Last Day in Marrakesh

We were able to do a lot on our last day in Marrakesh. We had planned on seeing the important cites at the south side of the Medina on different days, but we then played with our schedule a bit and decided to see them all at once, after all they're all only a few streets away from one another. 

We started the morning at the Saadian Tombs, where you pay 10 MAD for entrance. The building is at the back of an important Mosque and the tombs are spread out in little different rooms with a green courtyard between the different rooms. Each tomb has at least one door way, where people could go to pray and visit their loved ones. The tombs are decorated with colourful tiles, engravings in wood and brick and many other little decorations. 

It was interesting to see so many tourists looking at the architecture, because that's what we see when visiting very different places such as Morocco. However to the locals it probably means a lot more. I would have liked there to be a more descriptive panel posted near the tombs explaining the background of the tombs so we could all gain a little more insight for why this particular tomb is such an important landmark. 

We then visited the Bahia Palace, which was wonderful. There were indoor and outdoor gardens, and so many small decorative details that we no longer see in Europe. The tiny tiles blended in well with the painted ceilings and stone engravings giving each room character even if it was empty. Moroccans tend to show their wealth by having fountains, because if you can waste water it shows that you have enough money to do so. I think that's an interesting mentality behind a decorative feature. 

The Bahia Palace only had windows when looking into the courtyard but never towards the exterior. This was strange to me because it gave me the impression of being closed off. Their windows however have beautiful curved metal wiring. This is where decoration works well with practicality. 

Lastly we visited the Dar Si Said Museum which was off the main roads. The rooms were dark but there were interesting historical objects showing the Moroccan and the Berber cultures very well. Intricate wooden doors and windows were displayed as well as a group of old fire arms and beautiful praying rugs. The museum had several small staircases which we used to see the different rooms, and we were able to visit most of the building which was an old rich man's house. 

Each different landmark we visited we tried to soak in and understand the most possible about the country and the culture. I truly enjoyed learning so much on my own where each discovery was new to me because I organized the trip myself without much previous knowledge about Moroccan culture. 

Souks Marrakesh

Shopping in Morocco is very different from walking down Oxford Street. There are not many "real stores" in Marrakesh unless you go to some of the malls in the new part of the city. The main stores in the Medina are the Souks. Souks are small individual stands which sell regional items and are generally owned by two people. One of these people stands or sits inside the shop and the other one stands outside and tries to lure you in. If you even look at one person's items they will notice that you looked and therefore convince you to look into the store for a better view. 

There are different zones for the different key items being sold. There are specific roads and areas for leather, slippers, jewelry, clothes, lanterns, and clay goods. However they do sort of all blend into one. You will find at least one jewelry store mixed in with all the leather ones. 

Its nice because you can browse at which ever speed you like, and unlike in Europe you can haggle prices to very low and they will still give you the product. You just have to know how to bargain. After the first few days I started getting the hang of it, and I rarely changed the original number I gave them but Daniella was very good at it from the start. You have to be firm and not let them scare you. Try your best not to show them you want their product. 

I loved looking through the crowded jewelry displays and all the other interesting things they had for sale. But thankfully we didn't happen to walk past the animal section of the Souks on any of our visits. 

One thing that people will often tell you is that you will get lost in the Souks, its true. But its ok, after you buy something just ask the seller where you are on your map and how to get to the road you want. Do not ask people on the street because they'll ask for money, or will only tell you where the square (Jemaa el Fna) is. Be alert, but try to enjoy the different experience. We had a lot of fun! 

Jardin Majorelle Marrakesh

The Jardin Marjorelle are in the new part of the city of Marrakesh. They are the botanical gardens of the city as well as gardens where Yves Saint Laurent worked and produced some of his most incredible controversial ideas. 

The designer who made the first female pant-suit and created the modern pret-a-porter concept was also interested in nurturing countries such as Morocco. Him and his partner Pierre Berge restored the botanical gardens to something much more beautiful than it previously was. There is in fact a memorial for Yves Saint Laurent within the gardens. 

This garden however isn't only a garden, it also includes a Berber museum, showing the population of the Atlas mountains and some of their traditions. The museum is organized in a very modern way compared to the other cites of the city. There are sheets of information in French, Arabic and English for each visitor to read while looking at the different displays. There also is a whole room dedicated to Berber jewelry which Daniella really loved. 

There is a room near the museum showing collages created by YSL showing the yearly cards he sent to his clients and friends for each new year. He sends his love, with the collage by writing the word "love" on each card every year. 

Next to this room there is the garden's restaurant which happens to serve a very interesting cold tomato soup which I found very refreshing and tasty. The spices in the soup give it a kick but its so cool that it slides perfectly down your throat in the blazing heat. This cafe also has some very interesting drinks which cannot be found else where so I advise you to stop there if you're looking for a refreshment. 

Sadly the Jardin Majorelle was really crowded throughout the whole time we were there and it was difficult to take good photos without several people in the background. But if you're looking for something a little different to do and see I really recommend it because nothing else throughout our whole trip was like this garden. 

Here's their website: www.jardinmajorelle.com

Introduction to Marrakesh

My friend Daniella and I decided to go to Morocco a few months ago and we booked the cheapest flights (EasyJet from Gatwick) and a nice but cheap hotel (Riad Clementine), for our holiday to Marrakesh. We prepared ourselves by looking up things to do online, and I bought a little guide book from Amazon. We looked at a bunch of different blogs and tried to see what the best things to do were. We ended up writing a day-by-day plan of what we were going to do and what we wanted to see. 

When travelling you have to be sure that even if you plan every detail things do not go as planned. We reserved online for a few things, but on the first day we had planned to go to "Les Bains de Marrakech" but our reservation didn't go through because we didn't pay for it online. 

Not to worry, we were dying in the 40°C heat, so we stopped for a drink, and took a cab back to the hotel. From the first day it felt like we were going to end up taking a lot of taxis but we only ended up taking about 4, and two of those were from and to the airport. 

Our hotel was paradise, (but I'll write about that in my next post) and close enough to everything we wanted to see. Now the people of Marrakesh always assume you're looking for the square "Jemaa el Fna" but we never seemed to be looking for it when they attempted to give us directions. 

We reminded ourselves that this was not Europe and everything is a little unorganized, such as there being barely any street signs in French or English. Its hard when there isn't any Arabic on your map and yet everything around you is in Arabic. You end up asking yourself whether the mosque you're looking at is the same one you're looking at in your map. 

Overall, it was an incredible trip, and we were able to see a lot for only being there for 5 days. This holiday gave me the sudden urge to need to see more of the world and I can't wait for my next Intercontinental holiday.