Marrakesh and the desert

From Milan to Marrakesh

The EasyJet flight forces us to get up at the crack of dawn (check-in starts at 5.30 in the morning), not helped at all by the time zone (3 hours of flight and the hands turning back by 2 hours).

Anyway, we arrive in Marrakesh on time and with the sun high up welcoming us. The immigration procedures are anything but quick and force us into a long wait which, however, gives us the chance to notice how beautiful and clean the Menara airport is.

After immigration and baggage claim, we tackle the money exchange (exporting dirhams is illegal, so you don't find them in banks abroad) and right after, the wait for the transfer to the riad (the only sore point: even though we had communicated our arrival time, we have to wait more than an hour before seeing the person who comes to pick us up).

Arrived at the Riad Amra, we discover it's a property right in the middle of the Medina, but very quiet, with only 6 rooms available (13 beds), the characteristic inner courtyard (with pool) and a wonderful rooftop terrace, where we're offered our first mint tea (also known as Berber whiskey).

Among other things, we discover that this week the riad will be all ours because there are no other guests. And it almost feels like being at home: we don't even have the key to the room door (provided upon explicit request), nor that of the riad: there will always be someone ready to welcome us!!!!

We relax, trying to get into the Moroccan spirit, calm and quiet... But curiosity is great and we decide to throw ourselves right away into discovering the thousand alleys (and thousand souqs) typical of Marrakesh.

Getting your bearings isn't easy, and dodging bikes, donkeys and scooters is even harder: here the pedestrian seems to have no rights!!! But getting lost in the little alleys, leaving the choice of destination to chance, is a nice feeling...

We have lunch at the restaurant of Hotel Ali (recommended by Lonely Planet, Rue Moulay Ismail), in one of the streets that start from Jemaa-El-Fna (heading south) and for 240 dirhams (about 20 euros) we savor our first Moroccan tajines... Actually, tajine is the name of the terracotta container (cone-shaped) in which various dishes based on meat and/or vegetables are cooked. They're served very hot (and rather spicy) and each one is different from the other.

We continue in search of the souqs and haggle for our first purchases. It's absolutely not easy, because generally the sellers propose a high price and you have to be good at bringing the price down (generally you get a good -20% but legend has it that even down to -60% they still make a profit). Morally speaking, sometimes we have a few scruples because it seems excessive to "haggle over the price" when they ask you 4 euros for a taxi ride or 5 euros for a set of 6 glasses...

For the evening we head back toward the Koutoubia, where a group of guys is "practicing" doing acrobatic jumps: they're really good and we remain a bit enchanted by their attempts.

But the real beating heart is Djemaa-El-Fna square, where they've already set up all the food stalls (at no. 34 the food is good!!!), but also those for fresh juice (super tasty) and dried fruit. Beside them... snake charmers, women doing henna tattoos, musicians, sellers of every kind of thing...

It's all very entertaining, but tiredness makes itself felt early and so we go back to the peace of the riad to get ready for the tour that starts tomorrow morning!

From Marrakesh to Dadès

At 8.30, after an abundant breakfast on the riad terrace, the people from Morocco Key Travel come to pick us up: our guide Ibrahim and the driver Abdoul. We're on a private tour in a spotless and super roomy Toyota Prado (which by the end of the tour will be muuuuch more lived-in).

Abdoul is an extremely careful driver and we travel very comfortably, while Ibrahim explains the route and tells us something about himself, his family and Morocco in general. His Italian isn't very strong, but we understand each other perfectly, while poor Abdoul is a bit left out: we manage to make ourselves understood a little with Spanish, but we have to admit that we don't get along with French...

Unfortunately the day isn't one of the best and every now and then it rains, but we manage to stop to take lots of photos and to admire the landscapes that follow one another toward the Tizi-n-Tichka pass (the highest point is around 2200 meters). Incredible to see so many little villages "camouflaged" with the surrounding mountains, but on the other hand the raw material for the walls and roofs is the same earth that surrounds them (mixed with straw and reeds).

We stop for lunch near the Kasbah of Ait Ben Addou, in a not very touristy restaurant, but very good. Next to us there are 2 Spanish couples complaining about the lack of a good "cerveza", but otherwise everything is really excellent (and we learn that, if you have water left over from the meal, it's always a good thing to take it with you!!!).

We visit the Kasbah, declared a UNESCO heritage site, and we admire the ability to build such an imposing site, starting from simple mud and straw, nonetheless very resistant to the sun but also to the bad weather. Ibrahim also explains the mechanism of some work tools kept inside the Kasbah.

We set off again, crossing the city of Ouarzazate (famous for the film Studios which we don't visit though) heading toward the Valley of Roses (Vallée des Roses). Unfortunately today it's raining and it wouldn't be the blooming season anyway, but we still appreciate the vegetation and the succession of rose gardens.

Unfortunately, the day's rains have created spontaneous rivers that flood the roads, making them at times impassable. So all we can do is stop and wait impatiently for the force of the flood to end, allowing the cars to ford.

Our very good Abdoul manages to navigate the tangle of cars stopped on the road (our Prado is high, but there are small cars that still can't get through) and to avoid the curious children who come up to the cars to look at the occupants and the scene. It becomes a kind of party complete with honking and shouting and laughter... In all this fun we can't hold back..... "WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!"....

The last ford is by now in the dark: the sun sets quite early in this period, but Abdoul drives confidently and takes us to our hotel.

Hotel Les 5 Lunes is a small guesthouse run by two Berber guys who serve us an excellent dinner next to the lit fireplace and entertain us with bongos and guitars. Going out onto the terrace, you see a wonderful starry sky: tomorrow will probably be a beautiful day. Our room is simple and spartan, but very clean and comfortable. Before going to sleep, of course they offer us mint tea, a pleasant companion throughout the whole trip.

