Marakesh Madness

We've been told you can't go to Morocco without going to Marakesh so we're off to see what its all about. The train ride is a relaxing 4 hours and much more civilized than the bus. It seems to be the preferred mode of transport. Comfy faux-leather seats, big windows and no angry outbursts by conductors or passengers heckling as we witnessed on the bus.

Marakesh kind of hits you in the face. Pushy men trying to direct you to a taxi, everyone attempting to get a cut of the lavish amounts of money you are expected to spend. We have already been in our cab for 5 min. when we realize the meter is not running. Disgruntled, we negotiate a sum and are dropped off at the great Djemaa - el Fna, a huge open square full of street performers, vendors, and masses of people. We find a hotel just off the square and spend the rest of the day wandering the streets and counting our change. There are tourists everywhere with big SLR cameras and Lonely Planet guides.

We find out that the International Marakesh film festival is on now. Though the square itself more than compares to any other festival we've seen (and this happens on a DAILY basis). Snake charmers, monkeys, medicine men sitting by potions, lizard skins, ostrich eggs, story-tellers, musicians, dancers, henna artists, gambling games... not to mention all the food. At about 4:00 everyday, portable stands with tables appear along with grills and mountains of food - Salads, kebobs, fish, tajines(stew), soup, bread, sausage, steamed snails, sheep heads, sweets, mint tea...and then there are the carts selling fresh squeezed orange juice and just as many carts selling mountains of dates, nuts, dried apricots, figs etc. Combine this with hundreds of people and throw in a few motorcycles, donkeys, horse carriages, and cars for good measure. What results is a cacauphony of sights and smells, an organized or not so organized chaos. This is the heart of Marakesh. It is exciting to see, but we miss laid back Rabat and Meknes.

The next morning we find a cafe with "real breakfast" and are so excited. Crepes w/ honey in addition to the usual chocolate croissant and cafe au lait. We set out onour own walking tour and hit up 2 old palaces. Highlight of the day is sitting in a park and watching the crowds and guide book consulting tourists walk by.

The following day the city is wearing on us a bit. A little too much hustle and bustle with the emphasis on hustle. We wander through the souqs and try our hand at bargaining. Three hours later we emerge back into daylight, blinking our eyes, a little worse for wear but none the less victorious with a small carpet, 3 pairs of leather slippers and a necklace.

In the afternoon we pay an exhorbitant 20DH for the priviledge of sitting high up on a terrace overlooking the square while sipping our mint tea.

For supper we venture into the stalls with a tight budget decided upon and a strong will!

First course: steamed escargo(snails), a first for both of us. A little slimy and unnerving if you stop to look at the little faces, but easy enough to get down if you don't think about it. They are served in a small bowl with salty broth and you're given a toothpick to dig the bodies out of the shell. We share a bowl and buy another for a little girl watching us enviously and with guts enought to ask. Seated around the stall are many other children gleefully sucking out the slimy little creatures.

Second course: grilled sausage. This choice was dictated by the fact that hordes of locals were gathered around the booth waiting for a space, and no tourists. It came with bread, chopped tomatoes in a sauce and ample amounts of grease. Hint: eat quickly before the fat hardens.

Third course: lentil soup, hot, steamy and rich served with a big wood spoon. Again, a favourite haunt of locals, and quite devoid of tourists served on the side was a sticky, honey coated pastry.

Fourth course: fresh squeezed orange juice. sweet, cold, goodness.

Fifth course: a bottle of water and roasted almonds to take back to the hotel.

And so ends our Marakesh leg of the journey. Worth seeing, yes but exhausting. On to Casablanca tomorrow.