Marrakech!

In order to get to Marrakech, I had decided to use the bus. My Frommers travel guide listed the bus companies that it trusted, one of which was Supratours, and also mentioned that the buses were relatively new and safer than some other companies. This was all correct. The bus even left on schedule. What I hadn't anticipated, however, was the difference between the way Moroccans and Americans drive.

To say the least, Moroccans are aggressive drivers.

I'm fairly certain that the bus driver thought he was driving an Aston Martin, as he passed over 25 vehicles (mostly trucks) in the first half hour on roads with one lane on each side. I lost count after that. Usually, there wasn't anyone coming from the other side, however. There were a few notable exceptions to this when we missed sideswiping other buses or cars by literally inches (I was sitting near the front at a window seat on the left). The driver also seemed to think that the lines marking the different lanes were more of suggestions rather than requirements, as he frequently traveled down the center of the road rather than in just one lane. In fact, the bus spent more time in multiple lanes than it ever did in just one. This practice was not quite as accepted by other Moroccans as we did get honked at a couple of times (most cars and trucks just scooted farther over in their lane though).

One good thing was that the roads the bus was on were in excellent condition, clearly having been paved fairly recently. But when there was any construction, instead of having just one lane open and a worker letting traffic go though on that side like in the US, there would be a gravel road hastily built on the side of the real road for everyone to travel on. Inevitably, we would be smoothly coasting along and I would be just about to fall asleep when there would be a big bump and the bus would suddenly transform into an all terrain vehicle. Sigh.

Thankfully, I made it to Marrakech Supratours station alive, and was met by a taxi driver arranged through where I stayed, the Raid dar Maia. The Riad was very nice, and the owner met me with hot mint tea (a Moroccan tradition) and a map so that I wouldn't get too lost. It was located very close to the main square called Jemaa el Fna.

Jemaa el Fna is basically a large open space surrounded by cafes and vendors. Inside the space during the day, there are mostly just fresh orange juice stands (3 dirahms or $.40 per glass). However, it really transforms at night with all sorts of food stalls grilling meat, fish, vegetables, etc. along with snake charmers, and more vendors selling all sorts of merchandise.

Although I spent a good amount of time at the square, I also really enjoyed wandering around (and of course getting lost in) the souks. The souks are one of the main attractions for many visitors to Marrakech, including myself, as you can see not only an incredibly vast array of hand made pottery, leather goods, products made out of thuya wood (a local tree), but also see the people dyeing the wool, or carving the wood boxes. Parts of the souks were also filled with locals (who usually bought food and clothing there) so you could get an even better feel for what life is like for someone who lives in Morocco.

Marrakech, like in Essaouira, was an excellent place to just try to take in as much as you can by walking around. Although it is nearly impossible to keep track of where you are in the souks after a while, most roads lead back to Jemaa el Fna (and you always know you're close when the people you pass are more tourists than locals) so getting lost wasn't such a bad thing.

One other thing to note was that if you are the type of person who is easily intimidated, Morocoo is probably best explored in a group as opposed to alone or even with two people. The shopkeepers are incredibly insistent salesmen, and once you walk in a store, walking out without purchasing anything is a difficult task. I found it was easiest just to ignore the shopkeepers as they don't bother you once you've moved on from their shop. There are also many illegal guides who will try to convince you they should guide you around the souks, and who are more persistent about attempting to earn your business. After following me around for a couple of minutes and realizing that I had no intention of paying for their services however, they left me alone. Essaouira was the complete opposite, and was much more similar to the US in that assistance was offered only if you requested it, so I was definitely glad I went there first!

Unfortunately, it always seemed incredibly inconspicuous to take photos, so I don't have too many from Morocco. What I do have, should be available shortly however.

And speaking of photos, I am in the process of uploading them as I write this. As soon as I have put some comments on so that you have an idea of what you're looking at, I will post a link here to access them via Flickr. I also plan on posting the pictures to Facebook, so you can look at them there as well.