Marrakesh: An Intro to Morocco

One of the highlights of summer vacation this year was a 10 day trip to Morocco. Yes it was hot (late July/ the beginning of August was the only possible time to go --- so we didn't go to the desert this time), but we sure packed a lot into those few days. We visited three cities: Marrakesh, Casablanca and Rabat.

We started the trip by flying into Marrakesh. After making our way through security and finding a taxi, we arrived at our riad. A riad is a traditional home. Many have been converted into hotels with only a small number of rooms (ours had 5). The rooms look onto a courtyard in the middle. Our riad, Riad Eldar, had a pool and relaxing areas in the courtyard and was located in the medina, which is the pedestrian zone with windy streets. We had a delicious, traditional breakfast of bread, a type of pancake, cake, and a fried egg there every morning.

We packed a lot into a few days, and it was tricky to figure out a schedule to beat the heat. It's best to stay inside during the hottest part of the day. One day we (or rather I) insisted on sightseeing during that time, and even my kneecaps were sweating. Won't do that again. Let's talk about some of the highlights of our days in Marrakesh.

1. The souks and Jemaa el Fna

The souks are the markets, and boy they can be overwhelming, but hey, that's part of the adventure. There are hundreds of little stalls mostly in covered areas with people selling all sorts of stuff: leather goods, traditional clothing or shoes, lamps, spices etc. I found it quite difficult to shop but did get a beautiful scarf. Basically as soon as you slow down in front of a stall to get a look at something, the shopkeeper is at the ready to talk to you about the item (and convince you to buy it of course). There are no prices and bargaining is a must. Supposedly you could get some pretty good deals, but it's hard to know! 

Jemaa el Fna is the main square in town. We passed by during the day and there were loads of fresh fruit juice vendors so we enjoyed a fresh squeezed orange juice. At night, the square turns into craziness. Smoke rises from the barbecue and food vendors. There are snake charmers and musicians, monkeys and street performers. I enjoyed my sweet mint tea on the edge of the square as the sun set.

2. Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace was probably my favorite site in Marrakesh. It's a 19th century palace complex with beautiful mosaics, carvings, fountains and colors.

 

 

3. El Badii Palace

An easy walk from the newer Bahia Palace is the El Badii Palace, completed in 1593. This feels somehow more "earthy" since the walls are a red dirt. However in fact, at the time of its construction, the palace was full of marble, gold and onyx which were later reused in other buildings after the fall of the Saadian kings. Today you can see the layout of the former palace and lots of storks sitting along the walls.

4. Saadian Tombs

The Saadian Dynasty ruled Morocco from 1549 to 1659 and they left behind a legacy with some beautiful buildings and architecture. One of the most beautiful things you can see today in Marrakesh is the tombs of the Saadians. It's a small area with some tombs inside and others outside. My favorite was the room of the kings that was covered in ornate mosaics, arches and ceiling carvings.

5. Majorelle Garden

Something a little more modern to visit in Marrakesh is the Majorelle Garden. This was a nice respite from the heat. There are many varieties of cacti and flowers. At the center sits a colorful house designed by Yves Saint Laurent.

6. Walking the streets and eating the food

Of course no trip to Morocco is complete without tasting the local cuisine. And taste I did. I tried three different kinds of tajine, pastilla, Moroccan mint tea and Moroccan pastries. We found some great recommendations on TripAdvisor and I can really say we ate well at Atay Cafe (a special rooftop restaurant in the medina - perfect for a sunset dinner) and La Cantine des Gazelles (a delicious restaurant by Jemaa el Fna with a French owner that makes a mean tajine).

In the medina - on the hunt for the Photography Museum

Chicken tajine with olives and pickled lemon

View from El Badii Palace

Marrakesh was colorful, confusing, busy, enlightening and special. It is a gateway into a new culture and my first time in a place like that. At times I definitely felt out of place, but it's such a touristy town that people there have seen everything. It's easy to spot the tourists from the locals. Most obviously, many Moroccan women (but not all!) wear headscarves and many men wear a type of long dress. Donkeys and carts are led through the streets and scooters can whizz past at any time in any little street. We mainly stuck to the historic, traditional center, but keep in mind that Marrakesh is quite a big city and has a modern business area of town too. I plan on getting back to Marrakesh sometime to keep exploring. There's so much to see and do!

Kids are Funny

As a prof d'anglais at elementary schools, it should come as no surprise that the kids love me.  For them, I represent a time to learn something different, new, and sometimes just plain funny.  I'm different from their regular teachers in that I'm younger, from somewhere they don't understand, and have all sorts of "funny" traditions.

For example, last week I was teaching the days of the week.  European calendars are organized such that they start with Monday, i.e. Monday is the first day of the week, whereas I explained that for me as an American, Sunday is the first day of the week.  Of course confusion ensued, and I assured them that everything is still the same; the weekend is still Saturday/ Sunday and the school week is Monday through Friday.  Although this did bring up some discussion about Wednesdays - France is in the process of changing the school calendar to add Wednesday morning school.  Currently, Wednesday is thought of as a recreation and extra-curricular activity day.  The four days that they do have school last until 5 pm - bring on the strikes!  After I showed them my calendar and they heard the song that started on Sunday, they seemed somewhat reassured and passed it off as a funny cultural difference (probably not the way they would phrase it - but that's what it is nonetheless).

While this is a great way for the children to learn about the U.S. and my traditions, sometimes their questions are just plain silly.  For example, "Why is your name Danielle?"... "Uhh, because that's what my parents decided it would be?" Or there's the assumption that I currently live in the U.S. and fly to France every week to teach: "Do you take a plane or a train from the U.S.? A plane. Woah, that must be really far away! Yep, it is, but I am living in Perpignan for this year. Ohhhhhh."

Given that I am so "exotic" to these young-ins (and that I always have fun songs to share), they get very excited when they see me arrive.  I probably hear "Hello!" or "Hello Danielle!" (they use my first name or equally as often "maîtresse," meaning teacher) at least 20 times before I even make it into the classroom.  Sometimes, a kid gives me a sticker and thinks he's the coolest in the class or I receive a specially-made card (I got a lot when I gave them Christmas cards to color).  Last week, I received the most intricately made one yet! It was a card, inside of a homemade envelope, inside of a homemade baggy with handles (all made out of colored paper).  It's funny to see how many different ways they can spell my name.

This year, I'm understanding more and more the phrase, "Kids say the darnedest things"!

"For Danielle: I really like English but unfortunately I'm French! Also, you are pretty and nice."