Tom
and I have just had a lovely 4 night stay in Marrakech, it's been such a
fun experience and so very different to any holidays I have previously
had.
I
was initially very apprehensive due to the "horror stories" I had been
told and read about but I travelled with an open mind and I am so
pleased I did.
We
made a few trips to the souks which really are an experience like no
other. Thin winding alley ways full of little shops, artisans at work
and mopeds whizzing past.
Watching men carve wood using their feet
because two hands were not enough was incredibly impressive not to
mention terrifying as I was expecting to get hit with a severed toe at
any point! The souks could be a little intimidating at times due to the
sellers who desperately need to earn a living but generally
complimenting the goods but saying no Thankyou was enough to be able to
move on. On one occasion we had a guide who took us through the deepest
parts of the souks, the places you would never find on your own and
this is where we saw some true spectacles! We witnessed raw hide being
turned into beautiful hand stitched bags, metal being made into lanterns
and wool of every colour imaginable hanging from washing lines overhead
to dry.
On two occasions I was dressed in a head scarf, the first time
I was Princess Aisha and the second Princess Fatima, the second chap
was very hard to get away from and got very cross when I did not buy a
scarf...I didn't want one though. We were also taken to carpet shop to
learn about the Riad it was housed in, we learnt nothing of the Riad but
had a lot of carpets waved at us and it was very hard to get out, we
did though! The smells from the food were wonderful but I have to admit
we did not eat in the souk as the implements did not look the cleanest.
I made two wonderful purchases in the souk, some leather boots and a
gorgeous handmade leather bag. Together for the princely sum of
approximately £90, I think that is a rather jolly bargain!
The
other big shock to our system was Jemma El F'na, the main square in
town.
It is entirely geared towards tourists but a fantastic place none
the less. You name it we saw it, snake charmers, monkeys (on chains
which I hated), story tellers, herbalists, belly dancers, transvestite
dancers and orange juice stands as far as the eye could see. The orange
juice was beautiful and a half pint only costs 4dh, that's
approximately 30p.
We sat and overlooked the square one evening while
the sun was setting behind the Kattoubia Mosque, we watched it come to
life.
The revellers increased in volume, the food stalls appeared, the
smoke started rising, the sounds of music got louder and the atmosphere
became incredible. We ventured down into the market for dinner which
was delicious. Finding the right place to eat was not easy though, we
were met with people forcing menus in our faces, shouting "cheap as
chips" "have a butchers" "cheaper than Morrisons with the finest chicken
from m&s". I found the experience highly amusing and just told them
I would take the stall number and come back later. The guy who won me
over in the end didn't have to say a lot, just that he wouldn't touch me
or bother me too much but he was stall 100 if I wanted to go back, we
did. We went for a relatively tame looking stall and ate couscous,
vegetables and a mixed grill. I can't begin to describe how tasty it
was, it did however turn out more expensive than we expected as I think
we were even charged for the paper place mat!
We did look as best we
could at the other stalls selling everything from a whole smoked goats
head to a humble boiled egg. After dinner we decided to buy some sweet
pastries from a cart moving around the square, thinking this was
perfectly acceptable we were not prepared to be ordered to follow the
stall at great speed with a box and tongs in hand due to the approaching
police, quite a comical experience, made even more amusing by the
discovery the maid had eaten half of them the next day!
Fortunately we
were told before we travelled that nothing is free, Tom had a monkey
forced onto his shoulder at one point and as much as I would have loved
to photograph his discomfort I knew I would end up having to pay for the
privilege so the monkey was forced back onto the owner and we rapidly
left. It was also good practice to check our change because it was
often giving incorrectly and not in our favour. It's not a place for
the faint hearted!
We
visited a number of other local tourist attractions, one being the
Majorelle Gardens. Once owned by the French Artist Majorelle and later
by Yves Saint Laurent they were a haven of tranquility in an otherwise
chaotic city.
We decided to walk and after a multitude of wrong turns
we made it. The walk in itself was interesting as we passed through a
number of streets predominantly inhabited by Moroccan's which gave a
great view on day to day life. We also passed the cemetery on the way,
an incredibly sad place that was surrounded by mourners who in a lot of
cases looked like they would soon be inhabiting a spot themselves. Once
we made it though it was beautiful, I can completely understand why
Yves Saint Laurent purchased the gardens to rescue them from ruin. The
plant pots are painted in an array of beautifully vibrant colours, they
contrast wonderfully with the natural colours surrounding them.
The
garden is described as a garden of the world as it contains plants from
all over it, we saw some fabulous specimens. We spent a lot of time in
the garden sitting, relaxing and enjoying the tranquility along with a Moroccan tea, my new beverage of choice. I loved the little man covering the pot.
As
we travelled so close to my birthday Tom decided that a horse and cart
ride around the city one evening would be a lovely romantic treat. It
was a lovely way to see the city at night but after arriving an hour
late to collect us with another couple in the cart Tom remembered his
severe allergy to horses. By the time we got back to the hotel he
resembled a pink Michelin man, in hindsight this is incredibly amusing
but not so much at the time.
We
also visited Medersa Ben Youseff, a mosque in the middle of the souks
that is now open for tourists to visit. It was once a school where
students would study Islam. It was incredibly interesting to see the
simplicity of the living space beside the elaborate architecture.
A
beautiful place to visit which also had a great sense of calm. From
here we went to the museum of Marrakech, from the outside it didn't
appear much but the interior was beautiful. Hanging from the ceiling in
the central room was an enormous lantern/chandelier.
The museum housed
a number of traditional Moroccan artifacts including wonderfully
decorated pots,
elaborate embroidery,
stained glass windows
and
jewellery,
to name but a few.
Between
outings we spent a lot of time at our hotel just relaxing and soaking
up some precious sunshine which is something we both needed after the
last six months. There was a pool outside which was lovely to enjoy the
sun by but far too cold to swim in unless you are mad like Tom who came
out like a block of ice. I took a visit to the spa in the hotel for a
traditional hammam, it was a wonderful experience. It started off by
sitting in a very hot room on a marble bench, I then had a lot of warm
water thrown all over me and was asked to lay down. I was then covered
in orange blossom oil which smelt wonderful. The next part was a touch
more intense as I got scrubbed to within an inch of my life by a very
rough glove and after that I was covered in black soap and left to relax
for a few minutes before being washed down. I felt like a new born
baby when I left, it was lovely.
Such
a wonderful holiday but in all honesty 4 nights was enough in the city,
it is a very hot and very hectic place with a lot of poverty and
desperation evident within its inhabitants. Whilst we had no bad
experiences I can see that a less cautious traveller may come across a
few problems. I would highly recommend a trip to anyone who fancies
something different to "the norm" and can handle the hustle and bustle.
.jpeg)
