Colorful Markets

Day 3: March 9
Bellies full from breakfast, we headed over to the pool in the morning and spent hours having fun. We laid out and lightly baked in the morning sun, dipped into the pool as the temperatures began to rise, and ate lunch on the lounge chairs. By 1pm, we had to get up and get ready to head into town on the shuttle bus. We found the souks easily and knowingly that day, and wandered deeper into the market space maze. We managed to find a quieter and less aggressive area to shop. It was such a great experience in comparison. Babe bought a scarf for his mom, and we saw some of the pretty dyes used to create the colourful pieces of fabric. After getting back out to the main square, we went on a lovely horse and carriage ride for an hour just in time for sunset. I loved passing through old city, where they had many tailors and seamstresses. We ended at the pickup point for the shuttle bus back to our hotel, where we bathed and got ready for the evening. That night, we decided to take it easy and have dinner at the hotel (which ended up being much better than the first night) and a couple of drinks at the hotel lounge. They were setting up for karaoke, which can usually be pretty entertaining, but most people decided to sing sappy French songs, so we decided to take some drinks back to the room and snuggle.   

Exploring Marrakech

Day 2: March 8
We made our way out of our room in time for breakfast, thank goodness. The bf likes to sleep until the middle of the afternoon if he doesn't have to work. I, on the other hand, am always awake by 7 or 8am naturally. I had delicious msemen drizzled in honey, which is kind of like Native American fry bread. There was a woman making omelets outside, and we ate under the umbrella of a table in the sun. It was lovely, and very peaceful. Afterwards, we caught the shuttle bus to the medina. Upon arrival, we hopped out, in search of an ATM and currency exchange bureau. We were bombarded by five locals instead. They asked us what we were looking for, if we wanted a tour on foot, or if we wanted a taxi. It was so overwhelming. We pushed through, shouting “no thanks” over our shoulders. After sorting out money issues at the bank, and navigating by map, we ended up at the souks (which we didn’t realize we had actually reached until the next day). We browsed through for a while and dismissed the disrespectful catcalls (I was in an ankle length dress, mind you) and faux tour guides trying to make money. Babe was convinced we were only in the covered market area and hadn’t actually reached the souks, so in spite of my feet aching, he was on a mission. We were still dazzled by trinkets, detailed carpets, baskets, fruits and spices, and clothes in the mean time. I also managed to find the rose buds that look just like the tea I found in Malaysia, but failed to actually articulate what it was I wanted them for to the man who was selling, and I left empty handed and not knowing if I can use them for tea. We stopped to hydrate and cool down with water and a fruit salad topped with ice cream. Continuing the journey from that point led us far away from tourists and close to a school of giggling preteens. A taxi driver was our saviour. We headed back to the hotel for a shower and a nap.

I set up a mini birthday celebration for my boyfriend that evening. The kitchen baked him a cake and sang happy birthday, before we went in to town. Once we reached a street with a couple of posh restaurants, we got out and walked up to a set of outer doors with bouncers. They welcomed us, and once we got to the main entrance, we were unsure if there was some type of event going on. Staff with trays of champagne and chocolates, and single roses were urging me to take one of each. I couldn’t turn down the champagne and chocolates, and the bf picked up a glass as well. We went in, and the place was gorgeous. There was a live band playing mellow music and beautiful women scattered around the multi-level open area. On one level, there were complimentary hors d'oeuvers. We felt uncomfortable, as if we naughtily crashed an event. So, babe decided to ask someone what was going on. The guy said it was “women’s night” which I’m assuming is ladies night. How exciting! Free champagne, chocolate, flowers, and food for ladies night?! The most you’ll get in most other places is half priced drinks and free entry. Incredible. Although it was tempting to stay all night, we left after a short time to have a meal. We walked along and found a restaurant through decorated, hidden doors. The place was dimly lit, which created a sophisticated ambiance. We had to wait 20 minutes to be seated, and filled the time with drinks at the bar. The hostess eventually sat us at a candle lit table next to another couple. We both ordered traditional Moroccan dishes: I had the chicken tajine, and babe (regrettably) had the beef tajine. My bf hated his meal. It was dry and lacked flavor, but mine was decent. The entertainment somewhat made up for the food. Before we got our meal, the lights went down, and a woman in an embellished outfit and a crown of candles on her head came out to some tantric music. Followed by her was belly dancer, after belly dancer going around the tables and even standing on a couple of them for an elevated performance. It was so mesmerizing. We left after we finished our (overly) expensive meal. Back to the hotel for a Bailey’s nightcap.

Entrance to the venue where ladies night was held

Chocolates for the ladies

Gorgeous lighting at the restaurant

Candle lit lady

Belly dancer (I had to use flash, otherwise it would be impossible to see in a photo)

Chicken Tajine

Restaurant lighting

Arriving in Morocco

Day 1: March 7
After a 3 hour flight and a couple of cosmos, we reached Menara Airport in Marrakech, Wednesday evening. We were anxious to get out of the airport, and into the city. Luckily, we were able to breeze through immigration and meet our taxi driver holding a sign with our names on it. He spoke very little English and was cross-eyed, but incredibly friendly. We drove through the town looking at signs in Arabic, polished, grand buildings alongside crumbling ones, and locals on motorbikes whizzing in and out of traffic. My boyfriend took my hand and smiled. It was our first time being in a city neither of us had been to before... a new experience together. We arrived at our hotel 20 minutes later. It was a beautiful terracotta building with velvet ropes leading to the entrance and hotel staff to greet guests at the door. Walking through the glass doors we were in awe of the huge, sparkling chandelier suspended from the carved wooden ceiling, full of detail.

After checking in, we went to our room, which was in a traditional riad. It was nice to have a room and living area so we could spread out. We were pretty tired at that point and left our bags unpacked, but managed to change before heading over to the hotel buffet. It was called an "international" buffet, but I think the only food they had from another region was lasagne. That was fine, though, the food was still decent and I love trying new dishes. I had some noodles that may have been traditional, but it was so difficult to communicate with the staff because I don't speak French! Anyway, after dinner we went to the hotel's bar/lounge. I tried a blue lagoon cocktail, that wasn't my favorite, so I stuck with house white wine from that point on. There weren't very many guests partying on the dance floor, but employees of the hotel certainly tried to get the party going. They came around to each table, attempting to lure everyone to the dance floor. I managed to convince le boyfriend for about half a song until he sat down, claiming he wasn't "drunk enough" yet. I gave up after about 30 more seconds and decided to sit and watch the group dance, instead. They moved well. And it was easy to, with the music the DJ was playing. All old school selections, but of the best variety. We drank for a couple of hours and went back to the room around midnight for some much needed rest.

The gorgeous lobby ceiling

A developing garden right outside our room

Entrance to the courtyard of our room

Pretty vines growing around the garden

A peek into our bedroom

Flowers on the steps to the pool

A view of the mountains, while relaxing in the sun