Marrakesh

After deciding to skip traveling in Spain, I booked a train ticket to Marrakesh. The five hour train ride was rather uneventful outside of my traveling companions in the compartment. All Moroccans, they chatted and a little girl and I babbled back and forth in some Arabic. I mostly wrote in my journal, tried to communicate when possible, and absorbed the scenery flashing past my window. The landscape shifted from fertile farming grounds to sparsely populated, craggy areas reminiscent of the US southwest.

Often on a trip or vacation, I'm of the opinion that one of the days, excursions, whatever will work with blinding synchronicity. I think of our stops in Berlin, Istanbul, Machu Picchu, and Arequipa, and they had that similar quality. The Marrakesh trip, from beginning to when I returned home, clicked as though it was a series of dominoes falling in place. (I know, I know, couldn't I have picked a better allusion?) I walked out of my apartment and almost immediately found a taxi at 6:30 on a Saturday--a time when the streets are hardly busy--airing up his tires at the Shell station near my apartment. From that auspicious starting point, the trip flowed almost seamlessly and was the best of my experiences in Morocco. Johnny Cash described writing "Flesh and Blood" as a moment when "it was like one of those magic days, you know, with the sun just right, the temperature just right 'n' the breeze was just right 'n' she was just right." That's how I would characterize my trip to Marrakesh.

Marrakesh cracks with energy and life. It's a tourist destination for Europeans, and I hadn't seen so many white people in one place since leaving the US. Of course, prices are inflated as the city's industry centers on tourism. Still, one isn't forced to hang around Djemaa al Fna and the terraced restaurants, snake charmers, monkey men, and barkers of all sorts and stripes. Diving into the souqs is entertainment in and of itself, and it's easy to find affordable, delicious food or snacks in the twisting mazes of shops. At night, Djemma al Fna fills up with food stalls with aggressive waiters who practically pull you into their stalls. (I rescued the same young Asian-American woman three times in thirty minutes from waiters/barkers. On the third occasion, she literally pleaded "help me" as the man had grasped her hand tightly and wasn't releasing her.) With billowing smoke from grills and bright incandescent lights, the stalls serve as a center for the carnival of sounds, sights, and smells that comprise Djemma al Fna's chaotic, fascinating whirlwinds.

I stayed at Riad Massine II, just inside the medina walls. Although nearly impossible to find, by a stroke of luck I found it without paying a local boy to direct me, which was the fate of most people who stayed there. RMII is nothing more than a hostel. The staff, however, were inviting, friendly, and exceeded expectations in directions and answering questions on real prices for goods. As far as attractions, Marrakesh has a few options inside the city as far as museums or historic destinations I visited. I hit the four main sites in one day, due to their central location, with ample time to spare lollygagging around Djemma al Fna.

If I wanted to return to Morocco, Marrakesh would be my primary destination or at least concluding point. Crazy and frentic? You bet, even it's not characteristic of other Moroccan cities. It's also a fascinating cross-section or array of Moroccan culture in and out of the touristy areas.

Marrakesh's dazzling train station with a McDonalds and a alluring McArabia sandwich that I almost sampled

Lamps and lanterns in the souq

Delicious almondy sweets wrapped in honey-crusted phyllo

Kefta meatball dinner

An example of the night-time entertainment. Side note, should this PhD gig not work out for Doug Snyder, I see a dynamic future running one of these games.

A crowd gathering around a man in Djemma al Fna pointing to a diagram of the body while simultaneously pointing and powders

Riad Massine breakfast

The center piece of the Marrakesh museum and various shots from inside the small yet decent museum

A Moroccan samovar

Spices by the bag and horns o'plenty

Medressa

Cistern and well

Olives, olives, olives

Covered souq

Djemma al Fna by day

Sheep stomach soup with a spicy olive dip

I chose the sheep stomach mixed with a butter bean-esque soup

Food vendor near the soup with a variety of sheep and chicken meals

Spices, spices, spices, and an orange juice cart. The latter offered refreshing orange or grapefruit juice cheaply.

Saadian Tombs

Kasbah door

Ornate roofs from inside the Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace was home to an amazing contemporary art exhibit. The coordinator used the space to its maximum by drawing attention to the art without distracting from the grounds' splendor.

Orange you glad I didn't say....

Djemma al Fna at dusk as the stalls start and traffic swells

Snail soup vendor

Djemma al Fna at night facing the food stalls, and an image I will keep with me when remembering Marrakesh at night.