There are two sides to Fez, Morocco: Fez is bisected by a river, and Fez is two-faced. For this reason, my impressions of Fez are discussed in two separate posts. This is the second of those posts.
Tuesday was my first day back in Barcelona. As I walked alone down the street to class, I realized I was avoiding eye contact. My heart stopped when I failed and accidentally made eye contact with a man. There were several feet between us, and people whom I trusted to react if the man started yelling or following me. No intervention was necessary because we both carried on in our opposite directions without interacting. Fez had completely changed the way I saw Barcelona.
Barcelona feels familiar for its relative lack of harassment. No one is trying to coerce me into buying anything, going anywhere, or having sex with anyone. Barcelona feels like a reserved adolescent metropolis with greater self-control despite its youth. I had traveled 1010 kilometers northwest and more than 1010 years into the future, into a world where a woman could make her way down the street in peace. Fez is an older land, more tied to its past. It felt a bit like the imaginary idyllic past conservatives always seem to be chasing. It felt like my rights had been lost for the transgression committed when the egg from which I came was met with a second X chromosome. Their history is their pride, perhaps because they’re still living in it.
Fez is stunning. There were few moments in which I was not shocked by the treatment we received. Americans need not have fear as they’re always welcomed with, "Wow, what an excellent country! A great place! Great people! My sister/cousin/friend is in Colorado/Houston/New York!" But American women should check their privileged expectations of decent behavior before they go. A day in the medina can prove Fez’s people to be welcoming, friendly, and open. A day in the medina can also prove Fez’s people to be bullying, intimidating, and exhausting. It all depends on the day. There is always a reason for the openness though. The people speak so many languages more out of a desire to make sales than out of hospitality. You are always being lead to a sale or a demand for money in some way. Absolutely nothing is unintentional.
Fez is welcoming if you’re with a man. If you’re with a man, you’re greeted with “Big welcome!” everywhere you go. If you’re with another woman or on your own, you’re greeted with mimed masturbation and catcalls. If you’re lucky, you might even have someone ask amiably, "May I have your WhatsApp or Facebook? You are so sweet," and reply to your gentle rejection with, "Okay, no problem. I am here if you need anything at all while in Fez." On the off chance that this happens, though, it will only be between catcalls.
Fez is still beautiful. Its people are happy to have you in their country. Its tightly winding routes lead you into another time and will change the way you see your everyday. But its beauty is definitely tinged with its peoples’ behaviors. It's worth a visit, and 3 nights was the right amount of time to spend in Fez. Any more time, and I’m not sure I would have emotionally survived. I am so lucky to have had the chance to go. I feel so lucky to have made it out, back to Barcelona.
Until next time. ♥