Spa & Depart

Day 4: March 10
The bf and I woke up thinking of the things we needed to do before departing Marrakech. We had our last Moroccan breakfast before going out to the pool to relax. After the sun left us sleepy, we headed back to the room for a nap. I was slightly restless at first, already thinking about all of the things I needed to do when I would be back in London. I hate when my mind is so active, but my body is tired. I eventually fell asleep tucked between the arms of my boyfriend and underneath a cosy blanket. Noon came, and we woke up just in time to pack and meet our late checkout time. We got into a brief argument about the weight of our suitcase, but I shushed him for being grumpy. 


We made our way to the baggage office to hold our luggage while we walked excitedly to the spa. I was anticipating the experience would be great enough to make our list of highlights from the vacation. We were scheduled for a hammam, body scrub, and massage, all in the same room. I went into the changing room labelled “Femmes” and watched babe walk into the men’s changing room opposite. I asked one of the women, what I should take off and leave on, but the difference in language left me with a uncertain conclusion again. I striped down to just my bra and panties and locked up my clothes and purse. I met my boyfriend in the hall way and we were led to a large shower room. It was the hammam we were entering, and we were sprayed down after sitting on a heated bench with individual mats to protect our butts. The women left us to detox in the room and later came to rub stuff on us, but I still have no idea what it was made of. It was brown and gooey, and rubbed on like soap. Relaxing in the room with the substance soaking in, I attempted to teach babe how to meditate. I used to take guided classes, and in my mind I’m quite the guru. After about 20 more minutes, we were led out to have our bodies scrubbed, while lying on a large, smooth block. I was finally asked to take my bra off, which felt liberating. They used a coarse mitt to polish our skin, and free it of dead cells. We finally ended up in the massage room, where two comfy tables were aligned side by side. My bf and I took our designated spots and, the women turned down the lights and rubbed oil on our bodies. It was certainly relaxing and the music was beautiful, but it felt more like a body rub than a massage. I like my massages to be stronger and relieve me of stress. Afterwards, we got up and dressed and went back out to the pool for lunch and lounging before we had to leave. 


When the time came we picked up our bag and jumped in the taxi, before saying goodbye to the city. We had the same cross-eyed, friendly taxi driver that picked us up the first day, so it was fitting for him to see us off. On the three and a half hour flight home, our cocktails helped us unwind after hectically boarding a full easyjet plane. We touched down in London right before midnight. It felt good to be back. 

These are some of the pics I took of the pool under the early morning sun.

Where we had our relaxing spa time. The hammam was gorgeous inside.

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