Dance of the Night Medina

Now the Ramadan is over we are freed from the 7-8:30 curfew and can go out right after dinner. Last night we went to the medina. It is an entirely different experience. At night it is full of tourists and teens on dates and young families. Daytime is for the Serious Mom Shopper (who apparently purchase the Calvin Klines for the household since they were none to be seen after dark) and food shopping. Night is for prepared food so to the usual smells of leather and perfume and masses of humanity add fried onions, spices, garlic and beef.  There is not a single sense that is not assaulted by it! Magic!

There are mosques in the alleys and around the corner which of  course non- Muslems cannot enter. However nothing is labeled. You just get a sense of different activity and of course everyone is taking off the shoes. But sometime that happens in one of the inner stalls where they sell shoes.

The paths are  majorly conjested not by sales or beggars or shoppers but baby strollers! Many carry the littlest ones in a sling on the back but quasi western babies are in joggers to umbrollers. Not strapped in, however. You often see a dad leading a young child - boy or girl - and that is nice. Couples hold hands. Women hang on to each other for fear of separation. Young men often walk with arms around shoulder. We all slither past each other in the Dance of the Night Medina.