Marrakech!

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.