Built in the 11th centure as a capital city, she has seen her share of visitors. From rulers to traders to poets and artists. In modern times, it is tourists like us who keep it bustling.
We arrived in Marrakech at about 8pm. It was raining cats and dogs, making our search for the riad even harder than it would have already. The GPS helped us find the medina and we knew the riad was located close to one of the medina's bab (gate). My boyfriend was getting extremely stressed by the traffic, the rain and the recklessness of people who were driving there. I think anyone who can survive driving in Marrakech should just be given a driver's license.
After a good 45 minutes without luck, we stopped to ask for directions, despite being very reluctant to do so. No one knew where our riad was. We tried calling them but no one answered. We were honestly prepared for the worst.
Then, as we were stucked in a narrow carpark for bout 15 minutes, we spotted a very old man with a young boy about 10 years old. We asked them for directions and were relieved when the small boy said he knew where the riad was. Somehow, even though they spoke english, we could not find our bearing. So the old man told us the little boy could come with us in our car and show us. Well, we thought, he is a little boy. So we can pay him a good tip. Perhaps EUR5 or something like that.
Off we went with the little boy sitting in the back seat. He leaned forward to fill the gap between our seats. He was excited and spoke simple but clear english. He pointed to the left, the right...straight ahead. I started to think he was a cute smart little boy. About 10 minutes later we arrived at a gate of the medina. We had no idea if it was the right one but we had to check it out.
I took EUR5 from my purse and gave it to the boy. I asked him if he could find his way back to his grandpa. He did not take the money. Instead he tapped my boyfriend on the shoulder and said to him "30 Euros". We were both shocked. I told him he has to take what I was giving and leave. He refused to leave the car.
Right about then, a group of teenagers about 12-15 years old gathered outside our car by the driver's seat.
One of them knocked on the window and asked my boyfriend if we needed help.
I thought "Great! This is like Fés." My boyfriend told them NO and ask them to leave us alone. Meanwhile we were speaking danish and wondering what to do with the little boy in the car. We did not want to get into trouble by throwing him out and inviting the others.
I felt like a prey inside the car while the predators are waiting for the right moment to strike. It was a very strange situation. There we were, two adults against a bunch of kids. How ironic. But I tell you, when you don't know where you are and what happens to you if you lay a finger on these boys, then you have a predicament in your hands.
So we shoved the little boy out of the car with the EUR5 and made a call to the riad. Someone picked up! We were told someone would come to the gate in bicycle to pick us up. So we waited inside the car while the boys waited outside.
We were very relieved when the riad guy arrived. He took us through the bab and then zig-zagged through a network of little streets. The riad had a very big wooden door but it is obscure. As we came to find out, that was not the back door. This is how it is in the vicinity of the old medina. One small door on a tiny obscure street opens into a spectacular courtyard and dwellings. Riad Dar Abiad was our most luxurious accommodation in the entire trip. I was glad we saved it for the last.
The host showed us our room immediately. We were pleasantly surprised. It had been such a long day. The drive and then the drama with the boys.
We went to bed tired.
The next day was a fresh start! It was my birthday. We were served a very nice breakfast by the little pool in the courtyard.
We took our time before getting very good instructions to get to the souk (market) which was 10 minutes walk away. The host assured us that there would be no usslers.
The souk was easy to find. We walked around for a while before stopping for mint tea. There were potteries like tajine pots, scarves, bags, lamps and some unusual delicacies such as lizards and leopard skin. I bought a T-shirt for my grandfather in bright red. This is our game. I buy him a t-shirt every city I go to. He is too old to fly.
Next on the agenda was the Saadian Tombs. Malaysian students would be very confused as here, we have to introduce yet another Sultan Mansur. Except this time, he was the sultan of Morocco in the late 16th century. The tombs here are of his family. The tombs were found only in 1917. It is no wonder that in our Malaysian history books, the Malay government kept reminiscing about the glorious Arabic times. If you are standing before these decorated tombs and admiring the architecture of the buildings, you would want to associate yourself with these cultured people of the past too.
Not so far from the tombs was the El Bahia palace. Here, we see more of the glorius Arabic culture and art. Decorated walls, carved ceilings and marble floors give a glimpse into the luxurious lives of those who lived here once. I was trying to imagine how all the women of this harem lived together yet apart. Were these rooms filled with the kind of drama which can span 100 episodes?
It was then time again for some mint tea! We found a very nice tea house overlooking a square. Lazying on the sofa surrounded by colourful Moroccan carpets and cushions, we sat there drinking mint tea and people spotting. I saw a woman in a burka begging for money in the square. She sat on a bench and waited for people to pass. Then she got up and approached them for money.
It didn't surprise me how many french people we heard and saw in Marrakech. Most riads are owned by retired french people. In fact, some even wrote books about living in Marrakech. I didn't buy them. I just didn't find it interesting to read books about french people talking about their lives in a former colony, as if it is still a colony. Prejudice on my part, perhaps?
After a good hour or two (I know, we're lazy bums), we took another route towards Djmaa el Fna. It was a big square filled with people all the time! There were snake charmers who would demand for money if you take any pictures of them. There were people selling drinks. Tourists. The crowd built up as evening approached. There was a huge crowd gathering in a circle taking the fishing the coke bottle challenge.
Then when the sun started to set, I hear the azan from Koutoubia Mosque which stood in the background like it is watching over the square. In a dedicated part of the square, some locals started to set up tables and food stalls, getting ready for the night feast. Malaysians would be familiar with this concept of pasar malam with food, except this venue is the exotic Marrakech with a 1000 year old history.
My boyfriend and I chose one of the tables and that's where we celebrated my birthday. One of the most special ones I have had. I could not have asked for more.
We retired back to the riad for more mint tea by the pool. Did some reading and chatted.
The next day, another wonderful breakfast. We spent the morning getting a massage at the riad before driving off to Rabat. At Rabat, we spent the night at the airport hotel and flew back to Copenhagen early in the morning. Happy Birthday to Me. :-D
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