Tangier to Marrakech - from Rain to Riad

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Day 5. 24^thJan (continued)



We did go out last night at around 8pm, after an hours siesta. Walked up past the Grand Socco looking for a mobile shop that was shown on Google but didn’t exist! We both needed them as neither could get a signal out here. As we were returning it started raining, raining heavy, very heavy. We took shelter under shop awnings, only moving on when it eased off. Still got soaked literally to the skin. Found a mobile shop much nearer to our hotel and bought sim cards. Michael had no trouble with his (€8) although it took some time setting up in the shop. I just bought one with no data on it (€3), thinking I would sort it out when we returned to the Hotel (where my phone was). The gutters were rivers and it was still tanking it down when we left the shop. We dived into a cafe for a snack of what seemed a fried egg in a French toast sandwich with grated cheese on top with little bowls of olives, some gherkins and a few slices of orange. It was a sort of sports bar, with 2 different footy matches on huge HD screens at either end. We watched a Moroccan team beat an Algerian one 3:0, lots of cheering as they are bitter enemies – have been at war for years. At end of the match we went back to our hotel – about 10pm and realised that we had been up since 5:30am and only eaten a Danish in Algeceras and that egg sanie, filled us up though. Sadly my mobile would not accept the card, bleeding O2 and their locked phones. This has made me more willing to change providers when I get home...hello giff gaff. No photos of Tangier due to rain.







Day 6. 25^th Jan



Up at 6:30, left hotel at 7 missing our included breakfast...this is turning into a starvation holiday (not bad for my physique). We took the steep steps and road out of the Medina towards the sea front where we picked up a taxi taking us to the Train Station (Gare). We had time for a coffee and cuaissant before our train which was a fast AVI Double decker to Casablanca at 8am – 330MDh, about £30. Luckily we were upstairs so had a good view of the countryside when the sun finally came up (we are 1hr ahead of UK time). Quite lush countryside, sometimes acres of plastic covering the crops, the sea often visible, the parallel toll motorway quite empty, the land quite flat, reminiscent of Lincolnshire. Towards Casablanca more forests and a few small rolling hills.



At Casablanca (arrived at 10:10 on time!) we had to change trains to an older stock, but it did have separate compartments 4 to each side. A woman with 2 children was in our seats, she said she was getting off at next station so we said OK and waited in the corridor, but after a while I saw that she was waiting by the door and refused to return despite our wavings to come back. It wasn’t far to next stop… This train stopped at lots of places and was slower anyway so took 2 and a half hours to Marrakech. The countryside became more deserty with scrubby land dotted with walled farmhouses which contained much greenery, due to being watered presumably. We arrived at 1:15pm, nice sunny day here (at last) and I was well overdressed with my jumper and coat on! We began wandering towards the CTM coach station to buy our tickets for Monday to Ouarzazate, stopping on the way at a cafe to buy omelets and chips and, for me, a glass of fresh orange juice. Bought our tickets and hit the taxi rank, 1^st taxi said 150MDh’s which was crazy, I told him we expected a helicopter for that and offered 30. He started haggling but we walked away and another taxi driver came and said he’d take us for 30 (which is a good price). He was a really nice guy and gave us his card to ring on Monday to return to the Coach Station (and possibly for Mike to get to the airport if he has to fly to London in a few weeks).



Took a bit of finding our hotel and whilst Mike was checking Google for directions I got hassled into getting my boots cleaned, he said 2 which I agreed to, but when I paid him 5 he told me he meant Euros. I only had €10 notes, and felt cheated, I told him he should have been clearer and we were in Morocco now so don’t expect prices in Euros or Rupees, but in Dirhams. I gave him another 10 MDhs and he went off gruffly. We then entered the warren of back alleys and eventually found our hotel (no thanks to Google) which turned out to be the wrong hotel as they have 2. So it was, take the 1^st right, 2^nd left and we found the 2^nd version of our hotel Dar Youssef#2 run by Dar Youssef#1’s cousin. We had to pay up front in cash here but I had been expecting that - €33.50 for 2 rooms for 2 nights – cheap as chips. Hard single bed, small room, no outside window, shared bathroom, but we were both OK with it. Fantastic painted doors and frames and a sort of glittery marble effect on the walls. Will post pics later. We took a short siesta for an hour.



Then we wandered around the Jemma el Fnaa square which was starting to get busy with various musicians, storytellers, dancers etc setting up their areas and starting their acts. We meandered through them looking for somewhere to have a proper meal, eventually being collared by a very friendly guy who spoke good English. He knew players from the Leeds footy squad (which I don’t) but chattered with Michael about footy. We did eat there, upstairs with a plastic sheet type of blind which kept the cold wind away and allowed us to see outside. I had vedgy cuss-cuss with chick peas, and a bottle of slightly sparkling orangina, very nice. Mike had chicken tagine but said it was rather dry, he also had some yoghurt.



After the meal, as we were leaving the front door, we met the guy who had enticed us in as he ran over to slap our hands and say goodbye, nice guy.



Back into the square, listening to some great musicians and singers (just like the Rolling Stones album from the 60’s) there was one electric bass guitar which seemed out of place in an otherwise acoustic band, but didn’t detract from our enjoyment (maybe given by the Stones?) Saw some storytelling going on but could not understand the language, one guy looked very old and may well be one of the contributors to the book Alison gave me for Christmas (I have read some!) which was good as it’s apparently a dying art. Other good musicians too. A game of shove ha’penny, although they threw their coin onto a sheet marked out with numbered circles for winning, didn’t see any winners though. In the covered stall area were lots of roast lamb stalls with very friendly touts who each had a rhyme for their numbered stall “All will be fine in number 109”, “You’ll be in heaven in 117” etc. very funny, shaking hands with us although we said we had just eaten. Mike may go back to one tomorrow. We did another tour of the main square then back to the hotel for an early night (10:30ish).

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Comments

[Amy Friedman]

corridor
That corridor photo is great! That should be blown up to be a poster for your sitting room. And my sitting room. And everyone's sitting room. It is well composed. Didja see any snake charmers? Or too cold for snakes, maybe.

[DickDiamond]

Snakes & Henna Patterns
Michael saw a snake charmer and had a cobra draped around his neck, but didn't want a photo of himself so clothed, so charmer took it off again. I'm not a fan of animal tricks anywhere - saw the dove cart in Jemma el Fna where they fly over the crowds, showing white under the dark evening skies. Looks good but they perch on a metal rod which is electrified to make them fly around. Glad I didn't see any poor monkeys either. We are now in Ouarzazate after coach over the High Atlas (more on that in next blog - plus 1). May try to buy henna patterns here if I see any.

[Pedro]

holiday
Hope the weather been more kind for you! Pity Mike needs to leave early to London, send him my love. Have you been ? camel riding? Enjoy

[DickDiamond]

Weather good in Marrakech but cold at night and mornings, quite hot here though 24C, but cool in rooms and at night. Haven't seen a camel yet that could take me - need a giant one! Will pass your wishes to Mike - we're going to hotel bar soon (think he needs a drink...)