Tuesday April 8, 2025

A rise well rested after a long and solid sleep. There appears to be no mosque nearby, cause the muezzin is notably absent.

We leasurely eat the artichokes we bought along the road yesterday. Maybe it’s the first time in my life I eat artichoke. And I don’t think my life will change because of this new experience.

Then we get ready and drive to Marrakesh. Its main attraction is the souk - the central market. We park near a supermarket and walk in about 20 minutes to the Jamaâ el-fna, the main square. As we approach both the heat and the number of tourists increases, and by the time we arrive the crowd is already growing. 

However, the square is only partially filled with stalls. How touristy it is, becomes clear when Sisi takes a picture of someone making a few dance steps, and is immediately approached for a payment. ‘You took a picture !’

It is warm and a bit dusty. We leave the square and enter the maze of narrow streets that are filled with small shops the coolness and shade are pleasant. Over the top of the road lie wooden beams with straw mats to keep out the sun. It’s all a bit dark, and from the gloom of the stores shine endless copper and iron objects. The maze is endless, and each area has its own products. Some are all clothes, some perfumes, others leather, candies, fruits, lamps, jewelry etc. In many areas you can smell where you are.

It’s rather exotic, but unfortunately it is too much catering to tourists. And in some areas all the buyers are tourists.

Nevertheless we enjoy ourselves by looking around. We drink fruit juice and eat lunch at a roof top restaurant. We buy some spices, even some clothes, and when we finally leave the frantic market and emerge into the blasting sunshine, it is 36C. 

By the time we are back at our car, we are three hot and tired people looking for rest.

We quickly pass a supermarket and buy milk, eggs, water and some small items, and then we merge into the hot traffic leaving the city.

In our apartment we relax, just going out for dinner a couple of blocks away.

The rest of the evening Didi spends planning the next few legs in our trip. Tomorrow we will head into the Atlas mountains, the main goal of our trip.