Despite only being back at work for a couple of weeks it was time to go on holiday again, due to Julie having to book her holidays so far in advance and she’s unable to change them!
It was an early start on the Saturday to catch our flight to Marrakech which left at 7.30am. The flight was ok and uneventful, albeit a little behind schedule. Upon arrival we had to walk from the aeroplane across the tarmac to the arrivals lounge and passport control, our first impression was just how warm it was, I don’t think either of us were expecting it to be as warm! As is the norm in these countries it took a good hour and a half to get through customs, they always seem so bureaucratic! After getting through passport control we then had to run the gauntlet of all the taxi drivers vying for your business, although it would have been a much quicker and easier way to get to the hotel, me being me and being an old skinflint I decided that we’d catch the bus and walk to our hotel, besides it’s always a good way to get a feel for a place, although somehow I don’t think Julie thought the same! Once past the hoards of taxi drivers we caught the number 19 bus into the town centre and into the hustle and bustle of Marrakech! I knew roughly where our hotel was as I remembered it from my trip here in 2009, although it was a little bit further away than I remembered!
After checking into the hotel we went across the road to book our seats on the coach to Essaouira for the following morning. The girl on the desk at the coach station was really nice and friendly and welcomed us to Morocco and hoped that we’d enjoy our stay.
It seemed to have been a rather long day after our flight and walk across town to the hotel, so in the evening we just had a little walk around the local neighbourhood we were in and ate in the hotel.
The following morning after breakfast we caught the coach to Essaouira, I was hoping in one respect that it was going to be some old rickety bus with a load of locals on board taking their livestock to market, but just as well really it wasn’t, it was a very modern air conditioned coach, it did however have plenty of locals on board. After three hours we arrived in Essaouira, where once again we had to run the gauntlet of locals waiting at the bus stop wanting to carry our bags and take us to our hotel, but I’d seen our hotel on the way in and it was only around the corner!
After checking into our 5 star hotel, (I thought I’d be kind to Julie and break her in gently to Morocco and besides it was ridiculously cheap) We went out to explore, our hotel was outside the Medina just along the seafront, so we strolled along the prom to the busy harbour, there we found a lovely bustling place with ship builders building traditional wooden fishing boats which apparently because of there so seaworthiness they sell all the way along coast and to places as far away as France. The harbour itself was full of hundreds of little blue rowing boats all tied together in the middle of the water, on the other side of the port was the fishermen were selling the days catch and repairing their nets there was a really nice atmosphere and feel to the place albeit rather smelly with the smell of fish guts rotting in the sun!
The following day after breakfast we went to explore the Medina and souks and climb the ramparts of the Medina walls. Essaouira seemed to be mainly full of locals with not very many tourists at all, maybe because of the time of year. For lunch we went back to the port and to one of the many little kiosks selling the days catch you simply chose what fish you wanted from the display of freshly caught fish and shellfish the man weighed it and told you how much it would be, after agreeing the price it was then taken away and char grilled over hot coals and served with a salad, bread and a drink. The fish was to die for, so tasty and fresh and also so cheap!
After two nights in Essaouira it was back to Marrakech, again I decided that we would walk across town to the riad we were going to stay at. I knew roughly were it was as we were staying in the Jewish quarter in the Mellah part of town, after passing the main square of Djeema el-Fna (that’s where the bus had dropped us off when we arrived from the airport) I was a little unsure if I was on the right road or not so we stopped to ask a policeman if we were heading in the right direction, well that was a big mistake he sent us in the completely wrong direction after nearly an hour of wandering around the back streets we eventually found our way back onto the road we should have been on, but by now poor Julie had had enough and just wanted to get to the riad, after another half an hour and with the help of a local we eventually found the riad, although I knew roughly where it was there was no way that we would have ever found it on our own as it was tucked away down a narrow alley which you would never have thought to go down!
The riad itself was like a little oasis of calm in the mayhem of the Medina as soon as we went through the unassuming wooden door we felt immediately relaxed with its interior courtyard and garden and small plunge pool. A lovely little place run by two French men Damien and Olivier.
Much to Julie’s annoyance no sooner had we got to the riad then we were off again to explore the main square of Djeema el-Fna and the surrounding souks.
During the day the Djeema el-Fna square is predominantly occupied by orange juice and dried fruit stalls, Barbary apes dressed in silly dresses, (very cruel!) water sellers in fringed hats and red costumes with traditional leather water-bags and brass cups which they clang together to attract your attention, women trying to get you to have a henna tattoo, market stalls selling nearly everything, tooth pullers and snake charmers blasting oboes to calm hissing cobras, a reel cacophony of sights and sounds.
I think Julie found it all a bit too much with the constant hassle from everybody vying for your Dirham particularly the women selling the henna tattoos they did get a bit forceful with her, I got caught taken a photo of the cobras, which there not very keen on unless you pay them! So I had to stump up some Dirham for that, but you do have to watch out as no matter what you give them they’ll always say it’s not enough and want more you just have to be firm and give them what you want to and walk away!
After a few hours of wandering around the square and surrounding alleyways it was back to the calm of the riad. Unfortunately on the way back I managed to trip over and graze my hands which looked a lot worse than it was, I just took the skin off, although it was bleeding rather a lot and left a trail of blood back to the riad! Julie said it was because I was behaving like a Japanese tourist with a camera in each hand, personally I think it was because I hadn’t had a beer all day!!
Back at the riad we had a lovely traditional tagine for supper.
The following day we went to explore the souks and got completely lost in the narrow lanes and alleyways, no matter which way you went it all looked the same, Julie brought some Argon oil and we were invited to take tea or Moroccan whiskey as they call it with the owner of the shop, the day was spent just wandering around the various souks and drinking tea (yes I did say tea you can’t buy a beer in the cafes) in the main square watching the theatre of the Djeema el-Fna square.
In the evening we returned to Djeema el-Fna square where once the sun starts to go down it is transformed into a giant outdoor cafe, 100’s of chefs arrive with grills and set up tables and benches and sell all sorts of food. As you walk around it’s a constant bombardment of waiters all trying to get you to eat at their stall, with sayings like “guaranteed no diarrhea here” or “we’ve not had a case of diarrhea in two years!” The air is full of steam and smoke from the food being cooked on the grills a wonderful place to eat, visually very pleasing, very entertaining and extremely tasty!
Unfortunately just before we came away to Morocco Julies best friend Karen passed away after losing her battle with cancer, Julie wanted to attend the funeral which is only right and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way so we decided to came back early. My thoughts are with Karen’s family and friends, another young life lost to that horrible disease cancer!
It was a good trip to Morocco and we both thoroughly enjoyed it however Julie said “it was an experience but doesn’t think she’ll be going back” me however, it makes me want to see more of Africa and I can’t wait to return on my bike!
Video’s of Garry’s Moroccan trip from his YouTube channel.
Follow Garry on his travels
