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Published: February 7th 2010
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February second is my last day in Morocco, since I fly out on Feb 3rd. I have more stories etc to add and will update as time permits, but at the moment I am just trying to get some photos etc up for you all.
I take the bus back to Marrakech around noon, and the old woman behind me throws up pretty much the entire journey! She is discrete, but still.
I have added a video of the call to prayer in Essaouira (the one in Marrakech is much darker). The call to prayer rings out from all mosques on a regular basis around the clock, and adds a rhythm to daily life here.
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For other travellers: I found Morocco very expensive for accommodation, but cheap for food. Part of the challenge seems to be the number of Europeans who have purchased buildings and refitted them as riads, charging European prices. Add to this the fact that there is no real standard rating system there, so booking with an entirely local facility is quite risky - what you see on the website will rarely be what you find there. There is definitely a different standard for hygiene and facilities, but as long as you know this in advance and are comfortable with that, you can book wherever you like. I need certain things like cleanliness and hot water, so I struggled with booking initially and ended up with something that turned out to have European connections but entirely local management and staff.
In Marrakech I stayed at the Hotel du Tresor. It is a traditional riad with a dipping pool in the central courtyard; breakfast served on the roof; all rooms ensuite, and very small. It is not too far off of the square, but far enough to be quiet. As in all riads, you will hear the other residents. For me, the price was right, I felt safe, and slept well. I would recommend it.
On my return from the desert I stayed one night at
Hotel Corail in Marrakech, because it was right near the bus depot. It was very western, but had heat! and tub! and hot water! which I was very ready for. European prices too, but for one night it was fine. I left early the next morning on the bus for Essaouira.
In Essaouira I stayed at the Riad de la Mer which is right near the port and turned out to be studios/apartments. It was great, although finding it was a bit of a challenge. There is no signage and, perhaps because it was off season, no onsite management during the day. Other than that it was spotless, very kind staff, perfect location and I would recommend it.
For my desert trip I used Camel Trekking, who are not located in Marrakech by the way. There are others who are in Marrakech, or in Merzouga if you choose to get yourself there on your own. Many of these are large group trips, but in my experience there you get what you pay for on this. Some of these large groups have a non english speaking driver and no other support so you won't get as much out of this as you might otherwise. I found Camel Trekking easy to deal with, patient with my many questions and western angst and it was a great experience for what it was (ie a quick trip to the desert). I would recommend them to others.
If you need internet access in Marrakech, across Jmaa El Fnaa kitty corner on a diagonal to the CTM Hotel you will see a restaurant or cafe called Marrakeshi. Head into that laneway/road, and just a few doors down on the left you will see a small internet shop. The owner is extremely kind, honest and happy to help.
Language was rarely an issue in Morocco. It is a multilingual society, with just about everyone speaking French in addition to Moroccan Arabic (French is taught throughout school) and usually English as well (with a smattering of german too). If you have any french you can easily navigate this country, with just english you will likely manage just fine.
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