There are certain place names that stick in our minds as being ultimately exotic, places that exemplify travel; Timbuktu, Kathmandu, Mombasa, among others. Marrakech is one such place. I had been warned about Marrakech before even arriving in Morocco; told to be careful, watch my pockets, and expect blood pressure rising hassles. Others even recommended that Marrakech should be avoided altogether. But I can't come this far without sneaking a peek at such an infamous city. Further, it was a convenient place for me to meet up with my travel companion for the remaining weeks, my good friend Krista. For her, Marrakech would be a chaotic introduction to Morocco. For me, a halfway meeting point that was a test on the patience.
Marrakech is an old city with a rich history of desert caravans, sultans, and street theatre. With a population of about 1.6 million people, Marrakech is beautifully set in a large valley between the snowy High Atlas and the arid Anti Atlas. As with most larger Moroccan towns, the most interesting part is in the heart, the medina. Marrakech's medina is a crazy maze of narrow streets, street vendors, open markets, workshops, and in general, organized chaos. The medina is a place to wander aimlessly and get lost for hours on end (and curse the endless stream of kamikaze moped maniacs).
For Krista and I, Marrakech wasn't supposed to be much more than a meeting place to catch up, plan onward travel, and get a taste of Morocco at its most exotic. What we got was a bit of an awkward start to a couple weeks of travel together. Although Marrakech has nice accommodation, nice restaurants, and is more or less set up for tourism, it is a strange place with an ambiance that just seems a little off. It is chaotic, hassle-loaded, confusing, mind-blowing, and for the most part, ingenuine. I must admit that it was one of the most awkward places that I have travelled to, maybe along the line of going to the circus as a kid and accidentally going in the wrong entrance and finding yourself center stage with the crowd staring at you amongst the wild animals and acrobats. Sure, there were loads of tourists from across the spectrum, but that may be a contributing factor to Marrakech's offness. Historically it has attracted travelers, almost as a pilgrimage site of sorts, and travellers themselves can be just a little bit off. And now, Marrakech is a third-world city with first-world visitors.
But, it ended up serving its purpose even though both of us were eager to get out in the end. We wandered and got lost in the medina, watched artisans at work in their hole-in-the-wall workshops, joined the party with snake charmers, monkeys, acrobats, musicians, and dancers at the famous Djemaa el-Fna square, enjoyed outdoor barbecue, ate snails, and made fun of mopeds. It was an enjoyable reunion that left us running from the madness in search of a place a bit more genuine and closer to nature. Marrakech is no doubt exotic, but that's about all I can say.
Whether you like it or not you might just find yourself playing with the monkeys in Marrakech. The handlers are quick to get them on your shoulder and reluctant to take them off. Then they demand money. For 10 minutes with the monkeys the guy wanted 200 dirhams for our brief moment with the monkeys. Doing the math, thats's the equivalent of about 25 dollars which works out to 150 dollars an hour. Not bad wages! In the end, he walked away acting angry with the equivalent of about 2 dollars and me angry for parting with 2 dollars...
The Koutoubia Mosque; the largest in Marrakech.
Getting lost in the medina was a joy, especially when we could find empty streets.
Marrakech is no doubt a beautiful city with a stunning contrast between snowy peaks and tropical flora.
Djemaa el-Fna square at dusk. The action in the square changed between night and day; by day the square is busy with snake charmers, monkeys, acrobats, and orange juice vendors; by night, it is all about the food, dancers, musicians, and story tellers.
With a throng of vendors selling snails at the square, we had to try; turns out snails aren't too bad.
Dates, figs, nuts; and apricots - lots to snack on in Marrakech.
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