What better way to celebrate turning 30 than a trip to Morocco?
For this trip, Kel and I were joined by Kel's brother Pete, our housemate Chris and our friend Dennis (from Ingham). We were flying into Marrakech, but other than the fact that we knew we had to fly back out of Marrakech in ten days, our itinerary was wide open...
The 'hostel' we had pre booked from London turned out to be a beautiful renovated riad (traditional villa) tucked away in the back streets behind Djemaa El Fna, the bustling main square of the medina. Walking through Djemaa El Fna at any time of day is an experience in itself, but after the sun goes down, 'The Assembly of the Dead' (english translation) comes alive with story tellers, dancers, pickpockets, drummers, acrobats, aggressive restaurant touts, henna artists and thousands and thousands of PEOPLE! Quite a first impression for our group of first-timers! Thankfully, the serenity of our rooftop terrace was only a stones throw from the action, and we could sit back with a mint tea, play some cards and listen to the sounds of the city.
The Souqs (markets) of Marrakech really have to be experienced to be believed. Endless aisles of silks, leather, woodwork, shoes, herbs, rip-designer labels & pottery surround the main square, staffed by aggressive and persuasive salesmen, who will charge you top dollar for any worthless junk unless you keep your wits about you. I'd like to think that our haggling skills were fine tuned by the time we left, but something tells me the touts came out on top...
After three nights in Marrakech, we decided to head to Essaouira on the coast, which has a growing reputation as Morocco's best resort town. The laid back atmosphere of Essaouira was a welcome contrast from the hustle and bustle of Marrakech and it was here while walking along the endless sandy beach and exploring the labrinth of the medina that I really started to feel like I was on holiday. Taz, our Australian-Moroccan host at Dar Afram personified the cool, hippy feel of the city perfectly.
The next leg of our journey was undoubtedly the most arduous - a 7 hour marathon from Essouira over the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate. From here, our Moroccan adventure really began...
Our goal was to reach the desert dunes of Erg Chebbi near the Algerian border. After looking at a few guided tour options, we decided to hire our own car for the 500km+ round trip and see a bit of the country first hand. So, after stocking up on water, snacks & a map, we left Ouarzazate in our black 'Dacia Logan', off towards the desert.
The roads in this remote part of the country were surprisingly well maintained, so the going was a bit easier and faster than we had anticipated. The only time we were reduced to a crawl was when we passed through the many towns dotted along the highway, where the 'right of way' priority is VERY strictly - scooters, donkeys, bikes, pedestrians THEN motor vehicles... It was in the first of these towns that we heard an ominous flapping sound coming from a rear of the car - unpon investigation, we found that a large bolt had embedded itself firmly in our rear tyre. Luckily, the tyre did not deflate and at the bolt accompanied us for the entire journey!
After spending the night in Tineghir, we arrived in Merzouga and booked a camel trek into the huge dunes on the edge of town. Dressed in berber headscarves, the five of us and our guide watched the sunset over the dunes in complete, unbroken silence, surrounded by nothing but sand. Our accomodation that night was nothing more than crude tents pitched amoung the dunes (I couldn't help but notice that the worn carpets used in the tents were the same ones I was being told were worth hundreds of pounds back in Marrakech...), but after the traditional tajines prepared for dinner, the drumming and singing by the fire and an evening gazing at the galaxy of stars above, it was better than a Hilton.
We made our back to Marrakech via N'Kob & Ouarzazate, and indulged in some last minute souvenir shopping in the Souqs and one final delicious tajine before flying out the next morning.
I have never seen a country with quite as much diversity as Morocco. The fact that we had our own independant mode of transport allowed us to see a lot of things that we have missed as part of a guided tour. Despite the fact that we spent a lot of time in transit, renting a car was a decision I am glad we made.
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