From Fes to Chefchaouen

As I walk to the bus station at 7 am, the streets of the Medina are still deserted. The bus departs at sunrise, it will be a sunny day without clouds.

After an almost 5-hour drive, I arrive in Chefchaouen, the blue city. I walk 25 minutes to the old town to the Main Square. Many Asians come to Chefchaouen, and that's why I am approached by a man from Malaysia on the way, who wants to take a photo with me.

I wait in a restaurant with a freshly squeezed orange juice for Nabil, the friend of my Couchsurfing host Rhani. Although I am sitting in one of the most central tourist restaurants, the prices here are very cheap, at least compared to Fes. It's not until I look at a Spanish menu that I realize that I also order in Spanish and he understands me.

Later, Nabil arrives with his dog. In addition to his teaching profession, he offers painting courses to tourists on Airbnb. He is also an active Couchsurfer, calm, unreligious contrary to the majority of Moroccans, and we get along well. After a coffee, I explore the beautiful blue streets on my own. What I particularly like is that you can really stroll through the shops here in peace. You don't see pushy salesmen like in Fes here.

View of Chefchaouen from the Spanish Mosque:

Later, I meet my host Rhani. It turns out that he is a cook and also offers cooking classes for tourists. So in the evening, I learn the secret recipe for a vegetarian Tajine, which is also the most delicious one I have eaten in Morocco so far.

By the way, I had some concerns about Couchsurfing in Morocco. I received over 100 requests, all from men, which made me a bit uneasy. But Rhani had very good reviews from female solo travelers, and the communication worked well too. And I'm glad that I dared to do it. In the short time I have used Couchsurfing/Airbnb, I have had much better experiences with people than when I was alone in Fes.