Volubilis

Ever since I began thinking about a trip to Morocco, one of the places I was most curious to visit was Volubilis, an ancient Roman city lying in ruins about 30 km north of Meknes. Yesterday morning I made the trip at last.

For some inexplicable reason, there is no organized public transportation to Volubilis; the only way to get there is to take a tour, hire a driver for a half day, or pile into a grand taxi with six other people and then walk 4 km from a nearby city, Moulay Idriss. I'm not a big fan of taking organized tours to places like this because they have a tendency to rush people through the site. Plus, at least here in Morocco, they almost always make at least one and sometimes multiple stops at carpet dealers or handicraft stores where you're subjected to hard sells and then have to sit around and wait for other people to negotiate deals for their purchases. Often the shopping lasts longer than the visit to the site. Not fun. Hiring a car for a half day costs about $50 and only includes the transportation, not a guide to the site. A seat in the grand taxi is $1.20. Easy decision. :)

I got an early start because the weather has been punishingly hot here this week. Yesterday it got up to 106 degrees, so I was on my way by 9 am, but it was already in the 90s. The car hire is at the same place as the grand taxi stand, and a couple of men tried to convince me that the grand taxis were not for foreigners, that it was impossible to reach Volubilis from where the cabs let out, blah blah blah. That kind of thing is really annoying, but I was as insistent as they were and quickly found a place in a grand taxi (another situation where being able to speak some Arabic was really helpful!).

As I've mentioned before, the grand taxis are shared among multiple passengers all traveling to the same place. They operate like buses, but instead of running on a schedule, the taxi leaves when it is full. That means that there are two passengers in addition to the driver in the front seat and four people squished together in back. I was squashed in back between a nice elderly lady and an older gentleman who spoke English, and even though it was crowded, it was kind of a nice ride. The windows were open, so it wasn't too hot, the people were chatting about the election coming up, and I was watching the gorgeous scenery. This part of Morocco reminds me of northern California. It's in the foothills of the mountains and there are rolling hills, huge valleys, and miles of olive trees and hayfields. Lovely.

The cab's drop off point was Moulay Idriss, a sacred Islamic city built on the steep face of a mountain. Moulay Idriss was the founder of an important Muslim dynasty in the 700s, and he founded both Fez and the city that bears his name. The city of Moulay Idriss is home to a shrine to the man, and many Muslims make a pilgrimage to the shrine (I read that in Islamic religious practice, it's worth one-fifth of the hajj to Mecca). Non-muslims aren't allowed to visit the shrine, and in fact, until 2005, non-Muslims weren't even allowed to stay overnight in the city. It's a pretty town, with square little houses that look like they're stacked on top of one another because of the incline of the mountain. But since I wasn't allowed to do much there, I didn't feel a need to linger. I offered my driver a few extra dollars to drop me off at Volubilis, saving me the long walk in the hot weather, and he was happy to make the deal.

Volubilis was once the end of the line of the Roman empire--the farthest outpost. The empire stretched west through France and Spain and then south into Morocco and inland only as far as Volubilis. The area was and is some of the most fertile farmland in all of north Africa, which is why Rome wanted to control it. And it also supplied a lot of the game that the Romans needed for food or sacrifices: it used to have elephants, lions, and bears, but they're all extinct now. Because it was so far from Rome and because the native Berbers from the nearby mountains essentially refused to be conquered, Rome only controlled the site for about 200 years before abandoning it.

The site is in tough shape now. It was plundered for some of its marble columns and other ornamentations when Meknes was founded hundreds of years ago, and it's not being well preserved. It's overgrown with weeds and wildflowers, there are mosaic floors unprotected from the elements that are fading fast, and there's no security other than a flimsy wire fence. I've seen my share of ancient ruins, and I was a little surprised that the Moroccan government would be so casual about the place.

But one great aspect of it was that I had it almost all to myself. It's a huge site, with ruins of homes, grand arched city gates, olive oil presses, baths and other buildings. And the entire time I was there, I saw maybe a dozen other people, mostly at a distance. The ruins look out over a majestic valley that would have been worth the trip alone, and I loved walking through the site hearing only the breeze from the valley swaying the wildflowers and the weeds. Oh, and the storks snapping their beaks. Morocco is crammed with storks--they live on all of the tall buildings, including the ruins, and when they are about to eat, they make this loud snapping noise with their beaks--it sounds kind of like hammering. They're pretty birds, but those beaks mean business and I wouldn't want to get too close or upset them.

Speaking of things that mean business, I have never in my life experienced more aggressive biting insects than at Volubilis! The place was absolutely swarming with these angry little black fleas/mosquitoes/bitey things that made this horrible tiny squealing noise like mosquitoes. Every time I paused to take a photo or read my guide, they were all over me and whining in my ears. So gross! They were so bad that I had a scarf wrapped around my head over my hat and I could still hear it. I must have looked hilarious swatting at them (and swearing continually since there was nobody else within earshot). Even as I write this, I feel itchy. Of course, I feel itchy all the time today because I got so many bites. At least this area isn't supposed to be malarial!

Anyway, for all the bugs and the hassle, Volubilis was still a terrific place to see. The ruins and the setting were perfectly matched, and I took tons of pictures, some of which are posted below. After I was finished, I started the 4 km walk back to Moulay Idriss to catch a grand taxi back to Meknes, and the walk was hot but quite beautiful. I took it slowly, stopping for pictures and to rest in the shade from time to time, and was more or less enjoying it. Three or four cars stopped to offer me a ride to the city, but I felt a little funny about accepting a ride from a stranger, even though I'm sure they were all kind people just wanting to offer a lift. But when I was about a half mile from town and about to start climbing the steep hill to the taxi stand, a grand taxi headed to Meknes pulled over, and I was thrilled not to have to haul myself up the hill in 100+ degree sun. Great timing!

Next up later today, Fez--a city I have been anxious to see for years! :)