Blogs from Marrakech, Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz, Morocco, Africa - page 22

So my Moroocomate and I spent are last afternoon and evening in the Medina in Marrakech (as she is leaving). We went back to our first riad that we stayed at. Something was a little different this time. Was it because we just came from the most beautiful accommodation? Or perhaps it was because of Ramadan? Our guess was Ramadan. It started 3 days ago. Ramadan is a month long fast - no one eats, drinks, smokes from sunrise to sunset. In the 90+ degree heat it seems near impossible to survive without water; however the Moroccans do it! We were told it is about one’s soul and g-d. It is up to the individual to decide to cheat or not. Each region, we found that kids start at all different ages. Some children start as ... read more

Imlil turned out to be relaxing. I didn’t do a trek, nor did I force myself to try to get down to a valley just to climb my way back up. I enjoy hiking… maybe 2 to 3 hours of it. Once I am told a certain path will take over 4 hours in 90+ degree weather, I will shy away. I read gossip magazines and started to get into a book. It was a well needed day of nothingness. It went by quickly. The next morning, we ate another carb filled breakfast and got out ride back to Marrakech (as there is no public transportation from Imlil). This night in Marrakech was our splurge night. We wanted somewhere with a pool and hamman. We pulled up to our riad (more like a hotel) which was ... read more

We hired an English speaking guide this morning to take us around the Medina in Marrakesh. His name was Mohammed. Mohammed is ½ Arab and ½ Berber which is a slight scandal. Even though his parents were an arranged marriage - the mixing of cultures is typically not the norm. We got a huge education and learned the differences between the Arabs, the Berbers and the Jews. We started at Medersa Ben Youssef. This was absolutely breath taking. The tiles, the wood, the surroundings, the history were all mesmerizing. We saw the old palace within Ben Youssef where we learned that a very wealthy man had lived there with his 4 wives. In Moroccan culture, if a man wants more than 1 wife, they need the 1st wife’s permission. We also learned the fatter, the more ... read more

Morocco was awesome! We loved the art and Islamic architecture. The Moroccans are so laid back and friendly. What we loved: We visited including museums, the Jewish neighborhood, schools, farms, etc. Our riad (traditional home converted to a hotel) was beautiful and a lovely stay Moroccan Tea The Moroccans love to drink mint tea with a tons of sugar. It's called the "Whiskey of Morocco" They pour the tea to the cup as high from the cup as possible and it's a pleasure to watch this artfully task. The mint tea was quite good, although the sugary part of it took some getting used to. The food in Morocco is very tasty with lots of herbs. They also cook with nuts and dried fruit, especially dates. There is a dish called tagine using cone-shaped ceramic pot, ... read more

Our Perle du Dades hosts very kindly drove us most of the way to our next destination, the biggest Kasbah in Morocco. They even directed us to another one we ought to see on the way. Sadly, though, there didn't seem to be any public transport or taxis between the two. Gavin didn't believe the prices for chartering a taxi at first, so it took a couple of hours (and a morale-boosting pizza) before we found anyone to drive us up there. We finally left, for about half the original quote. 5km down the road, we were handed over to another driver and another vehicle. We did get a little nervous when he kept stopping to pour water on his engine in the middle of the desert! It hardly bothered us by comparison when there was ... read more