On Sunday, we took the bus back to Marrakech, where we stayed for three nights. Marrakech was everything Essaouira was, but times 1000 and minus the beach. It’s a huge, sprawling city and compared to it, Essaouira seemed quaint. One day as we were wandering, I saw a woman dressed entirely in a birka and hijab, with only her eyes revealed. She was completely swathed in fabric to cover her body, but on her shoulder was a Louis Vuitton bag and on her feet, stilettos. The look was a fascinating juxtaposition for me, but it was also an indication of the cosmopolitan, wealthy culture of the big city.
 |
| The view of part of the Marrakech medina from a restaurant we ate at Sunday night. |
Marrakech is very driven by tourism, but that seems to be a characteristic common to Morocco in general, not necessarily just Marrakech. One day when we first arrived, I sheepishly put away my map, instinctively thinking to myself that I didn't want to look like a tourist. Two seconds later I realized it was impossible for me NOT to look like a tourist here. In my jean skirt and tank top, with my fair skin, height and blonde hair, I stuck out like a sore thumb among the dark haired, dark skin-toned, conservatively dressed Moroccan women. Jess blended in more easily than I, but western dress still made our tourist status glaringly obvious. Lucky for us, tourists were welcomed everywhere we went and many locals’ clearly made their yearly income doing so.
Upon arrival in Marrakech, our riad manager met us on the main street and took us back through the windy maze of narrow, disorganized streets to the door of our riad. When we finally got there, Jessica and I looked at each other and giggled – we both knew there was no way we would have been able to find our way through the maze on our own. The Marrakech riad was very similar to the Essaouira riad, except that this one - appropriately - had a bigger, more urban feel to it. We relaxed for a bit, then headed out to explore, taking careful notice of how to wind through the streets to get back.
 |
| Looking down into our Marrakech riad from the rooftop terrace |
Our riad was very close to Djemaa El-Fna, the main square in the medina. Back in the day, it was the place where public executions took place and its name literally means "assembly of the dead". Today, it is sprawling, crowded and feels like its main purpose is to make money from tourists, though in 2001 UNESCO named it a 'Masterpiece of World Heritage'. Rows upon rows of merchants sell dried fruits, nuts, spices, freshly cooked snails, fresh squeezed orange juice, mint to make Moroccan mint tea (also nicknamed “Moroccan whiskey”), henna tattoo artists, outdoor stalls grilling up food, street performers and more. Again, the pervasive hustle made me feel like I was never quite sure what was going to come at me from where. This feeling was validated when we found the snake charmers. I'm terrified of snakes and quickly walked away, but Jess lingered, watching. Before we knew it, a man came up behind her and draped a snake over her shoulders. She smiled with joy, but I trembled in fear. As I waited for her, a man came up with a snake to drape around my shoulders: I shrieked and skittered as far away as possible. I took Jess’ picture – from a safe distance – and the snake charmer demanded 10 euros from her. She gave him 2 and we continued to wander through the rest of the square – with me on a constant vigil for snake charmers...
 |
| A view of one part of the Djemaa el-Fna |
 |
| Fresh squeezed orange juice in Djemaa el-Fna |
 |
| This was way too close for me to be comfortable. |
 |
| But Jess loved it. |
We spent one of our final two days enjoying the sites of Marrakech and the other taking a day trip to the mountains where we went on a beautiful hike and rode a camel.
 |
| Riding camels - Me on the first one, Jess on the last one. |
 |
| Life from the back of the camel |
 |
| We hiked to the top of that waterfall! |
The cultural sites in Marrakech were enchanting, old and ornately decorated with mosaics and elaborate woodworking. We continued to meet people who happily guided us on our way, including one precocious teenage boy, Abdul, who volunteered ("without pay" he insisted) to guide us through the windy, elaborate maze of streets to find a fountain we were looking for. My guidebook said it was the first fountain in Marrakech, and a site for locals to gather to gossip and socialize. We thought we weren’t too far from it but promptly got lost trying to get there, until Abdul found us. He deftly lead us through the maze to the famed fountain … which was a faucet sticking out of a wall. A man sitting next to it saw us coming and proudly said "the oldest fountain in Marrakech!" ... but it was pitifully unimpressive, especially after we had searched so long for it. Afterwards, Abdul offered to take us to his brothers dye shop, and we soon found ourselves on another windy trail through the medina, to the rooftop of a house for a vista, and eventually to the shop, where we bought beautiful hand dyed scarves. I wondered how often this act was done, but the encounter was enjoyable and uniquely Moroccan, so I was glad we had followed Abdul. Again Abdul lead us through the maze of the medina to our riad, and then gave us his address so we could come over for tea the next day. We hugged him and off he went winding his way through the secret passage ways of the medina, understood only by the locals.
 |
| A courtyard in Bahia Palace |
 |
| A room in the Bahia Palace |
 |
| Jess and I in front of some beautiful mosaics at Ali ben Youssef Medersa |
 |
| Woodworking at Ali ben Youssef Medersa |
 |
| Abdul and Jessica, on the rooftop where he took us to "see the view" |
 |
| Abdul's brother dressed me in a Toureg headscarf. I bought one in green, though I don't plan on wearing it this way. |
