#40 Madness in Marrakech
Friday morning was spent getting to the Malpensa airport and flying to Marrakech. It was really exciting, as it was the first time I had ever ventured to Africa or the Arab world. The sky was exceptionally clear so I was able to see the scenery below during the entire flight. Overall, my flying experience was much better with Easyjet than Ryanair as Ryanair makes you take off and land in obscure cities at least an hour away from the actual destination whereas Easyjet takes you to more convenient airports at the same or lower prices.
Country #9 Morocco
Destination #17: Marrakech, Morocco
The day truly started when we exited the customs checkpoint at 1:00 that afternoon. We were met by our cab driver and walked to the car. The taxis in Morocco match the color of the surrounding desert sand and there were no seat belts in the back seats of the cab. Until reaching the medina (old part of town), the cab ride was smooth and Marrakech looked like an Islamic Arizona with lines of the Moroccan flag covering the sides of the road. However, when we entered the medina, Morocco showed its true chaotic colors. The roads were narrow and filled with just as many donkeys as cars. We then arrived to our Riad (Moroccan guesthouse/palace) where we were staying for the next two days.
The riad was a nice, calm place in the middle of the hectic medina. Within the heart of the old city, it was designed like a traditional Muslim estate from the middle ages. It had a medieval blue entry door with a smaller door carved into it that actually served as the entrance. It also had a tricky set of locks that I never figured out how to open. Inside there was a semi-outdoor living room with a retractable tarp for roofing. It was filled with books, board games, and rawhide couches. The ceiling were very low, especially in the bathroom where my head grazed it. I always had to watch my head when climbing up or down the stairs. On the top of the riad was a large terrace which provided a view of the medina and plenty of tables and lounge chairs to kick back or eat breakfast. However, the medina is are the city’s roofs topped with a sea of satellite dishes. Our room was right next to the terrace and was locked with a padlock normally used for a school or gym locker.
After settling in, we tried to find the medina square to eat some lunch and haggle in the souks (Morrocan markets). We tried to find the square Morrocan teenagers like to make a joke out of lost tourists and try to tell you that a certain road is closed or the square is the other way to mislead people. I learned, like in India its best not to talk to the locals as they just look at you as money tree and try to find ways to rip you off or sell hashish (marajuana).
We went in a circle three times and still could not find the square. Lost and hungry we decided to eat at a restaurant that was close by to the riad. It ended up being a somewhat fancy (and overpriced by Moroccan standards) place that sort of served as a refuge for weary and hungry western travelers. The seats and table were low to the ground, but comfortable. Even with English lyrics the music gave a calm Middle Eastern vibe to the place which had waiter dressed like guards from the 19th century and the looks of an upscale version of the bar in the movie Casablanca, but with an open aired roof. I ordered a soda and beef tagine with tomatoes while Matt ate couscous. The food tasted good, but it was not filling at all and left me unsatiated. Also the waiters took their time helping us as we ended up sitting in the restaurant for nearly two hours. Half of that time was waiting for the check after asking for it.
We then decided to try some alternate routes to the square and after two more attempts of finding it, we finally reached the souks. The souks are narrow streets of small shops and open air stands covered by a makeshift roof from an iron plate and hanging Moroccan flag banners.
Matt and I began haggling for various goods to bring back to the states. I bought myself a traditional red Moroccan fez (see picture below) and haggled it down to 40% of the asking price. Matt bought a Fez for his brother at a slightly higher price and some leather slippers for his girlfriend. We also tried haggling for other things, but at the end of negotiations, their prices were still too high for me to actually want to buy anything else. Haggling is very fun and unique to my travels in the third world (previously India and Mexico). It would be interesting to see more haggling stateside, but that the souks are part of what gives Morocco its flavor.
We then arrived at the main square in time for dinner. We saw snake charmers, dealers of lizards and ostrich eggs, and a variety of street dealers and performers before eating. We ate at one of the stalls and had some delicious beef shish kebabs with some fries and soda. After eating we saw a Moroccan drum band and walked around the lively square. We then headed back to the riad as the medina becomes unsafe after the souks close. I then chilled at the riad lounge and wrote my notes for the day. I shortly fell asleep after as another intense day was in the waiting for Saturday.
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