not the explosive kind, more like a slowburn.
The journey was long, flying and transit time totalled to 20 hours. But the weather that greeted us was sunny with a cool breeze. Lovely weather and being early spring, wildflowers were blooming everywhere.
Casablanca is considered the business city of Morocco, while Marrakech is its historical/cultural city. This is of course, my own opinion. You’ll find the usual hypermarket and malls in Casablanca but Marrakech stays true to its roots, with its grand walls remaining intact lending it an air of mystery and magical enchantment.
In Casablanca, we visited the Hassan Mosque, one of the largest mosque in the world and probably the only one that allows access for non-Muslims. The mosque was huge, with grand architecture, intricate mosaic details and beautiful carved arches. Situated beside the sea, our day there was most pleasant and we had a grand time basking beneath the afternoon sun.
We had to endure a 3-hour bus trip to get from Casablanca to Marrakech. Our accomodation at Sofitel Marrakech was beautiful with white lilies filling every vase throughout the lobby area. I suspect it was the lilies that gave an exquisite scent.. sweet and intoxicating.
In Marrakech, we checked out the Souk, a grand bazaar with seemingly hundreds of shops selling trinkets, pashminas, shoes, leather bags and furnitures such as mirrors and other decor items. But I didn’t find anything that took my breath away. Bought the usual touristy items.. t-shirts, necklaces, bracelets and two handbags. An unexpected visit to an aromatheraphy shop got me buying a few oils and creams. I think some of the orange-scented ones leaked in my luggage, but luckily it was in a plastic bag, so no harm done but my clothes smelled gorgeous after that!
I recall the many warnings I got regarding the bazzar. True enough, the place was packed with shoppers.. locals and foreigners alike. Our visit coincided with the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday so everyone was in a festive mood. But I was totally caught offguard by the mob that formed in one of the intersections within the bazaar. People from all directions pushed and shoved to get to where they needed to go. I almost panicked when I got separated for a while from my friends. Luckily I had the sense to hold my bag tight and managed to break away from the mob in time to spot a friend. Relieved, I joined her while we tried to catch up with the rest of the group. That was definitely a scary experience!
Most folks did not speak English, but traders got by with enough English to help us with our endless bargaining. I was a bit reluctant to bargain, but got braver when I got lucky with a few traders.. getting discounts up to 70%. I guess that’s how it is.. they will open the bargain with a higher price and expect you to bargain and plead and play hard-to-get after a while. It was quite alright, I guess. Some of the traders were very charming and the fact I know a 10-word vocab of Arabic and French each sort of helped sweeten the encounter. ;)
Our last night consisted of dinner at Chez Ali. Apparently it’s a huge tourist complex and while you dined, dancers would come to your table and invite you to get on your feet and dance along. Quite charming, but after the 3rd time it got a bit tiring. There was a show afterwards, outside the dining area and on the field.. consisting of men on horses, doing acrobatic acts, shooting their guns into the air and a belly-dance act by a supposed “princess”. The show ended after a firework display (not that great but passable) and we quickly huddled back into the warm dining area. I was too tired to muster any form of enthusiasm. My shopping trip earlier wore me out completely and I slept on the bus until we reached Sofitel.
The next day, we had to get up at 5ish to pack and catch breakfast at 6.30 and leave by 7 towards Casablanca. Our flight was at 11 and everyone was in high spirits to get home despite the early hours. I tried to sleep on the bus but ended up chatting with an old friend, who was my boss not too long ago. We swapped old stories and compared notes on work, gardening and parenting. That was quite nice I thought. He’s more like me, not into big rowdy mobs, so the quiet chat helped us kill the time.
The journey home was long, tiring and disorienting. Crossing several timezones, my body was protesting weirdly and I couldn’t eat much on the flight. Plus my bladder was misbehaving and I had to endure long queues to take a leak 11’000 meters above ground. Sigh..
My dad greeted me at the airport. I was so happy to see him and relieved that I was spared the 2 hour ride home via train and taxi. In fact, the best thing about the trip was coming home, back in my own house, breathing the familiar tropical air after an afternoon shower and collapsing into my own bed! I checked my mail and my 43T page and realized I owed a few folks cheers.. something I’m working on right now.
Honestly, it was a good trip. It gave me a chance to break away from my normal routine and gave me a change in scenery and surroundings. But I was homesick half of the time, missing my son mostly and worrying if he was OK. I left him with a sore throat and my dad texted me saying he was feverish for several days. Luckily my ex was around to care for him, so he didn’t whine much despite my absence.
A friend commented that I was quiet and reserved throughout the trip. I didn’t deny it as I couldn’t will myself to turn up the volume and join them in their drinking and cheering sessions. It was entertaining to watch, but it’s not my scene. So I hung out with other wallflowers and enjoyed endless rounds of mint tea, cracking private jokes and commenting on our alien surroundings. My other ex was out of my path most of the time (he’s with the Loud & Fun club) tho we took pics for old times sake and exhanged some good-natured banter. Minimal but adequate. No worthy beans to spill there.
If you asked me whether I’d recommend going there, yes.. I would. But having a trusted local guide helps and going in groups meant there’s safety in numbers. I probably would not go back there again, I doubt it will change much within this lifetime. But if you’re game for some exotic, ancient charm and wouldn’t mind the long journey then Casablanca and Marrakech might just be the ideal stops for you.
Ma’as salamah wa ilal liqaq! Be in peace and until we meet again!
Pic above features a Kasbah, a charming old house designed like a small castle with a charming antique shop within it.
