Marrakech: A Balance of Extremes in the Red City

Arriving in Marrakech was a sensory overload after spending the majority of our time the last couple months in small medieval towns around Germany and Italy.  This is the first time I truly felt intimidated by a city and, at first, was wondering what we were thinking staying here for a month.  The endless stream of cars and mopeds makes just crossing the street a scary expedition.  The constant smell of exhaust mingled with horse/donkey aroma can be off-putting. But, after giving it a few days, we started to see the beauty and amazing vitality of the city in a whole new way.

Our AirBnB is just a few minutes walk from the medina.  The medina is the historic part of town that is surrounded by a 13^th century wall and filled with many narrow and maze-like alleys.  After reading the guidebooks and blogs by experienced travelers like Nomadic Matt, we were a bit nervous considering all the warnings about the scammers, pickpockets, and obnoxious salesmen.  Quoting Nomadic Matt, wandering the medina requires a “thick skin and a watchful eye.”  However, everyone also recommends that you have to do it!  So off we went to see if we could handle the craziness and not lose our minds in the medina. Providing an accurate depiction of what it is like walking through the medina is difficult, so we thought  a list of our quotes from the first day of wandering the maze of tiny car-free (but NOT moped-free) alleys would give you a better idea of what the place is like.

Ahh!! We almost got clipped by that moped-truck!

Wow, that moped is going crazy fast!!

Is he really trying to drive through all these people?

Move over. Donkey comin through. 





Is there a baby on the back of that moped?

Alysia, watch out!

Look! A monkey on a leash. 

Whoa! An even bigger monkey on a leash. 

What’s the proper etiquette for tipping/paying a snake charmer?

Deja vu. I feel like we already saw those four people drinking tea?

Did we just go in a circle?

We got this!

Bob’s Magical Music?

I think that old lady just tried to pickpocket that guy!

We’ve definitely seen that door before. 




Take a right. Then another right. And another right. I know that sounds crazy but trust me. 

Are they playing an old school Ice Cube song?

So, yes, our first afternoon in the medina was quite an experience.  I wish we had more pictures to share, but due to religious/cultural reasons, many Moroccans do not want to be photographed.  We were very cautious and rarely brought out our cameras in the crowded spaces. Many will allow you to take their picture if you ask nicely but often for a small fee. After we figured out the proper etiquette, we couldn’t pass up a chance to hang out with the snake charmers on the famous big square Jamaa el Fna.

 

By the second time we went to the medina, I felt like an old pro (okay, maybe not, but better).  This time, I was actually on a mission to buy a couple pairs of baggy harem pants.  I was pleasantly surprised that even when we stopped to look, most of the sales people were much less pushy than I thought they would be. So, I ended up buying a pair from one of the guys who was the nicest and kept bringing me out all kinds of patterns until I found the one that I liked.  Of course, after looking through a bunch of stalls, I found two more that I liked even more as we were about to leave for the day.  I figured that I would give my haggling skills a try to justify buying 3 pairs.  We went back and forth and when I finally stopped at a price and didn’t budge, he said “Okay,” with a smile.  I was feeling pretty good about my negotiating skills until the man asked Jimmy “Are you Moroccan?”  “No.”  “Oh, I was easy on you because I thought you were with a local.”  Ahh…always out to get the tourists.  We all laughed about that one, though, and went on our way.

Although there are quite a few pesky salesman that chase you down the street with “check out my cashmere scarfs, best quality” and fake tour guides asking “Looking for the big square. It’s this way.  I can take you.”, you start to realize that the majority are really just a bunch of nice guys trying to make a living.  Many of them have a good sense of humor and loved to pick on Jimmy “Argan oil…for your hair, big guy” and “come check out our spices and herbs…..oh, for the boys, better than Viagra!”  And “see you later, alligator” seemed like the cool phrase right now in Marrakech. As you walk deeper into the back alleys, you see the workers in the various souks toiling away making shoes, tanning leather, sewing cloth, and working metals.  Wandering the souks was a unique and eye-opening cultural experience that is not for the faint of heart but wonderful at the same time.

Our first weekend in Marrakech, we dove headfirst into experiencing some of the unique local traditions.  After a day full of wandering the medina and haggling for goods, we next wanted to experience the nightlife. As a Muslim country, consumption of alcoholic beverages is not common, but shisha lounges are popular. As all my family and friends already know, I’ve never smoked anything in my life and can barely tolerate smokers even remotely in my vicinity.  But one of the traditional Arab past-times that I had to participate in was hanging in a shisha lounge.  Jimmy had smoked shisha while in Istanbul and assured me that it was very different than cigarette or cigar smoke.  We ordered the pineapple-grape flavor, and I was pleasantly surprised that it really tasted like a fruity-flavored steam.  But let’s be clear…I looked like a rookie.  As I watched the other patrons blow huge billows of smoke out their nose and mouth, I was reminded of the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland.  “Who…are…you?”  I was sort of asking myself that as I took a little baby puff and managed to exhale a tiny cloud of smoke.  Yay! Success!

(Don’t get me wrong though as I coughed a good bit of the time…just a bit extreme for my pure, athletic lungs) Jimmy liked it so much he tended to bogart the pipe.

