Tei nana filmatam alsirra

Today I had the best tea I have ever tasted in my life. But better than the taste of the tea was the fact that I was drinking it in a restaurant that was simply a French woman's living room. In order to eat at this restaurant, we made friends with one of the security guards who works at the language center, and when we said we were looking for a place to eat dinner, he told us to follow him. He led us through the maze of alleyways in the old city until we arrived at an unremarkable door with a small sign that said "Restaurant" in English. The security guard knocked on the door and a moments later a young Moroccan guy opened the door and let us in.

The inside of this house was absolutely gorgeous. The building was three stories tall and the roof was open to the evening sky above us. The walls were covered in artwork. We sat and talked with the guard for a while until he left and we ordered chicken, which was followed by tea that the lady of the house made with mint and herbs she grows herself. She also brews and bottles her own rosewater and her own jams. Vases in the house were filled with drying herbs and the smell of cooking, boiling tea, and roses was an experience in itself.

Earlier in the day we visited a museum that was simply an old madrasa. In most Arab countries, the word madrasa simply means "school" but in Morocco, the word refers specifically to a Muslim religious school (this is also how we use the word in the United States). We toured the school, and the architecture was fascinating. Excerpts of the Quran were carved and inscribed on the walls alongside intricate patterns. The inside of the building contained an open courtyard with a fountain for Muslims to wash their hands and feet before entering a mosque or praying.

We climbed to the roof to look over the old city, at the minarets that tower above the old buildings and the mountains far beyond the edge of Meknes.

I didn't write a post yesterday but a couple funny things involving fire happened. First, on my walk back to the hotel I found a blazing brush fire by the side of the road. There was no one around and no cars seemed to be stopping, but the fire was getting bigger and it was right next to the hotel and other buildings. The dry underbrush was perfect tinder, so I decided to do the right thing and tell the hotel staff...after I took a couple pictures. By the evening the fire was dead. I have no idea whether it died out on its own or whether whatever fire department they have here put it out.

Second, I was walking around the old city exploring and I happened to turn a corner when I heard a huge POP!!! I jumped in surprise and saw a group of children scatter. When I smelled a sharp burning odor, I realized that the fleeing boys had been playing with fireworks in the street (like children should, right?). More stories about Moroccan children's shenanigans next time.