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Published: February 7th 2010
Explored through the souks today and visited the Musee de Marrakesh, The Ali ben Youssef Medersa (extremely well preserved 16th century koranic school, and apparently North Africa's largest with 900 students) as well as the Quobba Almoravid. I won't tell you a lot about these, instead you can google for info if you are interested. They were beautiful and I am including some photos here of the detail work.
After my explorations I was feeling prettz cocky at having made it through the souks so 'easily' and decided to take an alternate route back. Oh oh. A MASSIVE trek began that finally spit me out at a very local flea market in an industrial area. Folks here were very conservative and I was quite the oddity. Definitely out of my comfort zone, so I started to look at the goods for sale as a distraction. Lots of old shoes, not always in pairs either. Another cultural lesson. I walked and walked and eventually made it back to the medersa and sheepishly headed back the waz
Khoutoubia Gardens or maintained, but admission is very cheap.
Todaa I fell in and out of love with Marrakech a few times, just when you have had it with the dirt and noise and touts, someone does something incredibly gentle and kind. I am not generally a fan of cities and Marrakech is a city. It has character, dirt and kindness in abundance. Accommodation is not cheap but food is. Dinner tonight of a hearty Moroccan soup and mint tea set me back a whole $1.30.
There is also extreme poverty and no social infrastrucutre/assistance to speak of. Animals, children, women and the elderly pay a huge price for that and life is very hard for them. There is a sense of frustration and anger just below the surface: I have been subject to a few things that are off-putting but nothing too major or unsettling.
I am very much looking forward to getting out of the city and seeing the beautiful countryside!
