The American Fondouk, Fez, Morocco: Fantasia

On Saturday, we slept in till 8am, got ready, and enjoyed a free breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our hotel. Before beginning our adventures for the day, we used the hotel phone to call “Marrakech by Air,” the company we were interesting in booking for a hot air balloon ride and camel trek on Sunday. With the help of our hotel keeper, we were able to successfully make a reservation for Sunday morning. We would be picked up in the square at 7am and begin our unforgettable experience in Marrakech. We were so excited and figured this was a once in a lifetime experience. In a few years when we were actually making money instead of acquiring more loans, we wouldn’t even blink at the cost for what the opportunity entailed.

A view of a carriage and a working donkey on the way to the Bahia Palace.
The park on the left had a horrific smell, and we discovered
it was used as a public bathroom by the homeless.

The first, rather plain courtyard iside the Bahia Palace

After we settled our plans for tomorrow, we set out to explore some of the major attractions in the Medina. My guide book outlined a four hour walking tour of the Medina, and we headed to the start of the tour at the Bahia Palace. The Palace was beautiful. The first courtyard was plain with white walls, blue stripes, and a fountain in the middle. As we made our way through the palace, we began to experience the beauty and grandness that made up the palace. The gardens were beautiful. The walls were decorated with intricate zellij and stucco work. The doors were made of finely carved and painted cedar as was the elaborate ceilings. Pictures cannot even begin to do justice for the beauty inside this palace. We were awed by the intricate detail and craftsmanship and could not imagine living in such a spectacular place. Nothing that made the palace look livable remained so it was difficult to imagine how each room was used and arranged back in the 18 and 1900s. Nonetheless, it was impressive and we left the palace in awe.

Michelle on the edge of the garden in the courtyard.

Michelle shows off her hanna attack in the garden

The beautifully carved and painted pillars, archways, doors and ceilings in the Bahia Palace

Michelle gives a size comparison for the grandness of this palace

Michelle and I in the garden of the Bahia Palace

Michelle makes friends with one of the resident cats in the Bahia Palace

In the garden of the Dar Di Said

Admiring the beautiful craftsmanship inside the Dar Si Said

Next we proceeded up the street and through a few alleys before finding the second stop, Dar Si Said. This Dar houses the Museum of Moroccan Art. We browsed through the museum, trying to overhear a little of what one of the English speaking tour guides was saying. We enjoyed looking at ancient Berber arts and crafts in the beauty of the lovely Dar.

A view inside the courtyard at the Dar Si Said

Monkeys in the sqaure in the Medina of Marrakech

Next we wondered back up to the square, stopping in a few shops and buying a few things at less than half the original quoted price. We were getting better at our bartering. We passed by some moneys in the square before heading back down the road leading to our riad. We took a break in the comfort of our hotel and discussed what we would do tonight. I had asked one of the shop owners earlier if there were fantasias in Marrakech. He said a hotel called Chez Ali held them and even offered to drive us. We didn’t accept his offer but instead returned to our riad to do further research. With only some difficulty, we found some information about the fantasias held three times a week at Chez Ali and lucky for us, Saturday was one of those nights. We tried to make a reservation but the office only spoke Arabic and French and when we asked our hotel keeper to help us, no one answered the line. We were assured that we could just show up and pay when we got there so we decided to catch a taxi at 7pm in order to have plenty of time to get situated before the show started at 8pm.

Our little table inside the Earth Cafe

The grand courtyard inside the ruins of the Badi Palace featuring gardens and swimming pools

A view across the swimming pools in the Badi Palace

In the meantime, we wondered back out into the Medina. We stopped and ate a cute little vegetarian café called the Earth Café, and loved our tasty meals. We traveled south again, this time to the Badi Palace (different than the Bahia Palace we saw earlier today) and the Saadian Tombs. The Badi Palace was constructed in the 1500’s for the Golden King of the Saadian dynasty, sultan Ahmed Al Mansour Ad-dahbi. The general plan of the royal palace was inspired by the Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain, a palace my husband, Chris, and I had visited on our honeymoon to Spain. The palace now lays in ruins, raided 75 years after its completion. The palace is still amazing to walk through. The huge courtyard still has 4 gardens growing orange trees and roses, and two large swimming pools. Surrounding the courtyard, we toured the ruins of guest rooms, pavilions, and dark passageways leading to small rooms we assumed were either workers’ or slaves’ quarters. The palace was huge and beautiful, even in its ruined state. Just as we were about to leave the palace and head to the Saadian tombs, the call went out for closing time. Unfortunately we would not be able to see the tombs. Perhaps tomorrow, if time allowed.