Even better, we got to have this experience with a friend. We kept our streak alive of seeing a friend in every country. We actually had so many in Germany (plus the end of Italy) that we actually went 8 out of 9 straight weeks seeing a friend or multiple friends. We are so fortunate and know it has helped with not getting homesick.  Jimmy’s former co-worker Rachel was staying in Spain for work, so she grabbed a last-minute flight over to hang out with us for a couple days. She joined us for two great cultural experiences: wandering the medina to haggle for pants and the shisha lounge. She was a pro at both: not intimidated by the salesmen and could blow smoke rings!

With the live Moroccan band and the belly dancers, we couldn’t have asked for a better introduction into this centuries-old tradition.

Our first weekend in Marrakech just happened to be our 12th wedding anniversary and gave us a great excuse to experience another Moroccan tradition. Jimmy surprised me with a couples afternoon at a hammam. A hammam is a traditional Moroccan spa, and visiting a hammam is an integral part of normal life with the average Moroccan visiting their local hammam once per week. Of course Jimmy booked us at a fancier, tourist-friendly hammam to make sure we had no uncomfortable surprises.

After getting into our swimsuits and robes, we were escorted into a small white room with an arched ceiling, white benches around the edges, and a decorative marble sink in the corner overflowing with water.  Lovely. The hammam experience went something like this.  Lie down.  Gentle steam for 10 min. Random product lathered on body.  Steam.  Rinse. Relaxing so far. But, then the loofah not-so-gentle scrub down.  A “get the first few layers of skin off” kind of scrub.  Ouch. No, not the feet! Ahh…the face too!?!? More slathering of body with black mud.  More steam. Entire bucket of water dumped on head without warning. Getting a little crazy. 15 min steam finale almost killed us. So hot that breathing became challenging.  Jimmy only survived from a tiny pocket of cooler air he trapped between the bench and his shoulder.  “Feel good” asked the woman when she finally opened the door. Whew! That was intense! Just like everything in Marrakech! Your senses will be pushed to the limit.

After the hammam treatment, we were led to a gorgeous room with lounge chairs and treated to cool water and mint tea. A wonderful, relaxing oasis that was quite the contrast from the rough yet invigorating treatment. Part two was a massage, and luckily, we had the option of a relaxing massage. Yes, please!!  To end, we were led back to the relaxation room and got more mint tea and cookies! We loved this nice little touch to slowly get revived back into reality. US massage parlors need to take notes. I need cookies, mint tea, and a relaxation room before getting shoved outside into the bright, noisy world.

The streets of Marrakech may be loud and chaotic, but when you find the oasis of calm and quiet, you can really begin to enjoy Marrakech and appreciate the balance of extremes.  One of these places is the Jardin Majorelle. We walked amongst the trees and exotic plants and relaxed by refreshing pools filled with water lilies and lotus flowers.  The garden is a soothing and enchanting place in the middle, and yet so far from the bustling city, sheltered by high earthen walls.

Right in the heart of the crazy maze-like medina, we enjoyed a peaceful dinner in a garden complete with little yellow birds at La Jardin restaurant.

Towering over the busy streets, the 11th century Koutoubia mosque and minaret with surrounding park is enchanting, especially when the call to prayer fills the air.

We also discovered the magic of the riads, traditional Moroccan homes or palaces with an interior garden or courtyard.  One of the largest riads, now called Le Jardin Secret, was just recently renovated and opened to the public.  The riad dates back almost 400 years to the Saadian Dynasty and boasts an impressive hydraulics system, to run the fountains and irrigation, that showcases Arab ingenuity.

This riad is one-of-a-kind owing to the presence of a private hammam and tower that rises up as high as some of the city’s minarets symbolizing the owner’s wealth and power.  Today, the tower affords spectacular views over the medina and Atlas Mountains.

In the traditional Islamic garden of Le Jardin Secret, we listened to the chirping of the birds and bubbling of the fountains while drinking traditional Moroccan mint tea.

Yet another aspect of Marrakech that adds to the charm and beauty is the ornate decoration and Arab-Andalusian architecture.  Two of the best representations are Ali ben Youssef Medersa and Bahia Palace.  The inscription above the entryway to the medersa (theological college) reads “You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded”.  After almost six centuries, visitors are still in awe of this beautiful institution that exudes studious calm.

The Bahia Palace was built in the 1860s, and the top artisans in Morocco worked on the project for 14 years.  The palace captures the essence of Islamic and Moroccan style and architecture.

My favorite spot in Marrakesh is on the rooftops as the sun goes down. The horizon lights up a beautiful bold orange and contrasts the greens and gold of the Koutoubia minaret and the outline of the pink- and red-hued walls in the medina. In the distance you can see the Atlas Mountains on a clear day. What a spectacular place for dinner in the medina!

Although just a few stories above the chaos, the atmosphere is surprisingly peaceful and feels like a whole different world.  Only the Muslim call to prayer harmoniously fills the night air every evening for a few minutes. And not just from one minaret, every mosque in town joins in on this religious reminder that surrounds you with a beautiful song-like chant. Jimmy spoiled me for our 12^th wedding anniversary weekend with not just one but probably the two best restaurants in Marrakech with beautiful sunset views.

With delicious Moroccan cuisine, picturesque desert scenery, and the person I love the most in this world, Marrakech managed to capture a little piece of my heart.