Gess Where Travels: Marrakech

Our hotel in Marrakech was changed to the new area of Gueliz because of the earthquake. The Ari Hotel is relatively new and is in a good location. Rooms are modern and as seems to be the case all over, the staff go out of their way to be helpful.

Although not that far from the Medina, the walk from the hotel is almost impossible due to the heat - yes it is in the high 30s here and it feels like it! The walls of the Medina cover 19 km. Inside the Medina are streets and streets of shops. Many are behind beautiful doors with covered walkways. Others are the stalls of the souks. Shopping in the souks is a nightmare. There is no such thing as looking because as soon as you look they are on you like flies! And bargaining - well that is another point. Even when you pay 30% of the first price you are likely being ripped off. In reality we did very little shopping there!

Pottery

Baskets

Thread

Lamps

Door knockers

Key and lock

Blacksmith shop

Baskets

Restoration project - covered alleyways

So much color

The Secret Jardín is a beautiful old riad in the centre of the Medina that was renovated just 5 years ago. Lovely buildings, great gardens and a great terrace. Moroccan men are frequently found having coffee in the cafes but woman are not seen in the traditional places in theses cafes. As our guide explained the women would go from terrace to terrace by walkways to visit and share information or in her words gossip.

The herbalist was quite the entertainer as well as a salesman. As we left, our wallets had definitely been lightened.

Saffron comes from this crocus. Each plant produces only 2 to 3 strands - no wonder it is so expensive!

We did see some evidence of earthquake damage where scaffolding is up and repairs are already started. The King’s response to getting things up and running is remarkable. In addition there is a lot of renovation work being completed so sometimes hard to tell which was which. Morocco is hosting the International Banking conference and so repair is important to them

Djemaa El Fna is the main square and is full of activity. Snake charmers, monkey charmers, food stalls, fruit stands, salespeople - you name it and it is here. It has two different looks as everything - day is a relatively calm with lots of fruit vendors and then everything moves in at 4 pm and it becomes a hopping place. Lots of families and tourists taking it all in.

Sky Mabrouba was a wonderful place for dinner and a great sunset with the minaret as a back drop.

Just for fun on one day a buggy ride home for of 4 of us was in order. Good thing it had natural air conditioning as the smell was a bit strong!

In past my groups have visited the Jardín Majorelle and we did so once again. What a surprise for me - it was so busy and you had to follow the path. This was different from past when we were able to go around on our own. There is a beautiful Berber museum and after visiting it we all agreed that we were thankful that we did not have to wear that jewelry- it looked so heavy. Part of the site includes the Yves Saint Laurent Museum who along with his partner Pierre Berge were instrumental in ensuring the gardens were developed and saved from developers. Our final stop, the Artisan Complex in a beautiful building with no one shouting at you to buy.

Yves Saint Laurent Museum

Artisan Complex

Our hotel is located within walking distance of a few interesting spots including a beautiful train station and the Royal Theatre. Walking by the theatre we noticed an open door so of course it was an invitation to explore and we went in. It looked like it was in disrepair and suddenly a fellow showed up and took us around. It is closed for renovations and will hopefully be open in 2 years.