Marrakech and Essaouira

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We had a couple of hectic days in cold and wet London and it was great to be back. Catching up with friends, hot showers and being able to drink water straight from the tap and not clean our teeth with bottled water left us feeling very rejuvinated.

We left London looking forward to sunshine in Morocco only to arrive in Marrakech to pouring rain and gale force winds! Our hotel overlooked the main square in the medina - Djemaa el-Fna. What a spectacle - everything you could ever imagine happens in this area snake charmers, monkeys trained to do back flips, traders selling freshly squeezed orange juice, snails, figs and dried apricots, sheep's heads and goats, fortune tellers and tea stalls. There was so much going on, we spent most of the time people watching and wandering around all the delicious food stalls, although I draw the line at sheep's eyes. Chickens are purchased from the cages, weighed, then slaughtered, plucked and given to the customer for the evening meal. The meat market is not for the faint hearted.

We visited the beautifully restored 19th century palace which is now a museum - Dar Mnebhi and and just next door the magnificent Ali ben Youssef Medersa. After the downpour which is following us around we also visited the ruins of Palais el-Badi which in its day would have been one of the most spectacular palaces in the world. All that is left is the towering pise walls which have been taken over by huge stork nests. Not far from here are the Saadian Tombs - ornate tombs of the Saadian princes but given the pouring rain probably not worth the long wait!

We had no idea that Marrakech would be like stepping into a Parisian cafe - delicious tajine, fresh bread and great coffee, the fresh mint tea is a revalation - the European influence is very strong. The people are friendly enough although tend to leave us alone except for our friend the faux guide and the tout! The Moroccans seem to love to chat and are very fiery, we have seen a number of arguments, followed by some shoving and the odd headlock before ending in a hug and the "kiss kiss" on each cheek!

We caught a bus from Marrakech to the laid back coastal town of Essaouria. Unlike India, the bus was brand new, air conditioned and the roads sealed all the way making a rather enjoyable and smooth bus trip. Essaouria has a gorgeous medina where we spent most of our time trying to shelter from the rain. The medina is well preserved, about 18th century, with whitewashed houses, colourful shops and an interesting port area - Skala du Port. The town was really mellow and had a great vibe, a really cool place to explore and relax. It was just a shame the weather was so bad.

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