Guéliz, Essaouira, and A Clockwork Orange...
Trip Start
May 10, 2010
1
4
Trip End
May 16, 2010
Marrakesh, Marrakech, Morocco
Monday, May 17, 2010
Talking about eyes, after all the photos I've been taking on this trip, squinting with one eye looking into the camera with the other, I must have a "Clockwork Orange"-tan by now, you know, with all the wrinkles all crinkled up on just one side...
Marrakech has a lot more to offer than the old souks. We visited Guéliz - the modern really nice part of the city with it's streets lined with jaccaranda-trees, modern shops and fancy cafés and restaurants.
One morning we visited "Jardin Majorell" which is a very beautiful house and garden that once belonged to an artist and later was bought by Yves saint Laurent. Good for photos and for forgetting all about minimalism.
An experience less pleasing to the senses was visiting the tanneris. They're placed on the outskirts of the souk because of the stench they cause. The men working there aren't afraid to get their hands dirty I tell you! It's most fascinating to see how a dead animals' skin is transformed from stinky body part to pretty shoes/bags/poufs. I had no idea pigeon poo was involved either... But it is... They put the skins in it an the ammonia helps soften the hides. Mmmmm.
Our 2nd last day we took a day-trip to the sea-side town of Essaouira. A bustling fishing town on the west coast of Morocco. I could just sit there and watch the world go by for days if I had the luxury!
It's just breathtaking to see the fishermen at work! Filling up their pretty blue boats to the brim with all sorts of fish and then selling it at the market with the sky just dotted with sea-gulls and there were some pretty pleased cats aroud the place too!
After enjoying the souks in Essaouira we enjoyed a delicious lunch of fresh fish and were accompanied by five cats who sat patiently around our table looking up longingly as we stuffed our faces... The other tables who weren't eating fish had no cats.
After another perfect day, we took the three-hour bus-ride back to Marrakech. Again passing through beautiful barren countryside with a few orange- and olive-plantations, argan trees (we also visited an argan-oil place on our way out), goats and their herders and poppie fields.
Our last day it finally warmed up enough for us to start the day by lazing by the hotel-pool on the roof-top overlooking the Atlas mountain-range. then back into town for the last few errands and shots. Picked up some spices, mint-tea, sandals for my friends' brand new baby girl, and gotthe price I wanted for that mirror I'd been looking at for days! from 2500 dirham down to 800! I probably still got ripped off, but boy am I getting better at this bargaining pilarva.
Perhaps I'll try it at work - from the sellers perspective. "How much do you want to pay?" - If I want the sack that is...
So, now I'm gonna hang up my lanterns, then put on my new Alladin-sandals and go to work and just sort of herd the passers-by into the store that i work in and go "looky looky, juuuust looky looky is free" and see if it works for me too...
The journey has just begun :o)
Til next trip!
Oh, and hope you like my photos. Don't forget to check Peters out, they will be up on his web-site shortly on peterhogel.com!