Wondering through the dark tunnels in the Badi Palace

The view from the top of the terrace in the Badi Palace.
Look at all the satellight dishes!

Following a horse drawn carriage to the Koutoubia Mosque

We wondered back up to the Djemaa el-Fna square and did a little shopping to pass the time until we would need to catch a taxi. We wondered through the gardens of Koutoubia Mosque before finally catching a taxi at 7pm. I handed the taxi driver a slip of paper with our destination, the Chez Ali, and the address. He knew what it was, as well as the time frame and quoted us 300 dirham. The price was quite steep but the hotel was far away, out in the Palmary of Marrakech. We tried to barter down but the driver kept trying to explain in French that the distance and the time he would spend driving us there and then coming back to pick us up required such a price. He seemed to know what he was talking about, even though he only spoke French, and we did not so we agreed and climbed in the cab.

The long line of carriages on the way to the taxi stand

Aboard the mighty fantasia stead. I wore the perfect matching outfit for the occasion.

When we arrived we wondered if we were in the right place. There was nobody around. The doors were closed and only the taxi was parked in the parking lot. A short while later a fantasia horse and his rider came to the gate and offered to give us a ride. We gladly accepted, even though it was a pathetic little pony ride, and we tipped him 20 dirham, the smallest change we had. At 8 o’clock the gates opened and we were lead inside. The taxi driver stayed with us, making sure we were able to get a seat before he left with the promise to return at the end of the show. We paid him half of the requested fare and found our table after being lead around the beautiful arena surrounded by royal tents and palaces. We were the first and only guests there for quite a while. We wondered around and slowly the entertainment began as more guests trickled in. There were several bands playing and camel rides offered. Michelle and I mostly just toured around admiring the architecture and grandness of the tents and whole set up. It reminded me of a scene out of Aladin. Finally about 9pm the majority of the guest had arrived, the tents were full, and the food and entertainment began. We started with soup, followed by a quarter carcass of some sort of greasy animal, perhaps a lamb, then a giant platter of couscous, and finally a tray of oranges, apples, and tangerines. While we ate, different entertainment strolled through the tents. Various musicians, singers, and Moroccan belly dancers paraded through the tents. Occasionally they would invite someone up to dance or play with them but many of the performs had the expression that they were just doing their job. When the meal was over and we had enjoyed our mint tea, everyone proceeded to the stands surrounding the arena. We found a cozy spot under an outdoor heater and prepared ourselves for the moment we’d been waiting for, the actual fantasia.

The gates into the Chez Ali

Michelle looks right at home with her Berber pants and head scarf

The entryway into the Chez Ali Fantasia Show

A view inside our tent

The palace behind our tent

A look across the arena to the palace with eating tents infront

I pose for a picture infront of the palace

Michelle and the camel that was giving camel rides

Michelle and I are excited for our meal inside our tent

Our giant platter of couscous.
This platter had a diameter of about 16 inces.

Some of the entertainment during our meal

The horses are riden in together at the start of the Fantasia

The fantasia started with the horses parading around in a sort of disorganized drill team fashion. Half of the horses lined up on one end of the arena, the other half on the other, and every few minutes they would walk across the arena in unison and change sides while the music played. Next several trick riders raced in circles around the arena, hanging upside-down off their horses, jumping off and running next to their horses, then jumping back on, and a few flips, twists, and other vaulting maneuvers. Next a white Andalucían looking horse came out and did the Spanish walk and bowed to all sides of the arena. Finally, a boy with a little donkey rode out at a gallop. He and the Andalucian rider hopped off and tried to get their horses to lay down/fall over, by cranking their heads round to the side and pulling them over. It took them both several good tries before they both finally fell over. The crowd clapped and the next stage of the show began. A platform slowly came out into the middle of the arena, likely pushed by hand from underneath. A belly dancer was brought to the stage by camel and danced for several minutes. Finally the stage retreated and the horsemen gathered at the far end of the arena. The music grew and the horses charged forward. Near the end of the arena all the men fired their guns in unison before coming to a quick halt. Everyone clapped and the demonstration proceeded several more times during the night’s show. At the end of the show, all the cast walked together down the center of the arena. Colorful spotlights shined on the crew as they gathered and waved to the crowd. Finally the horses all rode off and the people on foot disappeared to the gaits to wish the guests good bye as they funneled out of the castle walls. Michelle and I took a moment to explore the small museum at the entrance of the castle that we had missed on our way in. Full of excitement, good food, and exhaustion, we left the castle walls. We were greeted by our taxi driver almost immediately and he took us safely back to the square in the Medina. We collapsed in our bed, anxious for what excitement tomorrows adventure would bring.