The music of Marrakesh

The main minaret; pink and green colors that dominate the whole city

Taking the bus through the peaks and slopes of High Atlas was simply amazing.

Coming to Marrakesh, and being prepared with the advice from wikitravel, we had to face the taxi drivers. Not to mention it was 36 degrees Celsius and the asphalt was burning. Strangely enough, most of the people were wearing jackets and winter shoes.

Woodsman shop in Medina

Medina street

The butcher and the hungry cats

Inside the market

So, here we witnessed taxi drivers being more aggressive than anywhere else (but still, it was too hot to look for another one and negotiate on the burning asfalt). They shout at you for giving them more, and it is impossible to get them to turn on the taxi meter. They pretend they don’t hear. Since everything is so close there, I would suggest walking. And the other benefit is that you experience so much more while roaming the streets then simply taking the taxi and arriving to your hotel or riad. On the way you can see some of the fine restaurants you can wine and dine at (well wine part not so much, while there isn't a place serving alcohol almost anywhere). Oh, and the desserts, indescribably amazing.

Marrakesh has lots more restaurants than any other city

Pastilla with chocolate

Couscous dish (usual Friday dinner dish)

Marrakesh is amazing:

Biggest street in Marrakesh, filled with hotels, spa- hammams, operas, thater

The main tourist attraction square, noisy, colorful, comes alive in the evening time

Snake guy at the main square

Some lady with a monkey at the main square (she was trying to free it)

Potter's wagon (his name is not Harry)

Art of Marrakesh: 

The photography museum (Berber lady)

Caligraphy

Nature of Marrakesh:

And so we ended our Marrocan experience, we took the train to Casablanca (before the flight we took a walk through the streets of Casablanca for the last time)

Film Ouarzazate

A six hours trip through the Middle Atlas mountains to Ouzarzate was peculiar. It was in the middle of the day, thus it was extremely hot. It should have lasted for a little bit more than 4 hours, but there was some troubles with the engine. Spending three nights in the desert got us fully equipped with patience and we didn’t mind it. The driver didn’t inform the passengers of any strange activity, he just slowed down driving down from the mountain.

We entered in the city with broad asphalted streets, colorful buildings (red and apricot were the dominant colors). It was all very familiar, I suppose from movies. Lots of productions took place in the city, Mission: Impossible, Game of Thrones, Lawrence of Arabia, and others. So, of course, having two days there we went on a mission of visiting all of the studios and film museums. Funny enough, our mission was impossible, since all of this places were occupied by film crews, filmg something. Some film, I presume. We were given no information.

So, we decided to turn to the sights. It is a little charming city. I started noticing how the color of everything is arranged to the detail in every city. At first, I thought it was all chaos and dirty, but now I started to see the difference between the cities. For example, in Casablanca, the main color of the houses is white with green roofs and mosaic colors that are found everywhere in the city are blue and green. The taxis are of red color, which gives a nice contrast. In Fes, the houses are mainly yellow or beige, with dominantly blue mosaic decoration and red taxis. During our bus trip, we passed through Meknes, where taxis are bright yellow, and now, in Ouzarzate, you are souronded with bright red, pink, orange hoses with mostly white decoration, and the official color of the taxis is beige. The Moroccan way, seemingly disorganized, nut everything carefully matched.

Having spent the second day, I was looking foreward to yet another bus trip through the High Atlas Mountains. Seeing the pictures of steep slopes and narrow roads, this should be interesting. 

Deserted Merzouga

After a huge vast of people in Fes, it was time for a time-out. Getting in touch with the nature. Zen.  It was difficult to decide between swimming on the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean in Agadir or Essaouira, or going to see the desert. Desert sounded appealing, but ten hours on a bus to get there. About the same time it took to the coast of the Atlantic as well. It is very comfortable to travel by train, the first class tickets are just a bit more expensive (about 3 Euros more than the second class), and the train from Casablanca to Fes takes about 4 hours. The only trick is that the railing is set only between major cities (Casablanca, Fes, Marrakesh), and if you want to get in touch with the nature (ocean, desert), you can take the bus.

sunset in the village of Merzouga

Rose of the sand, Made by the sun, during great climate changes

Having taken the public transportation bus, I strongly suggest anyone to book a touristic trip for three days if you want to go to the desert. It is easier. Not that it was uncomfortable, a normal air-conditioned bus, with the reasonable amount of space. But being stuck in a bus for ten hours which is speeding over 300 km per hor, hmmm… (a little over exaggerated, but close).

every Kasbah has a pool

Anyway, three nights in a Kasbah, with the desert just in a back yard, it was 
amazing. Camel trip and everything, climbing the dunes, swimming in the pool in the middle of the dessert.

People are very nice, as well. Unlike Fes, nobody is trying to sell you anything, they love to talk about the history of the desert people, the Berbers.  Their way is easy paced and stress releasing.  The zen was reached, the batteries were charged, desert is amazing.

