Over the last few days we have seen many different sides of Morocco with even more yet to discover. Our beautiful Riad in the heart of the Medina has been a sanctuary from the busy streets. Our host is taking great care of us making sure we don’t get lost and coordinating tours with guides to keep us busy which is why we haven’t had a chance to share in awhile.
Thank goodness on day one we booked a familiarization walking tour of Marrakesh’s old city. The tour navigated us through several bustling squares and into back alleys where artisans were busy at work. It also helped us get our bearings. Sort of…
The Medina. Oh boy, where do we start… The narrow maze-like cobblestone streets, some no wider than a sidewalk, are lined on both sides with shops and restaurants with motorcycles, pedestrians, delivery vehicles, tuk tuks, bicycles, push carts, mules, vending carts, and more all navigating through at the same time. It operates at a high level of organized chaos with only an orchestra of honks to communicate intent as people dart past each other to get where they are going.
We visited the Ourika Valley, a couple hours outside Marrakesh in the Atlas Mountains. A Berber couple opened their home to us and shared tea. They are both artisans. He makes musical instruments and she makes hand woven carpets. We stopped for lunch at a beautiful place along the river where we sat on cushions at a low table right next to the rushing water. From there we headed into the desert to ride camels at sunset. It was a magical day. We were exhausted when we got back to our riad, but it was worth it.
After an early alarm and delicious breakfast, we were off again the next day. This time in search of the Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou deep in the Atlas Mountains. This is also called a kasbah, and now we know what The Clash was referring to in their famous song. It was a long drive, eight hours total and normally done over two days, but we have limited time and want to see as much of this country as we can. The site has been the set of many films and TV series like Game of Thrones, Indiana Jones 3, Gladiator, The Jewel of the Nile, and Lawrence of Arabia, just to name a few.
Morocco has been incredible so far and we have only seen the tip of the sand dune.
More to come!
Wow, altho I loved ALL the photos, my fav is of the two of you, wrapped in the “garb of the people”! 😘
What an amazing experience! Such beautiful sites- so happy for you both. Stay safe and ENJOY!
Love all the pictures. But I two loved the headdress photo.
What a wonderful accidental side trip. Enjoy and be safe.