Morocco: Marrakech

When I found out I would be going on exchange, I was really looking forward to having the time and the opportunity to explore Europe.  I never imagined it would also included a chance to travel to Africa!  Jen and Jordan had planned a trip to Morocco, and as I was planning on being in the Iberian peninsula the same week they invited me to tag along.   Marrakech, one of the big tourist destinations in Morocco, is only about 1.5 hours from Barcelona, and the flights only cost about 60€.  I was also able to get a direct flight back to Lyon, so crossing the Straight of Gibraltar actually seemed pretty reasonable, especially compared to the time and expense involved in organizing a trip from Canada.  

Our first day in Morocco, we explored the city with the help of a guide recommended by the hotel.  Guided tours are a great way to go, as you really need a car to get around the city and a tour is very reasonably priced.  

Wide streets, with very little traffic (although we were there during a holiday).  

The first place we went to was the Jardins Majorelles.  Most place names, street signs and other written materials are in French, one of the official languages.  Most people speak French, which was really convenient.  The other languages spoken are Arabic and Berber (also the two main ethnic groups).  The Jardins are a beautiful desert oasis, with cacti interspersed with flowering vines and palm trees.  There is a small shrine there for Yves Saint Laurent, the recently deceased French fashion designer who was born in French Algeria and had a house on the property he eventually donated to the Jardins.

Jardins Majorelles

Next we went to the old Royal Palace.  Morocco is a monarchy, although this palace hasn't been occupied for a long time.   It is quite different from European palaces, with a rather plain exterior and only one floor.  The lack of furniture allowed the incredible craftsmanship on the ceilings and doorways to shine, which really made the rooms come alive.  The absence of grand galleries and reception rooms made it seem much more comfortable and personal.  

The Royal Palace.

Jordan in the Royal Palace.  

It was  actually kind of chilly in Morocco - I was comfortable wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

 

There were several small courtyards in the palace, with well-tended gardens.

Incredible craftsmanship.  There are Star of David motifs carved into this ceiling.  The carpenters who designed this room were Jewish, like ~10% of the current population.  The Medina (the old city) used to have whole streets occupied by Jewish families, but since WWII many have immigrated to Isreal, France, Canada, or the US.  We also drove past a Catholic Church, located across the street from a mosque.  This gave me the impression that although every Moroccan is officially Muslim, there is a decent amount of religious freedom.  

We visited a herbalist's shop, across the street from the palace.  Herbalists here sell a variety of spices, perfumes, ointments, and medicinal substances made here in Morocco.  This shop was a real feast for the senses, the walls covered with jar of colourful and fragrant powders and canvas bags of whole spices on the floor.  This shop is run by a foundation that supports battered women and divorcées, and gives them a place to work.  Two of the women gave us a demonstration, and boy did everything smell fantastic!  All three of us picked up a bag of "35 spices", which smells amazing and is supposedly adored by poor cooks because it can make anything taste good.    

Bags of unprocessed spices at the herbalist's shop.  

There is a local remedy in one of those jars for every ailment you could have!

We drove to just outside the city, within view of the Middle Atlas Mountains.  Marrakech is located in a desert, although not the sandy Sahara, which starts on the other side of the High Atlas Mountains.  We passed a few small Berber villages, they make up about 40% of the population of Morocco.

All three of us agreed this was our favourite experience of our short stay in Morocco - camel rides!  Technically, they're called dromedaries, because they only have one hump.  The number of humps varies based on the climate - warmer countries, like Egypt, will have camels with two humps.  Just outside the city there are groups of camels along the side of the road, which you can hire for a short 30 minute ride with a guide.  The camels were actually quite comfortable to ride, although a bit difficult to get on and off of!  Thy kneel down, but that process is not the most comfortable for a rider. Most prices are negotiable in Morocco (you are expected to haggle in the market, not to is considered rude), so we ended up going with the equivalent of 10 € for 30 minutes (1 dirham = 11 €).  I especially liked when we ran for a little bit, very exhilarating.  

Jordan on "Michael Jackson" and Jen on "Shakira" in the desert, just outside the city.

Baby camel!

A large house, or Riad, we rode past.

Horse-drawn cart.  We saw lots of these on the highways, pulled by tiny, thin horses or donkeys.  Motorized bicycles are also very popular, and there are some European cars on the road.   

We stopped by one of the largest mosques in the city, which was located next to a large public garden.  

In front of one of the main mosques in the city.  The megaphones in the tower announce the call to prayer, five times a day.  

A convenient sticker on the desk in the hotel room (Muslims face towards Mecca when they pray).

I love this doorway!  Side door to the mosque.

Expansive public gardens across the street. 

Our last stop was the Medina, or old city.  It is surrounded by a wall with 13 doors, built 700 years ago.  There are holes in the walls for the installation of scaffolding for when it needs to be repaired. 

Medina wall.  The holes are to attach scaffolding.  The red flag with a green star can be seen in the middle of every roundabout in the city (they don't have traffic lights).

In the middle of the Medina is Jemaa al Fna square.  This huge open marketplace was the site of a serious bombing in April, which killed several tourists.  Groups of snake charmers and fortune tellers sat under umbrellas to shade them from the sun.  Women did their shopping in the market alone or in groups, although there were certainly more men outside than women.  Many people wore the ankle-length robe with a pointed hood, and traditional pointed slippers.  One of the most entertaining things to see was live (and sometimes very feisty) sheep being unloaded from the roofs of vans and from donkey carts, everywhere we went.  The next day was the first day of Eid, the religious holiday, where each family sacrifices (at least one) sheep.  The king kills his on television at 10 am, then everyone else does. 

Snake charmers take shelter from the sun in Jemaa al Fna.

Monkey tamer, with the typical long robe with a pointed hood.  It was kind of sad to see the monkeys in cages.

Donkey cart and motorbikes.

The sheep's new owner carrying him home in a hand cart. 

People seemed to either dress in athletic wear or ankle-lenth robes. 

The market was incredibly colourful, especially the stands selling dried fruit.  I really enjoyed my snack of apricots!  There is also a tourist market, where our guide told us to bargain down to at least 50% of the asking price.  Jen and I had fun bartering for our matching scarves.  

Fruit stands.

Tourist market.  Lots of colourful fabrics.

After an exciting day of exploring the city, we headed back to our hotel, across the street from the Opera.  Beautiful view of the sunset over the city. 

Our hotel.

The Opera.  

Sunset over the city.