Hello world.

This blog has been on hiatus for a little more than a year.  Since so many of us are marooned at home and cannot (should not) travel in the foreseeable future, it could be a relief to do some virtual sightseeing.  We will start with sharing our last trip taken in the beginning of 2020, just before the pandemic hit Europe.

The destination was the kingdom of Morocco.  We were a party of six. IT, our frequent travel companion, joined us for the full two weeks. DL, IL and SG traveled with us in the first week of the trip.  None of us have been to Morocco before, and in fact, it was the first time for us (Chris and Sue) to set foot on the continent of Africa.

We chose Morocco because it is relatively easy to get to from Europe, and the weather is agreeable during a Northern hemisphere winter season. Our point of entry was Marrakesh, Menara airport. It receives direct flights from Geneva.  The other popular option, more for business travelers, is Casablanca.

We were warned about long lines at the immigration checkpoint and even paid extra (per passenger) to use the speedy VIP lane. Well, it was nice to be greeted by a smiling English speaker at the gate but there was hardly anyone in the spacious modern terminal.  It felt like a scam. Perhaps it is different during the peak travel season.

Our drivers were already waiting to take us to our riad. Emerging from the modern terminal building, we saw another breezy white building, apparently built earlier, that handles departure (see above).

After having settled into our riad in the medina, we wandered into the maze of alleyways and ended up 15-20 minutes later in Place Jemaa-el-Fna, the main square of the city.

The square was packed with people, locals and tourists, stalls, tarp on the ground, and carts selling all kinds of goods and edibles. Surprisingly, there were no donkeys or mules, bicycles and motor bikes. So it made strolling in the square a less stressful activity.

The square has been a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985. We bought this postcard showing the square circa 1916.

We grabbed an early dinner at Le Marrakachi which had a terrace offering a panoramic view over the square.

Le Marrakachi – a touristy restaurant, but a comfortable place to relax and catch up with DL, IL and SG.  We last saw them in July 2019.

The square became more alive as the sun disappeared behind the minaret of the Koutoubia mosque (Bookseller’s mosque), the largest in Marrakesh, built around 1158.  We did not go to see this landmark as non-worshipers are not allowed.

We took a stroll after dinner around the huge square. There were all sorts of entertainment from parading peacocks, snake charmers (daytime), storytelling, to Gnaoua music (photo below).

The description of Gnaoua music on WIkipedia: deeply hypnotic trance music, marked by low-toned, rhythmic melodies played on a skin-covered lute called sintir or guembri, call-and-response singing, hand clapping and cymbals called krakeb. Gnawa ceremonies use music and dance to evoke ancestral saints who can drive out evil, cure psychological ills, or remedy scorpion stings. Glad to find it on Spotify.

spotify:track:25lu9yp3CPf5wGLA7rLWuD

Food is a major attraction in the square. Grilled meats galore. As it was early in the evening, most stalls were just setting up the tables. To some people, the setup in this photo below seems unhygienic. Having seen the place first hand, I think it is not a problem. Since we had an early dinner, we were not tempted.

Another stall was selling sheep’s head and tangia (a different kind of stew from tagine, see center of photo below). Locals did not care but it might be hard for tourists to eat while staring at the rows of heads.

These deep-dried triangles (briwate) of meats, vegetables and seafoods are our favorites – often offered as appetizers in tourist restaurants. They are essentially big samosas.

There were no tall buildings in sight which made the square felt very open and large. We relied on a few brightly lit buildings to orient ourselves in the square.

By the way, if you are wondering, the common English spelling of this place is “Marrakesh”, although “Marrakech” (the French spelling) is also widely used. The name is spelt Mṛṛakc in the Berber Latin alphabet, Marraquexe in Portuguese, Marraquech in Spanish, and “Mer-raksh” in Moroccan Arabic.

To be continued.

#morocco #marrakesh #gnaoua #maroc #maghreb