Climbing the dune to witness the most amazing sunset

Driving to the top of the dune

little bug

Got us ready to take another bus to the film city, Ouzarzate. The desert was amazing. 

Welcome to the wild, wild Fes

 

Once we got to the main train station, we already got to know quite a few people from Fes. And all of the people  that were occupying the compartment were managers of some-sort, a tannery, bars, the best restaurant. They were very kind and told us a lot about their lives and also didn't hesitate to ask about our lives. I usually don’t trust people at first, and they advised us not to trust anyone in Fes. Except for, I guess, all of the people in the compartment – the managers. But not a specific detail was given, just – DO NOT TRUST ANYONE. And they asked for our hotel address, and already made plans for us when to eat lunch, see the shops, etc.  Of course, they provided contacts of all sorts of “cheap” guides.

We continued suspiciously on. While  approaching towards the taxi stand (keeping in mind not to trust anyone) and asked how much to the Medina of Fes. The first one said 40 MAD (approximately 4 Euros), and we said ok (dragging a big suitcase doesn’t give you much arguing space). Luckily, we’ve found our riad in the busy streets of the Medina . The riad was close to the Blue door which was excellent for the sake of orientation (a reference point lately used a lot). Greeted in a customary Moroccan fashion, we drank the over sweeten tea with mint (which I grew very fond of, it is extra delicious), and were shown our room. By now, we already knew that one does not simply enter their booked room in Morocco, you are being shown all the other rooms, and said that the price is a little bit different (you can never get the exact price beforehand, I think it changes with the conversation), so we said no, thanks, and proceeded to our room.

The room was excellent, and the whole interior of riad was astonishing. Colorful Moroccan style accompanied with mosaics of tiles and a big spacious rooms.  African scents (sweet nutty spices mixture) made up for the fact there were no windows to the exterior world – Riads are usually closed to the outside world, but have a middle of the house open and windows towards inside, so you get a plenty of fresh air, not to worry. And the isolation of a riad guarantees a good night sleep. And after Casablanca’s crazy life, we needed it.


Just after settling, it was time for taking a walk through the colorful narrow streets of Fes Medina and seeing what the craftsmen have to offer.

The streets in Casablanca Medina were narrow, but big enough for a little car to pass through (or the taxi drivers would squeeze it through not caring about innocent pedestrians and not even honking.  In Fes, the streets were too narrow for that, and filled with people. The means of transportating the goods from one part of the market to another were mules and little ponies. “Belek, belek”, shouting all around. Later I found out in ment “attention, attention”. There is no right side of the street rule, everybody had their tempo and it took a couple of days for me to get used to it and not move for everything. People in Fes like to play a game of pretending not to see they are about to run into you, and eventually they move out of the way. The little craftsman shops are amazing, and if you want to buy something, get ready to bargain hard and ridiculous, it is the normal fashion here.

The terrace at the craftsman organisation it the jewish neighbourhood of Fes

After 12 hours of sleep(riad was an amazing place), we got up to the breakfast served on the patio in the riad, I tasted the most amazing pancakes in my life, they look like ordinary pancakes, but have layers of delicious dough – anyway, something to try. And filled with energy, we decided to sop hard and bargain heavily. Note – we didn’t succeed, the sellers have a thing of knowing that you like something and they will use it against you. Well, at least I know for the future that walking away is sometimes the best solution. Aaaand, never ever ever buy the thing in huge leather shops next to the tannery. It is much cheaper on the streets.

Last step: Coloring

First step: Desinfection

Ah, yes, the tannery. To get to the terrace on the top (so you can enjoy a view on the process of turning sheep skins into leather and then coloring it) you have to pass the three or four floors of little leather shops with all their products. Once you get there, the awful stench makes you want to run back to riad and never come out again. But, you stick there, because it is probably the last time you will see something like that. The guide tells you a little story how they first put the skins into a dissolved pigeon poo, which explains the smell. And a soon as the story is finished, you run down, just to see other friendly sellers offering the tea, which of course, you cannot refuse (and it is really hard to, it is delicious), and start showing you things.

From the top of the hill you can get the most beautiful view, at least the managers swore on it. You have to get the taxi, and of course go through all the arguing and price changing (it is very important to have either a taximeter on or decide on a price beforehand). The view on the Medina was worth it. Getting up there just in time for their call to the prayer and filming it, was worth the trouble.

The smell of the market in Fes is quite different from the one in Casablanca, but it’s offer is quite bigger (lovely sandwiches, sweets, spices, leather shoes, all you can think of, even live chickens and a half of a cow being chopped to small pieces).  If you want to escape the sounds and smells of the lively Medina, there is the park nearby, called jnans bil, beautiful still place with lots of security which are protecting the plants. Yes, plants, not people.  You cannot touch the plants.

With the memory of all those smells and colors, we continue the journey to the south, the desert.