We arrived after our 2 and a half hour comfortable bus ride. Boy it was stinking hot when we disembarked!! We were warned but being little fragile kiwis we were taken aback. This 40 degree heat continued for the next 3 days. We had an idea what the small taxis should cost to the medina where we were staying. Turns out they wanted 4 times more. Richard put on his negotiating hat, and stood his ground. Two drivers nearly had fisty cuffs over it and we walked away twice before agreeing on 30 dirham instead of their 80 dirham initial offer.
So we eventually got to the edge of the medina. The fun was about to begin. Google maps told us the riad was next to a hotel – wrong it was miles away and down several narrow alleys. We got a map and a pushy cart man wanted to take our packs for 80 dirham and take us there. The financial controller had other ideas – he was determined to find it come hell or high water – on our own. So we started to walk in the general direction. We found it after 10-15 minutes of walking, and arrived drowned in perspiration and 80 MAD richer.
Our riad was nice and cool – they are designed well. The people were nice and helpful. We went out exploring – boy that was a mission. Narrow streets and 1000’s of people, and every second person trying to drag you into their tiny shop that was stuffed full of cr#%p!
The next day we took a walk along the Lonely Planet suggested track. It was quite good and we got to see some other areas of the old city. We decided to take a look at the tannery’s and were greeted by a friendly man – saying no problem take pictures. He showed us the other parts down the road, and Richard said to him did he want money, (as we didn’t have any on us). He replied no, and then took us to a leather shop. The hard sell came on and of course we weren’t interested in the offerings. We left, and there were a few heavies outside saying we must pay. They got a bit nasty, but we talked and walked our way out of it. Mental note – avoid tannery’s!!
There are constantly young boys/men asking you if you are lost and they volunteer to take you there, usually via a shop. They expect payment, so we got very good at saying we knew where we were and kept walking. We returned to the riad at lunchtime as it was just too hot and most of the place took a siesta until 4pm.
We went down to the square for dinner. It was quite entertaining, with street performers and pop up restaurants all around, in between the horses and carts and donkeys. As well as the snake charmers, monkey men, magicians, story tellers and drummers.
After two nights in Marrakesh, we had had enough of the heat and hassles and decided to up sticks and head for the desert. This was a day earlier than we had originally planned. We had looked at organising it ourselves but it was quite a long and complicated process trying to navigate the area and program ourselves to get buses and taxis. Abdul at the riad suggested a 3 day 2 night excursion that seemed too good to be true. And the price was right!! But it is true what they say – You pay peanuts you get M…..s!!
