Marrakech

---

How to describe Marrakech? It has none of the hard edginess of Egypt or East Africa. That is not to say there is no buzz, there definitely is but it is more of a soft vibrancy. The medina is still a crazy place, with its narrow winding streets full of shops and stalls selling everything imaginable. The leather work and metal work is particularly good and very prevalent. Its really easy to get lost in the medina but that is all part of the fun and if you walk long enough you eventually spot some place you recognise. The main square, Jemaa al Fna, is a sleepy place during the day but it goes crazy in the evening with dozens of food stalls, african dancers and snake charmers all selling their wares or plying their trade. After a day in the medina you begin to appreciate why Morrocans live the way they do, with the house surrounding a courtyard, usually with a fountain, a small oasis of peace and tranquillty away from the hustle and bustle. Speaking of which, the Riad in which we are staying is within the city walls, right in the medina, and really beautiful, it's almost a shame to leave it. Aside from clocking up about 16km walking around the medina yesterday, the only other place we have thus far ventured out to is the Jardin Majorelle, once a private garden that fell into disrepair and was bought by Yves Saint Laurent who painstakingly bought it back to life. It is now open to the public and is another peaceful place to escape the hustle and bustle. There is a Berber museum and a YSL museum attached both of which are very interesting.

The food here in Marrakech is really good, lots of taglnes and the smell of lemon and spices is everywhere. That, along with the sunshine, the storks nests on the walls, the snow capped Atlas mountains in the background and the call of the Muessin 5 times a day make this a pretty special place.

---