Marrakech
“To visit Morocco is like turning the pages of some illuminated Persian manuscript all embroidered with bright shapes and subtle tones.” - Edith Wharton
Marrakech aka Marrakesh is the fourth largest city in Morocco. It’s like my grandson’s favorite box of crayons full of vibrant color. I am hooked at my first taste and am so looking forward to returning in a month to experience more of the country.
Even as the drums of war sound an ominous beat, friends and family gathered here at a beautiful Riad in Marrakech to celebrate my daughter-in-law, Monica. We have had an amazing time as we’ve packed in 6 days full of fun laughter amidst the incredible sights, sounds and people of Morocco.
I feel young again surrounded by all these bright young people who are so happy to include me and listen to my tales and take such incredible care of me.
Welcome to Morocco and the incredibly beautiful riad where we to spend the next 6 days. In Morocco guests are welcomed with a cup of mint green tea. The higher the tea pot is raised when pouring the tea is a strong indication of how welcome you are. While we felt very welcomed on arrival it was fun to see the kettle being raised higher as we bonded with the staff of the Riad where we were staying.
Clearly a visit to the desert, camel riding and some adventure on ATVs is a must. We did not stay the night in the desert but definitely enjoyed watching the sun set. Tonight’s dress code was Kaftans in deference to being in the desert, so we all had to change. It was quite fun to watch the gyrations under the Kaftan as we added and removed clothing, so we were picture perfect. .
The Riad was like a mini palace complete with pool, its own hamaam and beautiful courtyards and rooms. Sami born in Morocco spoke fluent Arabic and became our facilitator in all things Moroccan. Soon we were enjoying delicious home cooked meals, freshly baked biscuits and learning our way around the best the city has to offer. Thank you, Sami, for all the love and caring. I feel I have gained a sister and a daughter at the same time.
The souks are full of narrow labyrinthine alleys and courtyards. What fun it was to explore and gain an education at the same time. Spices, meat, snacks, colors used to paint the walls, clothes, shoes, bags and a whole lot more. The girls had a ball exploring and shopping their hearts out.
As the girls were dropping into various stores, I spotted a chair and asked if I could sit. One of the things I found is that most shop keepers were very accommodating readily offering a chair while sometimes even standing outside their shop themselves.
Kelsie the face that inspired an offer of a million camels plus one goat. One of the shop keepers at the carpet store was in full Berber attire and first asked for a picture with Kelsie and then made the offer. When she was hesitant, he upped his offer to add one goat. Thank God, Kelsie declined that generous offer so we could have a ball exploring more Marrakech. Imagine this fun picture might never have happened.
Jardin Majorelle is a botanical garden and museum designed by Jacques Majorelle and eventually restored by Yves Saint. Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge. The grounds are a visual delight with beautiful plants and vibrant colors and the Berber Museum.
They actually lived in the grounds, but the Yves Saint Laurent house is closed off and covered by foliage, so the only way to get a good picture of it is with a drone which none of us had. We did enjoy the garden and the Berber Museum.
In the lobby of the Yves Saint Laurent Museum next door, that houses a collection of Yves Saint Laurent’s work in the form of photos, videos, sketches, garments and accessories.
Located in the Middle Atlas, the Ouzoud falls is a popular hiking destination outside of Marrakech. The falls are 110 meters high and one of the highest waterfalls in Africa. The hike to the bottom which features a boat tour was tough. The return was even tougher since there were 600 steps to come back up to where our transport was to pick us up.
God bless Sami who arranged a mule for me as I despaired at my ability to get back to the top and eventually home. In retrospect, the jury is still out whether the cure was worse than the disease and I can certainly laugh about the memories but let me tell you at the time it was no laughing matter and for me one of the toughest things I’ve done during my recent travels. Thank you for the masseuse who came home and massaged away a lot of the aches and pains.
Wandering in the souks is an adventure, you never know what you’re going to find around the next corner.
Heads up, most people in the souk want cash but there is an abundance of money changers who offer pretty decent rates of exchange. We changed some initial money on arrival at the airport, the rate wasn’t the best but also not terribly bad and then we did the rest as needed at the money changers.
Eating in Morocco is a gastronomic adventure. Thank you, Sherene, for all the hard work in planning every part of everyday but most particularly the dinners, reservations and then herding us all like cats to make it to places on time.
In addition, to all the wonderful restaurants and variety of food, we enjoyed the most amazing home cooked meals served by the chef at the Riad. We definitely ate really well on this trip.
The Bahia Palace, a Moorish palace so reminiscent of the Alhambra Palace is a visual feast of color, texture and design.
The courtyards boast fountains amidst colorful tiled courtyards. Unfortunately, none of the fountains were running during our visit. As I write this blog, I am enjoying the splash of the water in the fountain behind me in the riad.
The courtyard that housed the harem boasted of bright jewel tones, I suppose to display the beautiful women who lived in seclusion awaiting the Sultan’s pleasure at their best.
Every courtyard is different and appealing in its own way housing the various sections that make up a palace. I wish I had been able to spend a full day just absorbing and enjoying all this beauty.
The Taj Mahal is a wonder of the world and yet when I see this beauty and color, I feel that this palace may be a close rival.
A visit to Morocco would be incomplete without experiencing the Hamam. We did it in a private spa but since you need to be nude in the bath, be prepared to get up close and personal with the group who is participating in the services with you.
While damage from the recent earthquake is not in your face visible in Marrakesh, there are some locations that are closed due to damage, and we saw scaffolding around a couple of buildings while walking in the Medina. The largest impact was felt in the villages and towns deep in the Atlas Mountains where there was a pretty significant death toll.
Reading the news is alarming and yet tucked away here in the beauty and peace, the rest of the world seems far away, and I am happy that we came and did not postpone or cancel.
This has been an incredible trip, more so in how Monica’s friends have welcomed me and made me a part of their tribe making this so much more than a usual wandering veena adventure. Alas all good things must come to an end and some of us are homeward bound and others like me are ready for their next adventure. Stay tuned.