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)

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.