Morocco Top Ten: Magicians & Carpet Baggers

Marrakesh, Morocco

#10.  Have dinner at the Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakesh

Marrakesh, although considered a tourist mecca, was for us an experience of limited charm.  It all began at the bus station in a heavy downpour.  Our taxi decided to evict us having been offered a better deal by an independent tourist.  We should have seen it coming.

Hand of Fatimah knocks

In the evening, we explored famous Djemaa el-Fna (Square of the Dead), taking dinner at one of the many food stalls.  Our small group was conspicuous and attracted beggars, hawkers, sweet sellers and musicians.  Our food reeked of “tourist trap”.  To be fair, it was still raining and a blistering Marrakesh had cooled down. Still, the tourist brochure entertainment at Djemaa el-Fna was just not happening, so we elected to return to the hotel.  In the meantime, our guide had been picked up and held by Police, his paperwork and credentials closely  inspected. 

Never a dull wardrobe

The next morning, our local guide had some difficulty in understanding our expectations for a day tour.  This was something of a concern because we were paying extra.  Our group was eventually whipped around some mosque ruins (1565), an interesting palace (Palais del la Bahia) and intricate Saadian Tombs before heading back into the Medina souks - for his kick-backs, we presumed.  Ah yes, Djemaa el-Fna in the daylight!  Our first experience of the “cobra wave”!  

One by one, snake charmers, under large umbrellas, poked hefty black snakes into action and played a few exotic notes on flutes as we walked past.  In the side streets, GS stopped to price a teapot.  Big mistake!  An old woman chased her through the medina determined to sell and was making quite a scene.  Polite refusals made no difference and eventually our guide put a stop to it.  There was quite a commotion.  

Deeper inside the medina, GS (not quick to learn from past experience) found another shop with teapots.  Having established a reasonable price, she decided to see what was on offer elsewhere. “Don’t bother coming back if  you don’t take my offer now”, said our less-than-humble shop owner. 

Majorelle Blues

A smartly dressed older man seemed to shadow us whilst we travelled through the city on a downtown bus.  It wasn’t until we were about to get off that we realised he had been trying to pick pockets.  He had, desperate to get a wallet, made a large cut in a fellow travellers pants with a sharp knife.  Nasty!  We should have taken a photo for our Guide to give to the Police.  I have to say though, that there was a decent Police presence in Marrakesh.

Our destination, the Majorelle Gardens, was a quiet (and secure haven) where we could gather our wits and experience a colourful Marrakesh in a painterly way. The small museum of Berber costume inside the Gardens is quite stunning and presented as only Yves St Laurent would have wanted it. The other Museum with fantastic costume displays well worth visiting in Marrakesh was Maison Tiskiwin, home since 1950 to Dutch expat, Bert Flint.  As you can imagine, his Berber collection is something to be admired (and desired).

Maison Tiskiwin

Teapot in hand, the Motleys fled for the overnight train to Tangier.  Our compartment buddies were two lovely boys, trainee teachers, about to travel to Brussels for study.  Both spoke very little English while the Motleys gargled French nouns (mostly made up words).  It was so much fun and the lads were so considerate, our misgivings about Marrakesh simply vanished.

Goodbye Tangier, we'll catch you another time for sure!