A driver met me at the airport to take me to our Riad where Ryan was already waiting. The hotel is on a quiet street only a block away from the craziness of the busier streets and is very comfortable. After cleaning up and getting settled we walked to a nearby cafe for lunch on the rooftop terrace and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the tiny streets of the Medina. Small stands with strange foods covered in bees and flies line the streets along with stand after stand of dates, pastries, and knickknacks. On the quieter streets we saw some artisans working on rugs, embroidering clothes, woodwork, etc. Every couple of hours a prayer is sung over the loudspeakers posted in the towers throughout the city. We also stopped every couple of hours for a mint tea and a crepe or to try some Moroccan wine which so far we really enjoy! For dinner on our first night I had reserved a table at a nice restaurant that was without a doubt intended only for tourists. It consisted of a set menu of multiple courses, musicians, and of course a belly dancer (whom Ryan really enjoyed dancing with!). It was a great way to spend a few hours!
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| Snake Charmers! |
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| The Medina |
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The following day we continued exploring Marrakech. We went to the Palais el Badi which is the location of an old palace that is now mostly in ruins. The next location we wanted to visit was closed for Ramadan so after lunch and another long walk through the city we went back to the hotel for a much appreciated nap. For the evening we visited the bar at one of the luxury hotels in the city that is known for their selection of Moroccan wine. Since Muslims don't drink alcohol you won't find wine or cocktails at all of the restaurants unless they are positioned to cater to tourists. After a couple of glasses we began to walk back to the main square for dinner but along the way we passed one of the large mosques in the city with hundreds of people all going to the mosque for evening Ramadan prayers. There was security set up around the mosque ensuring that only Muslims were allowed within a certain distance. We were fascinated by this event so we found a restaurant with an deck overlooking the mosque to observe the ceremony. At the evening prayer they move through 12 rounds of their prayer cycle, all in unison. It was beautiful to watch and we felt very fortunate to have that experience.
For our last day in Marrakech we took a day trip to the High Atlas Mountains. We had a private driver and tour guide for most of the trip, however, an English family joined us for the hike. We stopped at a few viewpoints along way to learn more about the small villages built along the sides of the mountains and to take photos. We rode camels!! And stopped at a small Argan oil co-op run by women who make Argan old products. Here we also had mint tea and a snack of bread with Argan Oil and "Berber Nutella." When we arrived at the base of the trail our guide hired a mule for me (I much preferred riding up the mountain to hiking to the highest village in the Atlas mountains!) and we all set out on a trip up to our lunch destination with a stop at the waterfalls along the way. From the waterfalls my mule, her guide, and myself parted from the rest of the group to take a different route up the mountain. I definitely got the better deal, not only did I get to ride a mule but also we took the more scenic route. The landscape is amazing, and the villages along the way are very picturesque. Ryan enjoyed the hike but said it was mostly stairs through the forest so there wasn't much to see. We had lunch at a small hotel in one of the villages before heading back to our van and then back to Marrakech. Instead of going out to dinner last night, we ate at our hotel and went to bed early.
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| That's me on my mule and her guide! |
I've had this post ready to go for a while but haven't been able to find a wifi connection fast enough to upload photos. We're now at the Fez airport waiting on our flight to Barcelona so a Fez post will be coming soon!
