Destination #11: Marrakech, Morocco
Stepping foot in the African continent for the first time was exciting! We initially planned to head to South Africa but upon learning the flight time from Europe and the price, we decided for Morocco. We absolutely did NOT regret this decision! Morocco is a melting pot between Africa, Europe and the Middle East which is evident through it’s architecture all throughout Marrakech. The city was founded in the 10th century and is one of the UNESCO heritage sites.
Before arriving, we were cautioned by various folks on it’s safety especially in the souks. I did additional research on precautions on various travel blogs and forums. After spending 5 nights in Marrakech, we have a different opinion. Apart from the narrows streets crossed by motorbikes, we felt safe in Marrakech. Hotels and malls have barricades and metal detectors before you get in. We saw police and military personnels all around town. Tourism is a big thing so they don't mess with foreigners. I've heard that any crime against tourist is more severe than the usual. The souks can be loud and that may startle some but I think that's the way they know to do business. There are so many shops around the souk and it's just a way to attract attention. I'd say that Bangkok night market is twice as bad. They literally shout in your face. As you'd probably know, haggling is a must. Whatever starting price they come up with, divide it by 3 and that should be the actual price. It was so much fun shopping in the souk. Definitely would recommend it to anyone!
With all that is happening back home, Islamophobia is growing and idiot politicians are blaming it on a religion instead of an extremist cult. I might be getting a little too political on this so skip this paragraph for the fun and games. Morocco is a muslim country ruled by a monarchy King Mohammed VI. Most of the population are Sunni Maliki which is a pretty liberal sect of Islam. They are progressive and it's evident in Moroccan culture. There are bars, casinos, pet dogs (some conservative sects consider them dirty), and clubs around Marrakech. Heck, the clubs here open until 5am! Crime in Marrakech is lower than most major European cities. Like any other culture, people of Morocco pursue happiness and the chance for a better life for their families. The king understands this. He king has passed laws that gives women equal rights. He also has whittled down his powers in favor of a stronger multi-party parliament. He has strengthened the country's economy with different trade agreements and policies. You can tell how beloved this King is by his people. From the photograph shrines and garlands set out for his family, to the glowing praise our tour guide gave him. Yet, there are many Americans cringe when they hear "Islamic country" with a monarchy dictator. They judge when others live differently or follow different rules than them. They agree with politicians who propose immigration bans on a whole religion in an effort to catch a small percentage of the radicals that exist in any religion. They probably have not yet stepped foot out of the states to see different cultures (50% of Americans do not have passports). They learn cultures and countries from the news where there is nothing but war, crimes, and negativity. It's sad! That's why I love traveling so much. I get to observe and talk to REAL humans to explore their way of life. As someone smart once said (not Melania Trump), there is only ONE race the human race.
OK back to Marrakech! Although we stayed for 5 nights, I'd say that 3 full days in Marrakech should be sufficient if you don't take a trip up to the Atlas mountains or visit the desert dunes. We started off by visiting the Yves Saint Laurent garden called Jardin Majorelle. The stark contrast between the desert brown, green trees, and indigo blue buildings were amazing! It's like nothing that I've seen before. We hired a guide and he brought us around the medina to visit various historical sites. To be honest, I couldn't tell the difference between all the palaces. They have pretty similar architecture. Marble floors, carved wood panels, garden in the middle of the palace, and mosaic ceilings. Make no mistake, they are all beautiful! We've learned that there was a wall built around the medina back in the 10th century to fend off invasions and within these walls, there are more than a hundred subsections. Each subsection has a mosque, a local souk and communal firebrick oven. Our guide brought us to one of the communal ovens where we saw locals drop off their dough. These ovens can bake up to a 100 loaves of breads at once! Pretty cool! Walking through these subsections, our guide told us that each of them are known for a certain trade and these trades are passed down through generations. We saw snake charmers, henna tattooist, and local musicians playing in the Jemaa El Fnaa square. I reckon that if you come to Marrakech 100 years ago and visited this square, it would be pretty similar!
The food in Marrakech was good and different from what we're used to. We had the traditional tagine, couscous, tagia and also plenty of French food. Morocco used to be a French colony from 1912 to 1955 so most people here speak French as well. The best thing I had here was definitely the briouats. These little fried pastries are pretty similar to spring rolls but on the inside it could be either savory or sweet. You'd usually find kefta or some sort of ground meat mixed with potatoes, garlic, and chili powder. It's delish!
We had plenty of fun in Morocco and definitely would love to come back! On to the next stop! <3
