10 July 2023 While at Fes, I made a side trip to Meknes, just an hour away.
Some of the well-known attractions were Lahdim Square, Bab Mansour, Medina, the Royal Palaces, the Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail, and numerous old city walls. The Bab Mansour was under renovation. So it was a letdown. I was admiring the Lahdim Square at its periphery, then took a photo of the Royal Palace from a distance. As I approached the entrance gate, the security guards asked to check the photos I had taken from the edge of the big square, then consulted his superior, before letting me go. How could taking photos of the square and the palace walls so far out be an issue?
I walked to these sites, each about 1-2 km apart. They didn’t provide much shade nor plant many trees here. The temperature was a flaming 43 degrees centigrade. I was walking on a hot pan. I plastered and moisturized my toes and soles. I wore my baseball cap and carried my umbrella, by now fractured in many places. I was gulping down ice-cold water while walking around like a fireball. The heat would not stop me from being a hero.
I could have been chauffeured around in an air-conditioned bus, but it wouldn’t be the same, would it?
On this trip, Meknes seems inhospitable. But I take the pains with the gains anytime.
Click here to see all the stops on this trip
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