Marrakesh, Morocco
Jesse and I really didn't know what to expect heading into Marrakesh. I had decided to do a bit more research for this one since I didn't know much about the customs and culture.
A few facts about Morocco:
The first night we landed and were welcomed into a fantastic traditional Riad home. Upon arrival we were impressed with vibrant warm colors and fantastic traditional architecture. Due to the hot summers a traditional home is set with an open sun room where only a small bit of sun is able to enter the home. In the center is the dining and living area and a water fountain or small pool. Then on the second and third floors are the bedrooms. On the roof is a terrace split on one or two levels.
Our first day we decided to get a guided tour since every online post said be prepared to get lost. We took a drive around the city asking our driver named Nor, everything there we needed to know about the city. Of course after the tour we decided to walk around and yes, we got lost. The streets are basically rows of small shops, but with no grid lines and no street names. Luckily, the main mosque in town was high enough to see from most of the streets so we knew the general direction we should walk.
Our second day we decided to take a tour outside of the city to the Atlas mountains. Along the way we stopped on the side of a highway and took a quick camel ride. Luckily, it was only 15 minutes because any longer and our butts would have been too sore to sit in the van for the rest of the day tour. After the bumpy camel ride we stopped at the locals market, which was the farthest thing from anything that we are used to. There were many different sections of the market, each selling some specialty selection of goods. One for vegetables, fruits, electronics, on site dining, medical services, clothing and meat. No one was worried about what a tourist though as they were killing chickens, rabbits and sheep right in front of the tents. I decided to not walk into the meat section as I felt I had seen enough. Our last part of the trip included an hour and a half walk around the mountain and a quick lunch with our favorite Moroccan dish, Tagine.
For the rest of the week we spent it exploring the markets and experiencing the culture. We discovered that the night time is really the best time to explore because it was much cooler and because all locals are out. It is normal for the locals to do their shopping at night with their days starting at 6am for the first prayer and finally going home late at night, 10 pm or later.
We absolutely loved the food in Morocoo. They are able to grow a lot of fruits and vegetables locally so any dish we had were fresh with lots of fantastic spices. In general you would see a lot of olives, eggplant, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, peas the size of your fingers and lots of chicken. The Tagine was one of our favorite dishes which is what the meal was cooked in as well as the name of the dish itself. One of our favorite days was spent in a cooking class learning to make Moroccan salads, and the traditional Tagine, in a group of 10 other guests and our host. I chose the vegetarian which slow roasted all of the vegetables with spices such as coriander, turmeric, ginger, paprika, garlic, cumin and saffron. YUM! Jesse had the pleasure of watching the chickens get killed in front of him at the markets then carry them to the cooking class and cook them up. Not my idea of appetizing.
Although very different from our culture we really enjoyed meeting the locals and eating their food. Most everyone we met was kind and welcoming to tourists. Would highly recommend!
A few facts about Morocco:
- Morocco is primarily Muslim, but unlike the strict culture we saw in the Maldives the Moroccans seem to be a bit more modern in terms of lifestyle and more specifically what they wear. In general you do not have to be as covered as a tourist and saw locals themselves dressed in every day clothes.
- Due to the French occupation in the early and mid 1900s, most all residents speak Arabic and French as their primary language.
- The Dirham is the local currency.
- Due to the Muslim faith it was rare to find alcohol unless you went to the new city. Which looked like it was right out of Palm Springs.
- Donkeys and mules are a common source of transportation for people and goods especially in rural areas. You can purchase a donkey for 50-500 Euro and a mule 500 - 2000 Euro just in case you are looking for a new ride.
- Yes, there are snake charmers but they are more for the tourists amusement. The snakes used are mainly the Cobra and Rattlesnake. They take out the fangs so they can't bite anyone.
- Drones are forbidden in the entire country. everyone has their bags x-rayed on arrival and they took the drone. Fortunately they held it at the airport and he had to pay a small amount to get it back when we flew back to Portugal,
Our first day we decided to get a guided tour since every online post said be prepared to get lost. We took a drive around the city asking our driver named Nor, everything there we needed to know about the city. Of course after the tour we decided to walk around and yes, we got lost. The streets are basically rows of small shops, but with no grid lines and no street names. Luckily, the main mosque in town was high enough to see from most of the streets so we knew the general direction we should walk.
Our second day we decided to take a tour outside of the city to the Atlas mountains. Along the way we stopped on the side of a highway and took a quick camel ride. Luckily, it was only 15 minutes because any longer and our butts would have been too sore to sit in the van for the rest of the day tour. After the bumpy camel ride we stopped at the locals market, which was the farthest thing from anything that we are used to. There were many different sections of the market, each selling some specialty selection of goods. One for vegetables, fruits, electronics, on site dining, medical services, clothing and meat. No one was worried about what a tourist though as they were killing chickens, rabbits and sheep right in front of the tents. I decided to not walk into the meat section as I felt I had seen enough. Our last part of the trip included an hour and a half walk around the mountain and a quick lunch with our favorite Moroccan dish, Tagine.
The parking lot at the locals market
We absolutely loved the food in Morocoo. They are able to grow a lot of fruits and vegetables locally so any dish we had were fresh with lots of fantastic spices. In general you would see a lot of olives, eggplant, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, peas the size of your fingers and lots of chicken. The Tagine was one of our favorite dishes which is what the meal was cooked in as well as the name of the dish itself. One of our favorite days was spent in a cooking class learning to make Moroccan salads, and the traditional Tagine, in a group of 10 other guests and our host. I chose the vegetarian which slow roasted all of the vegetables with spices such as coriander, turmeric, ginger, paprika, garlic, cumin and saffron. YUM! Jesse had the pleasure of watching the chickens get killed in front of him at the markets then carry them to the cooking class and cook them up. Not my idea of appetizing.
Although very different from our culture we really enjoyed meeting the locals and eating their food. Most everyone we met was kind and welcoming to tourists. Would highly recommend!
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