3-4th April - Marrakech Pt. 1

I guess the best way to begin is to explain the first photo. The car has picked up it's first war wound!! I am glad to say that it was not my fault, nor are we hurt, nor is the car fatally injured. A lorry simply stopped on a straight piece of road - selected reverse - and slammed his spare tyre into the front of the car!!!

I had managed to get the car out of Drive - in an attempt to get reverse before he hit us - but too late - and we were nudged back down the road - before I hit the horn and/or hit another car. Much jesticulation later - we drove off.

It would have been too much hassle to do anything else - and besides the car needs at least 1 dent to fit in!!!!

So despite the troubles everyone was collected from the airport - 4 people in the car with a large suitcase in the middle - trying to negotiate car width streets of Marrakech in 25c+ temperatures is certainly 1 airport pick-up to remember!!

Staying in a Riad located just 100m off the main square means you have little choice but to immerse yourself in the Marrakech vibe. That means sharing narrow streets with a menage of donkey and carts, scooters, bikes and a throng of pedestrians. And despite our initial worries everyone jumped in - and so far has survived!

And there is no better way to deal with the hassle than to dive into a Patisserie for a "medicinal" cake - or 2 (father!!). The late afternoon was then spent wandering around the square before we braved the food stalls.

Morrocan food doesn't come much simpler (and cheaper) than the foodstalls - kebabs of lamb, veg or minced lamb, fried Calamari, aubergine, frites, pastilla, bread and hot harissa sauce. Even those trying to avoid meat succombed to the lamb kebabs!!

With a belly full of food it was on to the next cart for some spiced tea and a couple of spoons of something sweet - although none of us could work out what it was!!!!!

Last night we were almost able to "black out" the entire room - and it worked - by 10pm we were both asleep! Surprisingly we even managed to sleep past 7am - the first time since we left Zurich!

Refreshed, we took to the roof terrace for breakfast - the morning air was cooler than we initially thought - but the bright sun was a good omen for the day ahead. We headed through the medina to the Palace El-Badi - before the sun rose too high. We invested in a tour guide - and learned of how the palace would have operated in the 16th century. Once you went into the palace prison (usually as a political prisoner) you only came out dead!!!

The palace is now home to yet another colony of storks - their nests line the top of the palace walls - and although less numerous than in Rabat - our morning drinks were still accompanied to the clatter of mating calls. By lunch I had located a cafe with WiFi - so we grabbed the laptop and made a beeline to it. The cafe also does a mean line in sandwiches - so we were satisified on both fronts.

For the afternoon we headed North - across the souk to the Marrakech museum, Medersa and the Koutabia. These were all locations we visited last time we were here, but this time gave the opportunity to sit behind a camera lens - and try and take a few good shots.

The Medersa is the original Islamic school - and was apparently home to upto 900 students. But judging by the size of the cells they were either on the small side or incredibly cramped!! It is also home to some fine examples of Islamic decoration, with the walls covered in either mosaic or engraved plaster.

As the temperatures rose even higher - we retreated to the water mist cooled roof terrace for an afternoon drink - and a little "R&R". Tonight we head back up to the Medersa area - and to the famous restaurant - Fondouk. But first - I will head up the road to the barber for a shave!!!