Where: Marrakech, Morocco
When: April 1-2, 2011
With: Rachel
Our last days in Morocco had a lot of driving through the country, and it was hard to not be a touch fatigued as a result. But arriving in Marrakech as our last stop was just the thing we needed to revitalize us and get excited again. Marrakech didn't allow us to be tired right off the bat. It's a city in every respect, crowded with cars and motorbikes whizzing through the streets while vendors yell and sell their goods. The mood was electrifying. And if Marrakech is a living creature, then the Place Djemaa el-Fna is its heart.
During the day, stalls pop up selling all kinds of food, spices and desserts. Looking at it from above, it is such a stunning cross-section of colors and cultures, old and young, strange and familiar.
When: April 1-2, 2011
With: Rachel
Our last days in Morocco had a lot of driving through the country, and it was hard to not be a touch fatigued as a result. But arriving in Marrakech as our last stop was just the thing we needed to revitalize us and get excited again. Marrakech didn't allow us to be tired right off the bat. It's a city in every respect, crowded with cars and motorbikes whizzing through the streets while vendors yell and sell their goods. The mood was electrifying. And if Marrakech is a living creature, then the Place Djemaa el-Fna is its heart.
The Djemaa el-Fna has existed as a public square in the middle of the Marrakech medina for almost a thousand years. It's been used for just about everything you would think: public executions, gatherings, a daily market, story telling, dancing, eating. While people are no longer executed here, all other activity continues and it's still thriving as a central meeting place for both locals and tourists alike.
During the day, stalls pop up selling all kinds of food, spices and desserts. Looking at it from above, it is such a stunning cross-section of colors and cultures, old and young, strange and familiar.
The big drink of choice in this square? Orange juice!
Easily my favorite item being sold: spices. I don't know how they make these spice castles, and I also don't know how a customer gets a scoop without toppling the whole thing over.
Around the square are restaurants and market stalls, and off of them are the alleyways that lead into the maze that is the medina.
The medina has so many winding streets and shops that its easy to get lost in it. (In fact, we did get lost at one point when a cab dropped us off in the wrong spot and we had the lovely challenge of finding our way home.) One stop we made in the medina was at an herbal medicine shop.
As evening falls, the food in the square really starts cooking. We were able to snag a table for our group right in the middle of it all, and I was just blown away by everything. For starters, our fresh baked bread was just slapped on the table and the guy skewering our kebabs sat right next to us.
An amazing dinner
When it got dark, bare bulb lights lit up the square. The smoke coming off the various grills filled the sky, and the scene became, if possible, more surreal.
After eating, we did another loop around the square. Suddenly, all the spices and nuts looked even more appetizing in the evening light, and the energy of the vendors had amped up even more.
I look back on that night as absolutely magical.
The square was such a thrilling and exciting place to experience the energy of Marrakech. And what a lasting impression for my last night of the trip!
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