Aliza In The Field

Chefchaouen is maybe the most beautiful place in Morocco, if not one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, ever. The town is mostly medina (old city), everything painted blue and white and set against the Rif Mountains. It is cleaner and nicer than (though admittedly less expansive as) the Fes medina, and also marks the place where people started speaking to us in Spanish. This was my favorite back when I visited as a study abroad student in college, and after a MUCH longer stay this time…it might still be.

There was not that much to see here, but Shonali and I very much enjoyed the chill and relaxed nature of the town, the lovely kasbah in the center plaza, and most especially the beautiful view from our excellent hostel, Riad Baraka. We also did a short hike up to the Spanish Mosque, though it was not as short as promised (“my mum does it in her slippers with the dogs,” is what we were told by Joe, who runs the hostel); still, it had a view that was worth the trek. Though had we known, we might have worn better shoes, as usual.