FIRST DAY IN MARRAKECH

Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Marrakesh, Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco
After a good night's sleep, our plan for the day was to visit the Yves St Luarante Museum and the Marjorel Gardens.  We went out to the gate to get a taxi and there was Lardo, in a mini van as though he was just waiting for us.  Unfortunately, the museum was closed so we had him take us to Jemma el-Fna, the main square.   This was the first time Pam and Miles and Rod and Priscilla had been to Marrakech and, even though Bill and I have been here multiple times, the Wow factor of this incredible city is always present.  Upon entering the square, Miles was greeted by having a huge snake placed around his neck with several snake charmers playing to a pile of cobras at his feet.  A little further on, I suddenly had two monkeys placed on my shoulders which was a little alarming.  The whole square is filled with vendors hawking their wares that were displayed on the ground and other locals doing various kinds of performance art.  Then there were rows of huge carts packed with beautifully displayed fruits with vendors selling delicious fruits drinks.   It felt like we had walked onto a Fellini movie set.  Then, surrounding the square, are countless restaurants with rooftop terraces and, finally, the famous labyrinth of souks selling everything imaginable.  We had to be diligent about sticking together as it would be very easy to get lost, never to return, in this maze of color and chatter and chaos.  It would be impossible to resist making at least a few purchases and we were no exception. We left the souks laden with dresses, pottery, pure saffron and spices for Bill and, of course, a few tee shirts before eating a Moroccan lunch on one of the rooftop terraces.
Afterwards, our trusted driver, Lardo, wisked us away to our home where we spent time relaxing, as we were still recovering from jet lag  We then had a light dinner at one of our local restaurants in the complex.  Walking home after dinner, Mohammed, who just happened to be a tour guide, appeared out of nowhere.  He showed us a pamphlet of the tours he did and, as his prices seemed really good, so we arranged for him to pick us up the next morning for a tour of a few of the popular spots in the city.
I really love this city and felt like our first full day was a great introduction for our friends to experience the magic of Marrakech.

Comments

2025-02-13

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank