The Morocco Diary, Day 1: Marakesh

I absolutely fall in love with Marakesh. Much more than I thought I would. Wandering away from the stressful narrow alleys of the Medina reveals a Marakesh of effortless charm, of glorious past, of stunning elegance and of finest purveyors of hospitality.

🌸 Marrakesh raptures...

🌧Today Marrakesh is windy, mellow. It was raining a bit in the morning. Confronted with the rare event of the sun not shining here, this Red town seems strangely subdued, and for a moment almost tricks one into believing that all the craze has once again disappeared into its bygone era, allowing the wanderer to close her eyes briefly and immerse with the flow of Time. --👄THE✨R O M A N T I C ✨T R A V E L E R ♥️✨

Medina & the Souks

We started the day off by getting lost in the Medina of Marakesh--an outstanding UNESCO heritage site. (Medina simply means the centre old town of any city in Morocco.) As an expert on Morocco puts it, ”Marrakesh doesn't give itself up to visitors easily, but I recommend getting a little lost in the souqs – soon you’ll realise that the medina is all about the small things: the pyramids of vibrant spices, the scent of Moroccan leather and the perfume of orange blossom...”

A bit of History

🌸Marrakesh, which gave its name to the Moroccan empire, is a completed example of a major Islamic capital of the western Mediterranean

🌸Marrakesh contains an impressive number of masterpieces of architecture and art (ramparts and monumental gates, Koutoubia Mosque, Saâdians tombs, ruins of the Badiâ Palace, Bahia Palace, Ménara water feature and pavilion) each one of which could justify, alone, a recognition of Outstanding Universal Value.

🌸In the 700 hectares of the Medina, the ancient habitat, rendered vulnerable due to demographic change, represents an outstanding example of a living historic town with its tangle of lanes, its houses, souks, fondouks, artisanal activities and traditional trades.

As many travelers before have warned, you could absolutely get lost in the souks! We ended up walking round and round in a circle for 2 hours and Google maps was totally ineffective in there. We also pretended to know where we were going the whole time, because at any point there would be an army of local guys trying to shove you, actually to point you the way in exchange for money. They would say sth like, 'no no it's free, don't worry, no money.. I live here, my family live here, I just want to help you,...' and still after 5 minutes of leading the way whether you say yes or not, started to show their hands asking for money. It's a small fee in exchange for direction, but it could be exhausting after a while. So just be warned.

The medina still is an absolutely fascinating nexus of history, commercialism, and chaos. It's safe, bustling, noisy, & full of colors and life. Watch out for scooters that go even more recklessly than in Vietnam (and I would know), bikes, motorcycles and autos. But it's also full of charm 💖

Still we were glad to be out of it after a few hours of wandering around & delve into the pampering world of this paradise of hammans & spas. Read my post on how we pampered ourselves to the moon!...

Jemaa el-Fna square

While waiting for dinner time we wandered into the very famous, very chaotic Jemaa el-Fna square --which according to its own homepage, is a --'destination for all magic, and tells its storytellers, dancers, water sellers and snake charmers, the history of Morocco from yesterday and today while subduing its visitors by Its charm which begins in the morning and finds its height only in the evening.'

Think of it as live-action channel-surfing: everywhere you look in the Djemaa El Fna, Marrakesh’s main square, you’ll discover drama in progress. The hoopla and halqa (street theatre) has been non-stop here ever since this plaza was the site of public executions around AD 1050 – hence its name, which means ‘assembly of the dead’. Unesco declared the Djemaa El Fna a 'Masterpiece of World Heritage' in 2001 for bringing urban legends and oral history to life nightly and although the storytellers who once performed here have since given way to acrobats, musical performers, and slapstick comedy acts, Djemaa's nightly carnival continues to dazzle. Berber musicians strike up the music and Gnaoua troupes sing while henna tattoo artists beckon to passers by and water-sellers in fringed hats clang brass cups together, hoping to drive people to drink. This is a show you don't want to miss and it's a bargain too. Applause and a few dirhams ensure an encore. ' - Lonely Planet

While the square does protrude its own charm and fascination, I think the description above is, as usual, a bit over-poetized. In short, it's a concoction of noise & activities, of people trying to harass you for money--and it's better to watch all the 'magic' from above. Hence we went to a rooftop cafe to have a paronamic view of the busy square below. The famous Cafe de la Paris seemed a top for this view, but we found it extremely touristic and overpriced, so settled for the nearby Aqua cafe with an equally stunning rooftop view but much morereasonably priced--hence highly recommended.