The first word visitors to Fez pick up is not “hello” or “thank you,” but rather “balak,” meaning “watch out” or “make way.” When a mule with propane cylinders passes, its driver apologizes, and the lane closes up again behind him as if it were water. Even though Fez has been granting travelers space for twelve centuries, it still expects them to give way to the donkey. Marrakech is louder and Chefchaouen bluer, but Fez
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