Marrakech and the Coast

<This article was originally written as a guest post for globotreks.com, and the original article can be found here: Marrakech and the Coast>

The city of Marrakech is divided into two parts, the old city – enclosed inside the Medina – and the Ville Nouvelle, or new town. We arrived during the slower season of October, so we were able to arrange a reasonable priced hotel inside of the old city, just outside of the main square. Cars are not permitted inside of the Medina, so we found a parking lot a little ways outside of the city walls and carried on by foot. Our train of backpackers marched our way into the bustle of the Medina.

It was late afternoon when we arrived and after unloading our stuff in our rooms, we went out to explore the city. The heart of the Medina is Djemaa El Fna, the central plaza that is the centerpiece of the city. From one of the many rooftop patios we watched the square as it transformed from day to night. By sunset the hundreds of carts are pulled into the square, the lights flickering on as it comes to life. In less than an hour the hundreds of food carts are open for business, the day to night transformation complete.

The square is a lively place filled with many interesting sights and smells, the many white covered tents create an interesting glow, the lights mixing with the smoke and steam of the cooking food. The unmistakable sound of the snake charmers flutes, the exotic smells of boiled snails and the bustle of the square is an overwhelming experience at first. Your best bet is to find one of the food carts frequented by locals, and to avoid an overpriced meal, always ask the price before your meal has already been served. You have your pick of options, and once you’ve found something that appeals to you, have a seat on one of the benches to have your order taken, and then make sure to visit the open kitchen to interact with your cooks.

Surrounding the grand square is where the city really comes to life, in the twisting, winding lanes that expand outwards from the center of town. The Souks (markets) are filled with everything that Morocco is expected to offer: intricately woven carpets, colorful dyes and spices, leather jackets or kitschy tourist trinkets. It is an unrelenting sensory overload; the visual stimulation is equal to that of the sounds and smells. Bargaining is a way of life in Morocco and can in itself be a pleasant, or stressful experience, depending on how you look at it. Enticing calls of “Please, look. Looking is free”, are soon followed by “Sir, how much you pay?” This is also the most touristy part of Marrakech and as far as I can tell Morocco as a whole. Most of the shops closest to the Djemaa El Fna are geared towards selling to the package tourists. The further you venture in the Souks, the more authentic your experience becomes (and significantly less hassle). As I walked past herbs and spices and live animals, I soon realized this is a functional city. Many people live inside the medina, as they would have thousands of years before, living and trading in the city.

We found a small café and just sat for an hour drinking coffee to take a break from our hike. We just sat and watched so much of the city go by. One of my most memorable experiences was far away from the center of town. We wandered up what seemed like a dead end lane and came upon an older man fastening leather bags in his shop. We talked with him, watched his handy-work and eventually bargained out a price for an unfinished bag. He summoned for his young apprentice to come down and attach the straps while I took a few photos. This is most definitely my favorite souvenir from Marrakech. And our day wandering around the far reaches of the Medina the most rewarding experience.

From the bustling madness of Marrakech we hopped in the van my buddySteve from CarRentals.co.uk hooked up for us and made our way further west – towards the laid back village of Essouria. With a history that goes as far back as the 7th century Phoenicians and still having many of the early colonial Portuguese fortifications built around the harbor, Essouria has a very historic feel. In 1765 the local Sultan had the city streets redesigned in order to protect the port and guarantee safety for traders. The Medina and Souks all occupy the inner walls of the town. The entire city is a classified a UNESCO heritage site.

The city was reborn as a traveler destination in the 1960’s when it became a significant stop on the hippie trail. With celebrity visitors such as Cat Stevens, Tennessee Williams and Jimi Hendrix, it was put back on the map by the backpackers of the ‘peace and love generation’. Today most of the hippies are gone, but the town still retains its relaxed feel, aided by the visiting surfing crowd and beach seekers that still make the stopover. The yearly music festival in June still pulls in 200,000 visitors.

For us, after over two weeks of traveling, it was the first time we had been back on the coast since Tangier and the salty smell of the Atlantic Ocean was a much-needed refreshment. We stayed in a cozy guesthouse in the center of town and for the first time on our trip, had a fully functioning kitchen. We wanted to take advantage of the large fishing port that still occupies the city so we wandered to the far end of the docks. Turning around, we were rewarded with a great view of the ports and the city in the background. Watching as the fishermen began to return to port with their catch, we decided it was time to go buy our dinner.

Our feast included 5 large Bass and 75 Durham’s worth of fresh shrimp. We returned to the narrow lanes of the Souks and purchased fresh vegetables, rice and several different spices, before we returned to the hotel to create our feast. The whole experience of watching the ships return to port and interacting with the fisherman, who allowed us to take photos while they cleaned our fish for us, stands out as my best experience in Morocco.

Agadir

From Essouria we drove south, towards the port city of Agadir. Destroyed by a major earthquake in the early 60s, the entire town was rebuilt from the ground up. This alongside the fact that it has become a package-tourist destination for beach-seekers doesn’t leave the town with much of a historic feel. Unless you’re interested with some of the surrounding excursions, or planning to drive south to the Anti-Atlas mountains and the desert beyond, it isn’t really worth the visit. The beach, however, is quite nice but the modern boutique stores and American fast food restaurants make you feel as if you have left Morocco altogether. For us, it was a last chance to stock up on certain supplies – drinks, snacks and batteries – before entering the unknown. For us, the adventure of the Sahara Desert was about to begin, but that’s another story altogether.