Cash Chuckers

One of the first things the owner of the riad in told us was that if we were interested in any type of artistic goods he could steer us towards the best places in Fes to buy them. Tim was especially interested in the blue and white ceramics we have spotted on the street from time to time. We asked him about this type of work and he arranged for a guide to take us to a shop where they actually create the pieces. The shop was outside the medina and the guide was to drive with us to and from the cooperative.

When he arrived we were told he could not follow us to the car because he was an unsanctioned guide and the police were trying to crack down on this type of arrangement. It was hard to take them seriously because of all of the unofficial guides that pester us each day. We arrived at the car park and the guide was not far behind. Relieved that our vehicle was still intact we drove off to the pottery workshop where we were greeted by a jolly man who spoke decent English. He walked us through the full process of creating the pottery from shaping to baking.

For the flat tile work they lay out all of the hand chiseled pieces upside down then cement them into place only seeing the design upon completion of the piece.

The tour ended, as most tours do, by the gift shop. This shop housed an amazing array of hand crafted pottery.

The guide wanted to prove that the quality of their goods were top notch, so this happened.

It probably would have shattered under my weight. We made offers for the goods we liked and the tour guide quickly changed from fun loving pal to aggressive dealer. We bargained as best we could and settled on our final prices. I ended up with a set of coffee mugs and Tim left with some weird jug and a plate.

I still had a taste in my mouth for more carpet. This thirst would be quenched with a visit to the cooperative rug dealer. A guide led us to the coop where we first learned how to hand make a rug. I was decent at this process but Tim looked like a sweeping wave of autism had crashed over him. That being said, neither of us could hold any kind of a candle to the pace at which the professional weavers could fly through the loom.

With mint tea in hand we were treated to an extensive history of the house we were in, the types of rugs, and the story of the coop. Essentially the government controlled rugs have controlled prices and each come with a certificate of authenticity. The coop was formed to provide divorced and impoverished women with a decent income stream as this is difficult for them otherwise. We were told 70% of the profits went to these women. Whether this is true or not who knows.

Rug after rug was thrown out in front of us. Each time a rug was shown they would pick up a corner and scratch the back to apparently show the stitch count. This became quite laughable as you cannot truly discern anything from this. Nearly 50 rugs were laid out before us. We then had to sort through them and say either Ishla or Holay to keep the carpet on the floor or remove it. I was intrigued by the possibility of purchasing a rug and reselling it back home so I made an investment. We will see how this works out. With a set price I did not have to worry about negotiation. Tim had a different experience.

Tim on the other hand had some haggling to do. He fancied an intricate antique rug that took a single woman 3 years to make out of camel hair. Although the prices were set on new rugs this was not the case for used ones. Tim's first offers did not go over so well and the dealer said he had 'The taste for champagne and the wallet for beer.' The dealers bargaining process turned out to be quite aggressive. The negotiation took its toll on Tim and although he didn't end up with the camel carpet, he got one he was still happy with for a much more reasonable price.

The dealer kept calling Tim's rug the blood of morocco because the women who weave them will work for one week straight then take a month off because their finger tips start to bleed. Good work Tim, way to belittle women. You can see his blood rug on the Left.

Anyone want to buy a carpet? To polish off the day we had dinner near the main gates where we are typically hassled when we walk through by young men who stuff menus in our hands. We decided to pit them against each other and settled for the place with the best deal. We got a 4 course meal with drink for $6 each. On our way back I made the quintessential purchase in Fes.

Tomorrow we head to the desert. Internet will most likely be nonexistent  Wish us well and we will update when possible. Audios.