Cheap?

There are 4 common ways for us foreign schlubs to get around Meknes, excluding of course buying some sort of vehicle of our own.

The first mode of transportation is the bus. However, we were warned before even setting foot in Meknes that the routes were complicated and that we'd do best to just avoid it.

The second mode of transportation is also common in the U.S., and is called the petit taxi. The petit taxi operates the same as taxis do in the U.S. A meter clocks the miles, and at the end of one's trip there is a fixed amount that is shared by the whole group in the taxi. The petit taxis are, as their name implies, quite small. Only three people are allowed to cram into the petit taxi at a time.

The third mode of transportation that is preferred by those who perhaps don't have bulging wallets is the grand taxi. The grand taxi travels a fixed route, much like a bus, except that it is just a large car, and the schedules are not fixed. Grands taxis fit six people in addition to the driver, four in the backseat and two in the front. Though I said it is a large car, please don't imagine that four people fit comfortably in the backseat. No, it is almost an art to fit four adults onto the bench seat, and in the weather we've been having, the backseat quickly becomes a sauna. Since the grands taxis have fixed routes, each person in the cab pays the same fixed rate.

The fourth mode of transportation is walking. In the short time I've lived in Meknes, walking has become my favorite mode of transportation. Yes, it is cheaper, but I enjoy the opportunity to explore, get lost, and take in everything around me.

Anne and I have been walking to school. The other students think we are absolutely mad. The weather has been 100+ degrees, and the sun has been relentless. However, we have seen some pretty amazing things on our walks to and from school. Yesterday, we witnessed a fender bender that almost turned into a 4 or 5 car pile up. Today we saw sheep get loose from a truck. There are people that ride donkeys into town, carrying their goods to sell. Men push carts filled with colorful squash. And, jokingly, we talk about the boost it gives one's self esteem. A full minute never passes by that you don't hear a horn honking for you or have a Moroccan man try to say hello to you in every Western language he can. For the parents that are reading this, don't worry. The men do say hello and follow us American women with their eyes, but they do not follow us or do anything inappropriate.

Today as we left school at around 11, the other students who were leaving asked why we were walking. Cheap? Perhaps, but in all honesty, I would definitely spring the 5 dirhams a day if I wanted a ride, but what better way to explore Morocco than by taking it in one step at a time?