Here's Lookin' at You, Kid – Morocco Part I
Greetings from Marrakech — or, as we like to call it, hassle hell.
We landed in Casablanca three days ago, rented a car (a Citroën with the grill held on by masking tape), and headed south to the Atlantic coast town of Essaouira, made famous by Jimmy Hendrix.
Within minutes of our journey we discovered that Morocco has no road signs. Oh, what fun it is to drive in an unmarked countryside!
Due to the lack of signage, what would have been a five-hour journey took seven and a half, complete with a speeding ticket outside of Marrakech. We had spent over an hour navigating the outskirts of Marrakech only to be pulled over less than a mile outside the city in a speed trap.
Either my petit Français — or the officers’ extreme pity for Sean having to travel with someone possessing petit Français — resulted in our fine being halved and us being shown the proper route to Essaouira. If only we had been pulled over an hour earlier!
On our drive we saw arid landscapes with lots of donkeys, goats, sheep, and a few wild camels. The towns are teeming with stray cats and kittens, all of whom are fed by the locals and are quite friendly.
No alcohol anywhere, as this is a strict Muslim country. Shame, as we often really need a drink.
Suicidal pedestrians, cyclists, moped riders, donkey-cart drivers, buses, and the like constantly dart in front of our car, leaving our — or at least my — nerves shattered.
Essaouira was cool, pleasant, and laid back, with the sound of the surf lulling us throughout the day and night. The townspeople were friendly but never pushy. Everyone spoke Arabic, French, and English.
We spent much of our second day in the souk (marketplace), looking at the diverse array of foods and spices, handicrafts, and livestock in various states of butchery.
Unlike the sanitized U.S., where we are greatly removed from the original source of meat products, Moroccans buy their meat sources — usually goats, sheep, or chickens — live, can have them butchered right there in the souk, or choose a carcass from the butcher’s window.
Marrakech, on the other hand, is a frenzied, traffic-choked, sultry city. Pause to tie your shoe, catch your breath, or sneeze and ten people appear wanting to shine your shoes, breathe for you, or blow your nose.
We learned a valuable lesson regarding dining alfresco: only do it if you want to share your meal with countless children, elderly, and infirm adults — or if you want your shoes shined and your nose blown.
Tomorrow we are heading south to the High Atlas Mountains. We plan on exploring the oasis area of Ouarzazate and several kasbahs, one of which was the backdrop for parts of Gladiator, The Sheltering Sky, and Black Hawk Down.
Perhaps we’ll even ride a camel. You just never know.
Happy Memorial Day!
— Kathy and Sean