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Published: December 17th 2004
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I am now in Marrakesh. I am not spending long here because I've got my Mauritanian Visa. The Visa is for one month from the day that it is issued. So, I need to make for the border.
The Visa was issued yesterday. I was at the consulate at 8.30am. They said to come back at 3pm. I did, but they kept everyone waiting outside the Consulate for 1.5 hours!
After getting the visa I did a bit of shopping including buying a new pair of Chino's for 100 Dirhams, from a shop which had everything for a 100 Dh offer on. I needed to replace my only pair of trousers as I had noticed they were developing an embarrassing hole!
This morning I caught the 9.30 train from the Casa Voyageurs Station, which is about 4km from the centre of Casa.
I arrived in Marrakesh at about 1pm. Walking towards the centre of town, I was asked by someone if I was looking for a hotel. No obligation as usual! Anyway it was some distance so he gave me a lift in his car. The place was just
Marrakesh
Mama's cooking! inside the Medina walls.
I noticed the prices on the reception desk were quoted in Euros so it was obviously expensive. He said there were only 2 rooms left. When I looked at the room (not letting go of my backpack), I had to ask him several times what the price was.
When he said 500 Dirhams I walked out of the room and the hotel as quickly as I could - with him pleading for me to look at the other room. I also refused to get into any conversation about why I didn't want the room. He was already trying a secondary tack of saying he could show me other places.
I was slowed down a bit in my escape because I struggled to open the front door quickly - it had an unusual mechanism.
All I said is that it wasn't what I wanted and that I would find my own hotel. I walked very briskly and lost him.
I had noticed a hotel just outside the Medina as he was driving me in. So I walked to that hotel. They wanted
Marrakesh
Museum building 290 Dirhams, so I booked in there. It is a very passable hotel with on suite bathroom, air-conditioning and satellite tele!
I'm sure he must have been pissed off, because basically I had got a free taxi ride of 2 km to the Medina!
After taking a shower I walked into the Medina and spent the afternoon wandering around. I visited the Museum of Morocco,the most amazing exhibit there is the building itself! The museum is the restored Palais Mnebhli. I also found the famous Central Square after a few wrong turnings in the Medina. I had my evening meal at one of the street food stalls in the square."Number One is the best", was the refrain from my stall. And the food was very good and cheap!
Events in the square are a bit of a carnival.
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