TUESDAY 29 Mars
Marrakech
My top bunk is too high. My roommates all snore and fart and go to bed too early. Breakfast was crap. you get what you pay for. I will stay here tonight but move to a hotel for the last night.
So I went for an early walk through the Jemma Fna and saw the juice stands and fruit stands being opened. The square that was packed last night was near empty. Only the occasional vendor with basics. Went through some of the medina, then doubled back to look up directions to a museum I wanted to visit. Went walking in search of the museum, saw some signs but still got a little lost. I asked a taxi driver to point me the right way, and he did, but I wasn't sure so I asked a second taxi driver a few minutes later and he pointed me in the right direction as well. Unfortunately none of them or the website I had looked up mentioned that the museum is closed on Tuesday.
Marrakech has a much more diverse tourist population than the other cities I have been here in Morocco. It seems the only locals are running shops all day, and that everyone walking around is a tourist from somewhere, even other parts of Morocco.
Walking through the medina at day time is an obstacle coarse, there are many people milling about and going this way and that. The shop keepers are trying to draw you into their shops and you can't help but look and be distracted at all the pretty colors and shinny things. At the same time there are donkey carts, horses, people on scooters and small motor bikes whizzing by, and the occasional motor cart. There's also animal poo on the ground, but the shop owners often cover it with cardboard. I haven't seen an accident yet and that amazes me. I spoke to a lady at an herbal healing shop and she said she never sees accidents in the medina. There are apparently a lot of accidents on the highways between towns but I didn't see one my whole time here and I covered a lot of miles. I did read that before coming here too. She also pointed out that you see women riding scooters, bikes, and driving in Marrakech, but not in Fes. I didn't realize that but I wasn't paying attention to it. Marrakech is more liberal, but the most touristic of the places I visited.
I successfully haggled for a Kashmir scarf, original price 300 dirham, final price 110.
By 1 pm it was crazy hot, so I ducked into a restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Jemma and had a so-so couscous and some mint tea. For the first time this trip I was right next to one of the mosques during prayer time and could hear what they actually say on the loud speaker. I prefer hearing multiple ones from afar, but it's nice to know what it sounds like without the chorus of multiple chants at once.
I tried to go out some more after food but the sun was too much so I went back to the hostel to relax a little. It's 28 degrees, and I haven't bothered figuring out the conversion to Fahrenheit but I know that 13 is cool but bearable, 16 is comfortable, 20 is plenty hot, and unlike Fahrenheit every degree really makes a difference.
So I'm gonna wait it out a few hours since my head hurts a little (I am drinking plenty of water and staying away from coffee)
While hanging inside a few people checked in including a kid from Russia. Antoni doesn't speak any Arabic, nor French or English enough to communicate. He walked 2 hours from the airport in the heat I was escaping. He got lost and walked in circles.
He finally found a cafe near the hostel that happens to be owned by the same people (although Antoni didn't know that) So he asked Mohamed (I swear I'm not just filling in Mohamed when I forget a name) at the cafe and I answered the door to a frustrated Antoni trying to get away from Mohamed, who Antoni thinks is a tout trying to collect his money for helping him find the hostel. I didn't see the beginning of this and I had to piece the story together. But here's where they enter -
Mohamed asks English? French?
Antoni - briefly speaks Russian, than says Russia, then goes "urgh" throws his hands up and walks towards the first doorway he sees.
By that point Mohamed is saying something like "I'm with the hostel. I'm trying to help check you in" , asking about the amount owed, and was picking up the book with the papers to fill out. I could see a similar look between Antoni's face and what mine must have looked like when I first arrived in Tangiers. I said " OK" real slow like and nodded my head up and down. Then they start trying to talk about money and Mohamed asks for euros (they like euros here in Morocco). Antoni says Dirhams Dirhams. I try to help using a conversion app and I think we may have peace between Marrakech and Moscow.
Antoni is directly outside the hostel a few minutes later as I was heading to the square for more food. He asks to join so I figured why not. I was really appreciative to have someone show me around when I first arrived, and though I'm an amateur, I was able to successfully take us through the souk so he got a sense of where the hostel is, and how to get to the Jemma Fna. We grabbed some food, I suggested a tagine, which I think he liked. And we watched the craziness of the square.
People tried to sell us watches, cell phones, honey, socks, glasses, paintings, and so on. The same guys would be walking back and forth asking again and again, like I'll change my mind and want to to start wearing a watch. There are beggars too. A lot. In most towns I will give some change to a street musician unless there's a whole bridge full of them (like in Budapest or Prague) or someone who gives me some form of entertainment without embarrassing or hurting themselves (a good joke does it sometimes)
Zachariah at the hostel has taken to calling me the boss. I told him I need to get my cut then. Now other guests are asking me questions like I work here. There are some Colombians here calling me jefe. Zach likes to tease everyone here. Germans get it the worst though I'm noticing.
Tomorrow's my last day. I'm gonna see if I can pick up a few little things before heading to the hotel.
Tisba Allacha
