Blogs from Marrakech, Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco, Africa - page 7

Upon arriving in Marrakesh it was immediately evident we were in a larger, more modern city. On the ride from the train station to our riad we passed night clubs, fancy restaurants, and billboards advertising alcohol and cigarettes. It felt like we had pressed fast forward on the remote and arrived in the modern world. The Medina felt distinctly different as well. The streets were wide enough that cars and motorcycles could drive on them, which lead to more traffic and congestion. There were also larger monuments and distinguishable landmarks within, which in theory, should have made it easier to navigate (this didn’t actually end up being the case). Our riad, located in the southwest corner of the Medina was run by a sweet, young French woman. It was adorably decorated with a mixture of Moroccan ... read more

We wake up, and breathe a sigh of relief. We don't seem to have developed food poisoning overnight. We chat over breakfast to an Italian girl called Valentina, who works with Delila to manage the Riad. I ask her if she's been to Australia, but she says she's too scared. We assume this has got something to do with the plethora of deadly snakes, spiders and crocodiles that inhabit our shores, but it seems instead that she's developed a phobia of our airports from watching the Australian version of "Border Security" on Italian TV. I wonder if any of the tourist promoters back home realise that this program is deterring potential visitors. At least this explains all the satellite dishes; they're here so that the locals can watch Italian TV. I wonder why they don't watch ... read more

Our alarm goes off at 4am. I've often wondered what 4am on a Sunday morning would feel like and now I know; it feels like I should be asleep. We expect the streets to be deserted, but they're full of youngsters in full party mode. I s'pose if you have a long siesta every afternoon maybe you don't need to sleep at night? I'd long suspected that taxi drivers were the same the world over and ours is no exception. He drives at breakneck speed and only slows down when he's approaching a speed camera. I remember Louis and Melanie pointing these out to us whenever we passed one, and Louis told us that everyone here knows exactly where they all are. This would seem to at least partly defeat the purpose of having them, but ... read more

Journey here is was very long, leaving Doah at 3 am and arriving here equivalent of 10pm. But all the plans fell into place, train straight from the airport in Casablanca. Taxi into the Medina area and arriving at our riad hidden in a warren of narrow cobbled streets through a souq. First impression of the ‘biggest square’ in north Africa was not overwhelmingly good. Reminded us of Krakow but much grubbier. Lots and lots of eating places around the square and in the middle of the square. How so many carts selling orange juice for 4 DH can possibly make a living or so many barbeque stalls in the evening is hard to tell. Lots of tourists. Clearly Ramadan is not the issue here as it is in Doha. We had our first meal just ... read more

In the crazy chaos of colour and culture that is Morocco, it hard not to find inspiration in every moment of the day. The adventures of my travels that have led me here have been a combination of everything from stirring to strenuous and from pandemonium to peaceful. The last time I updated this blog I had just started my adventures in Ireland . Fortunately, since I am not very good at maintaining a blog on my own, my amazing travel buddy Abby and I started a combined one, which can be read here . Documenting the 8 months traveling, living, and working together in writing was certainly one of our brighter ideas along the way. We have now said goodbye to each other and the entire time feels like a crazy dream in an alternate ... read more