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BLOG UPDATE: Check it out: "Where's Johnny Jet" made it to the finals of the 2007 Travvies Travel Blog Awards! How cool is that? Please take 30 seconds to check out all the well-deserving nominees, and cast your vote (hopefully for JohnnyJet)! The nomination was for my destination stories – not really my blog (though what I do can be called a blog).

Saha wa'afiab ("Cheers") from Morocco! We left off in Marrakech (here's the link); this week we travel to Fez (or Fès, as it's spelled in French, and the way it's spelled here). This place has a totally different feel from Marrakech, as you will see from the scenery, food and locals. Fès is an attack on the senses -- in a good way. And the famous Fès Medina … well, it feels as if you're in an Indiana Jones movie, though without being chased. What are you waiting for? The riads have all been cleaned, and the tangines are in the oven. If you're in a hurry or have ADD (it's okay, I have it too), there's a 2-minute Johnny Jet video at the end of this week's story. And for you armchair travelers, writer Dave Zuchowski is back with three travel book reviews. Click here for his story.

GETTING FROM MARRAKECH TO FES
There are no nonstop flights between Marrakech and Fès Thus, travelers must either drive seven and a half hours, take a seven- to nine-hour train ride, or do what I did: Fly 25 minutes to Casablanca, switch planes and fly 28 more minutes to Fes. The flights are short, but the layovers can be long. Mine was four hours. I spent the time in the Royal Maroc business class lounge, enjoying complimentary snacks, drinks and wireless Internet. The good news is that Royal Maroc (tel. 800-344-6726) doesn't fly those small, rinky- dink puddle jumpers that I despise. Instead, they use Boeing 737-800's. Domestic fares start around $75 USD one way.

MARRAKECH TO FES
I got up before the sun, drove 10 minutes to the Marrakech Airport and got in line. The place was packed at 5:30 a.m. There were a bunch of early morning flights to destinations like Paris, London, Milan -- it was so early, I can't remember the rest. I do know that check-in was slow, security was quick, and no one (including myself) was searched, or told to take out their laptops or remove their shoes. The flight from Casablanca to Fès had fewer than two dozen passengers, so everyone who wanted one could have their own row (see the video below). I had no idea what to expect from Fès, because I did not have a chance to read my guidebook in advance, so the excitement started during the descent. Looking out the window at the picturesque countryside -- including the snow-capped Atlas Mountains -- was a beautiful thing.

TOUR GUIDE: Said, our tour guide (I wrote about him when I first arrived), met us at the airport. However, he had the flu and could not finish the tour. My group (I was on a Moroccan government-sponsored trip) decided we did not need a replacement, because our official chaperone was a native of Fès. Marrakchi Benjaafar worked in the tourism department in Rabat, Morocco's capital. He's a fun and smart guy who loves life, and worships his hometown. Those are great qualities for a guide as he shows you the ins and outs. He made sure this was not a normal Fès tour. The highlight came when Marrakchi showed us how the locals live, by dropping in at his cousin's house at a moment's notice. The family could not have been more hospitable. They showed us around their beautiful home, and offered us homemade cookies and tea. The treats were great -- and she's not even a professional baker.

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