With no mechanized transportation allowed inside the 9,000 narrow alleyways of the Fès el-Bali walled medina, you may wonder how the all the fresh produce and the raw materials to manufacture the millions of souvenirs are delivered to the artisans and traders everyday. Enter – to the cries of "Balek-Balek" (Arabic for "Get out of the way") – the handcart and the mule. These centuries-old traditions continue today...all that has changed is that the mules are now kitted out with rubber soles to help prevent their feet slipping on the cobbled streets. Crafted from disused rubber tyres, this represents another fine example of the Moroccan tenets of re-use, recycle and remanufacture.
