Three whole months later. The Morocco post. Before I went away I was on a consistent roll with my blog, a post a month. Then I went away and massive thanks to BA & their technology issues I had to stay longer which added stress & after that just never found time, or should I say motivation, to finish this post. So here it is. My first proper holiday in 10+ years as opposed to Paris which was just a city break. My first time in Africa & Morocco. This trip was a real experience, to say the least.
Staying at Riad Sofia, a short walk from the Koutoubia Mosque & Jemaa El-Fnaa, we had the loveliest host called Ibrahim who was very welcoming to any needs we had, including helping us order takeaway food late in the evening & hanging out with us for a chat whilst we waited. Riads have a much more traditional feel to them, like a Moroccan house with an inner courtyard, so we opted to stay in one for the full experience. Our first day was spent settling in, after arrival we had a long nap & then went to the square to get something to eat. It was such a beautiful scene with all the lights and market/square still vibrant after dark.
Have you really been to Marrakech if you haven't visited El Jardin Marjorelle. Words can not describe the beauty of this garden in person. Photos I'd seen online did no justice to what this place really looks like. From the boldness of the Marjorelle blue to the greenery of all the different plants & cacti. This is where Yves Saint Laurent's memorial is & what a place to be remembered in. I have to say Marrakech has such beautiful sights, some of the roads & architecture there is so beautiful. After spending a fair amount of time in here taking in the sights, getting some photos & embracing the moment, we headed to El Jardin restaurant located in the Souks, they usually have turtles walking around but sadly we didn't see any, for dinner.
Now I have to mention that on the way back from the restaurant we experienced quite an uncomfortable situation with some younger men in the area after losing sense of direction. This trip brought to my attention that some men were not very respectful of women from outside their country and could be very intimidating as well as consistent in harassing you even though we declined any need for help. After being followed & harassed by one, the decision made between me & my friend to follow a group of Asian women & knock on their Riad for help found us a lovely man, the Riad owner, who walked us all the way back to the square, giving us advice on how to read people & stay safe when out.
God bless him!
The next day we had planned to go on the excursion I had most highly anticipated, quad biking & camel riding. Now I had done both things before but not in this way. On my year 6 trip we rode quad bikes round a tiny track & ever since I've wanted a quad bike & to go on one again. That experience was amazing, driving though Palm Grove with the wind attacking me but I would 100% do it again. We stopped off at a Berber village for Moroccan mint tea, or whisky as they call it, and a light snack then set off back to the Quad drop off point. Tip for anyone doing this excursion. Future - Mask off is perfect for this however white converse are not. After this our transfer dropped us to the camel place where we rode around on camels, this is so painful for your inner thighs but the last time I went on a camel it was in the chairs at the side so I wanted to experience this at least once.
Our last couple days were very relaxed and spent going back to the square to do some souvenir shopping, I bought several bracelets, argan oil and a lovely royal blue top with amazing detailing that had cream pants to match. The square had been such a new experience, seeing all the interesting things people were selling, the music and busy crowds & having them shout out any female celebrity they could think of to get your attention. I opted for an all white outfit this day, that didn't last long, by the time we got back to the Riad it was stained with watermelon juice.
Well done Tia!
I can only say that this trip was one hell of an experience in itself, some good moments some bad. The sights of Marrakech are definitely worth seeing, there is so much beauty in this city. However I'd say that if you are a woman I'd say to be wary of your surroundings at night, don't be naïve to random men inviting you places & also to be aware of how you are dressing. The best thing about life is learning & I have to say this trip taught me a lot.
I don't know why this took me so long to post.
But here it is, 7 days in Marrakech, 3 months later!
__________________________________________________________________
"People don't take trips - trips take people"
- John Steinbeck
__________________________________________________________________
"People don't take trips - trips take people"
- John Steinbeck
