. They keep it pretty cozy at 23° to 28° Fahrenheit. However, when you're not freezing your behind off, you can enjoy the many amenities featuring a chapel, a movie theater, an outdoor hot tub, and a bar. You're going to need a bunch of hot chocolate to get through this, I assure you.

Blue Palace

Blue Palace is situated just 3 km away from the village of Elounda and within a few hundred meters of the fishing village of Plaka. The hotel is surrounded by the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea and sits opposite the isle of Spinalonga.

"Spinalonga's story dates back to the Venetians and Turks, conquerors of Crete, and is nowadays a unique historical attraction protected by the Greek Society of Byzantine Antiquities."

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Afghanistan is probably the worst in how women live. Up until 1996 things were not so bad for women. They worked outside the home and they went to school. However, once the Islamic militia took leadership in this country everything changed. Women cannot leave the house without being accompanied by a man. When they leave the house they must wear a Burqa which allows only their eyes to show. The women that once went to school and once worked were forced to give up everything and were beaten and forced to immediately return home when they tried to continue with their daily routine.

Saudi Arabia is a bit different than Afghanistan. They do restrict their women from such things as voting or dressing as they wish, yet there is a different viewpoint to why the women are expected to do certain things. In Saudi Arabia women are expected to eat and shop away from men. They are expected to remain covered, but they do not have to wear a burqua. This is a place you must understand before ever going to it. Women are thought of as highly sexual beings that need to be away from the men in order for the men to concentrate. When a girl marries a man they are expected to remain together forever. The girl is expected to have many children but she is well taken care of at the same time.

There is going to be no thought of how she is going to survive even if her husband died. She inherits the money. Saudi Arabia is one of the richest countries in the world. The women may not be able to eat with the men at a restaurant or go shopping with the men, but when they are at home they are treated like gold. They are highly respected, but as an American woman, we do not see it that way. There are cases of abuse as there is everywhere. I would say Afghanistan is probably the worst place that a woman could ever live especially when it comes to abuse.

Egypt is far from the likes of Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. Egypt gives women much more freedom. They prefer marriages that are set up between parents however, the children are free to marry whoever they wish. Since Egypt is primarily Muslim they do request women keep their heads covered by at least a scarf. As a tourist, women can dress as they wish but understand how the culture is. Respect how they see women in a respectful but desirable manner. You will want to keep your head covered and wear pants or a long dress. Women have the right to work, go to school, and they inherit all of the money from their husband in case of death. The women are looked after and highly respected. They are not separated from the men unless they are praying at the mosque. There are a number of Christian families in Egypt too and when the women go to church they dress like everyone else. They all will wear hats or scarves to cover their hair since the hair is considered a desirable part of the women.

Lebanon is a country filled with a variety cultures. Women there are not repressed at all and have numerous groups that fight for more rights to get involved in such things as political and economic issues of the country. Music is popular in Lebanon where female singers promote their songs with risqué videos. The women in Lebanon may not have as many rights as an American woman, but they are well on their way.

Basically, depending on where a woman lives in the Middle East will determine on how she is looked at, treated, and how independent she can be. She can either live a very good life or one that is hard and restrictive. It is not very easy to understand how women are treated in some of the Arab countries, but we must also recognize that they are not all the same. Each country should be seen separately and not clumped together as one group that treats women horribly. This simply is not fair to the Arab countries that don't treat women badly or are not highly restrictive.

Pastilla (bisteeya):

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It is famous pigeon pie, which is a blend of almonds, honey, fruits and spicy meats. It is dusted with a generous layer of icing sugar. Pastilla is made on special occasions such as weddings.

M'choui:

This is the ceremonial dish marking Aid el Kebir, the feat commemorating Abraham's sacrifice of a lamb instead of his son, held 70 days after Ramadan. A whole sheep is roasted on a spit and brought to the table for everyone to carve off pieces and dip into little dishes of cumin. No part of the lamb is wasted: after the feast you will see sheepskins pegged out on rooftop terraces, along with the intestines, which are sun dries for flavouring in winter stews.

Tajine:

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This is a basic beef or lamb stew (sometimes just vegetables) slowly simmered in an earthenware dish with conical lid. Black olives are invariably added to honey-flavoured sauce; apples and pears may also be thrown in. one of the rewards of walking in the Atlas mountains is to order a tajine from a Berber café before setting off, then to return a few hours later to find it cooked.

Shebakkia:

Moroccans are great sugar addicts. Tea and fruit juices are served Sweetened, and every home will have a supply of home-made sweets. During Ramadan, try shebakkia, deep-fried knots of pastry dipped in honey and sprinkled with sesame seeds. One of the pleasures of motoring in Morocco is the multitude of grill restaurants to be found along the way. They serve succulent lamb cutlets, kebabs or liver.

Harira:

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During Ramadan, Moroccans break their daily fast with fresh dates and a bowl of harira, a thick soup of beans, lentils and lamb. Every café will have this soup available for those unable to get home by appointed hours.

The ethnic values and lifestyles are still very much in tact. Fez may be a city where anyone traveling to Morocco loves to go, but, it is not by any means a metropolis of lights and glimmer. If you want to get back to the raw nature of the land this is where you'd want to be.

Fez at a Glance

Fez can only be explored by walking as the tightly woven community does not and can not allow for motorized travel. As you walk down the roads of this town and enjoy the panoramic views of the land all around you the excitement fills the air and your senses. As your eyes take in the vast beauty stretching across the distance and the countless works of art, such as the religious and cultural centers that are renowned all over the world, the sounds and smells liven up your very being. It is definitely one of the most unique places in the entire world that can invigorate your total physical body.

Fez is separated into two major sections known as Fez el-Bali and Fez el-Jedid. These are both historic quarters which are rich in momentous value. The history that this land has seen is eye opening and also quite intriguing. There are many English speaking guides that can help discover the heritage that this territory has to offer.

Fez el-Bali is known by many as a living work of art in every possible meaning of the term. The outstanding and brilliant crafts that are home here are an amazing wonder to see. It is definitely the favorite of tourists.

The large defensive walls are absolutely astounding and marvelous to look at. They were built centuries ago and just by peering at them a sense of historical value tends to rush over you. The ancient structures are both mesmerizing and entrancing. The archeological significance as well as the ethnic importance really makes for a stunning tour.

Where to Stay in Fez

When staying in Fez and enjoying the Moroccan way of life you want to stay in the best and most friendly places in the area. The location is important but the overall atmosphere and the prices involved are more of the distinguishing factors when finding the best place to spend your nights. Depending on your particular desires, this guide should help when finding the place that can make you the happiest during your stay.

The finest lodging for both the elegantly prepared cuisine in the restaurant and the rooms that are culturally decorated in the most distinguished manner is the "Hotel le Meridien Marinides". This enticing hotel sits eloquently on a hilltop that over looks Fez and all its beauty. It is higher priced than most but the service and atmosphere really makes up for it.

'Riad Maison Bleue' and the "La Maison Bleue" are yet a couple more of the higher priced yet gorgeous retreats designed to pamper the tourists with both beauty and service. The "La Maison Bleue" structure is a remodeled home that used to belong to a famous astronomer. The walls are carefully carved displaying a wondrous masterpiece.

A palace fit for royalty offers you a chance to live well during your stay. "Dar el-Ghalia" is an 18th century palace that is run by those that would rather treat you like family than guests.

'Palais Jamai' is quite popular among the tourists. This distinctly elegant building was home to Visir Jamai, an influential man in the 19th century. It was constructed well over 100 years ago but has since had a stunning facelift to invigorate the attractiveness. The view is impeccable as it over looks the gardens which add to the mystique of this land.

If budget lodging is what you are looking for yet you also want to enjoy some of the finer qualities of both service and ambiance, then you may want to check into one of the following options.

'Hotel Menzeh Zalagh' has not only one of the best locations for day walks but also has a wonderful view of the spectacular gardens. This hotel has a pool, balconies that offer exquisite outlooks and a friendly staff willing to serve you. It is very reasonably priced for all you are getting in comfort and service.

One of the absolute cheapest places to stay is the "Hotel Batha". The staff is fluent in English, the building is located nicely for the day exploring and the facility is, over all, quite comfortable.

What to Do in Fez

The shopping is by far the best around. Taking advantage of the culturally rich heritage is one of the best things about Fez. Clothes, art pieces, among other items make for an enjoyable all-day shopping experience. If this spells fun for you then be sure to visit Rue Talaa Kebira. This is a main access road filled with shops of all sorts. Surely you can find what you are looking for at this location. But, the shopping isn't the only thing to do.

Sight seeing is one of the best activities for this area. The olive trees and cacti embrace the ruins of a Merinid palace. What still remains intact to the naked eye are the tombs. Although thieves have ravaged them they are still visible and a marvel to see. This 16th century structure overlooks Fez el-Bali.

Fondouk el-Nejjarine is a spectacular sight to see. It is quite popular and is known all around the globe as a World Heritage Site for everyone to enjoy. It was built in the 18th century, this hotel sheltered traders of fine luxury goods. It was fully restored in 1998 to enhance its visual beauty. The structure itself is refined and brilliantly designed. This is definitely a must see.

Perhaps you are geared more toward seeing the finer things that Morocco has to offer such as the artistic expressions that are used in the making of fine ceramics, engravings, and wood carvings. It is an intriguing process that requires much skill and mastery to accomplish. Fez el-Bali is the very pulse of creativity in all the land. The best part of this is the fact that there are many English speaking guides that are more than happy to explain the details involved.

Souk el Henna is a fascinating little market surrounded by splendor. There are many shops around this unique place that provides spices, pottery and more. A vast sea of aromas flood your senses and fill the air all around as you walk through. This is a very interesting stop to make in Fez.

Destination Conclusion

Fez is not only known for it enchanting attractiveness, and over all charm but also for the food. Many four star restaurants add to the allure of this city serving not only the tastiest and elegantly prepared foods of Morocco but also providing the atmosphere of this culturally rich land as well. Belly dancers grace the floor while you enjoy the unique flavors and sip some of the most savory wines.

If you yearn for nightlife you can also indulge in a rather exuberant night club called Ville Nouvelle. It is the only one in Fez but that's okay because they really know how to party. This wild and energetic gathering can show you a good time if you wish to take part.

Regardless where your itinerary leads you, Fez is a wonderful place to visit and enjoy an adventure like no other. Whether your vacation ideas are to relax, take in the sights or just experience a different way of life, this Moroccan city is sure to please you and fill your senses with a bouquet of new and fresh delights.