From Dadès to the Erg Chebbi

When we wake up, the sunlight comes in through the window and warms the room. Breakfast is served on the terrace and a very funny cat keeps us company, appreciating the crumbs that "casually" fall within paw's reach. Abdoul cleans up as best he can the car muddied after yesterday evening's adventures.

As soon as we're ready, we set off again toward Dadès Gorge: a deep gorge carved into the mountains, with a panoramic serpentine road that climbs up to a hotel perched over the river. One side of the gorge is completely in the sun, the other is in shadow, creating a striking contrast. Also impressive is the number of fig trees present in this region.

Continuing on, we stop at Boumalne du Dadès where we're approached by a small group of children who would like to receive a few dirhams. Following the advice of Lonely Planet (but Ibrahim also advises avoiding giving alms), from Italy I had brought a big bag of candies and I think the children were very happy with them because they repay us with a cheerful photo pose.

The next stop is at Todra Gorge, an even steeper gorge, a paradise for climbing enthusiasts (numerous today too) and for date lovers (very recognizable by their almost phosphorescent orange stem). The Todra river here has enough water to allow even a swim for the more intrepid (to the touch the water doesn't seem too cold, but it's still flowing!).

We set off again and after a short lunch stop we stop at Rissani, where a local guide takes us to visit the local market (it's held 3 times a week and is one of the largest in the region). We see every kind of goods and take the opportunity to also ask for information about eating habits: they eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, while meat is present, but in small quantities. Arab bread is the basis of their diet and I must admit that it's definitely tasty. In the animal section we notice that the size of their breeds is anyway much smaller than those we're used to (one of their adult cows is the size of one of our calves). We also find out about the prices of the animals and discover that with 200 euros we could buy a healthy cow.

After admiring the beautiful carpets (and listening to the stories of their weaving), we head toward the Erg Chebbi because a night at a bivouac awaits us.

Near the Erg there are many Auberges from which the groups of tourists heading to the bivouacs set off. We're a bit late and we're hurriedly loaded (including our trolley) onto the two dromedaries and we set off chasing the other bivouac companions: a couple from Bergamo and a German girl. Together with us there are the two Tuaregs who open and close the caravan and who will keep us company.

In the following two hours we try to adapt to the dromedary's gait, but it's not an easy task, especially if you have a trolley in front of you and want to take photos of the landscape.

Once again we arrive at our destination in the dark: the Tuaregs follow the footprints of those who went before us, but when we arrive my dromedary doesn't want to let me get off: we have to make the other 4 dromedaries sit down, before convincing it to sit (so many laughs!!!). Under a sky full of stars we're once again welcomed with a tasty mint tea.

The Tuareg dinner is served to us outdoors, in the center of our camp, while our friends entertain us with their drums. My husband can't resist his drummer's instinct and launches into an African jam session, definitely a successful one!

The alarm will go off at dawn and so, after the trip to the (outdoor) toilets, we retire to the very comfortable tents, equipped with a mattress, clean sheets and very warm wool blankets. Thanks to the advice of those who went before us, luckily we had a flashlight to light things up, a heavy sweatshirt (which however isn't needed) and some toilet paper (you never know!).

At the bivouac too we have our "domestic" cats, probably kept to ward off other animals and insects. And indeed... we only catch sight of a few beetles walking in the sand without entering the tent.

From the Erg Chebbi to Marrakesh

The alarm goes off at 6, just before dawn, but the sky isn't completely clear and so we miss a bit the wonderful pink-orange colors of a clean dawn. The fire red of the dunes is nonetheless a priceless spectacle! And the tranquility of a walk in the untouched sand... is priceless!!! In the distance, our Tuareg companions are also waking up the dromedaries, who show rather sleepy expressions and very unmusical humming!!!

We're served an abundant breakfast, again in the center of the bivouac (unfortunately this morning the flies have woken up too!!!), before getting back on the dromedary and the road toward the Auberge where Ibrahim and Aboul are waiting for us to take us back to Marrakesh.

We take advantage of the dromedary's slow pace to take more photos and admire the silent landscape of the sand dunes. We're overtaken by a jeep carrying other tourists, but we find that the dromedary is definitely the most suitable means to enjoy this start of the day and respect the nature and the silence that surrounds us...

After a stop at the Auberge (and the inevitable mint tea), we set off again for Marrakesh, a long journey that normally would be better split into two stages. We still stop now and then to admire the landscape and take photos, we have lunch in a very nice restaurant and we thank our travel companions, treating them to lunch.

On the Tizi-n-Tichka pass the clouds are very low and at times Abdoul is even forced to turn on the fog lights, the temperature drops quite a bit and sunset catches us still far from Marrakesh. By now we're really tired and among all 4 of us when speaking we mix Italian, Spanish, French, English at random... Somehow we understand each other!!! Ibrahim had taught us that to say "all good" we have to say "la baaas" and it becomes our catchphrase in the car...Every now and then he turns around and asks "all good?" and we, in chorus... "la baaas!!!".

We arrive in Marrakesh and meet Youssef, the owner of Morocco Key Travel: we thank him for the organization and confirm the success of the trip!

At the Riad, the dinner prepared by the staff awaits us: Berber salad and omelette. Exquisite! But even more appreciated, after the tour, are the shower and the comfort of the bed!

Marrakesh

This morning we took it easy and after breakfast (on the terrace) we started the descent toward the south to visit the Saadian Tombs, but when we arrive they're already closed for the lunch break.

We head back north and between one purchase and another, we get to visit the Ben Youssef Madrasa and the Marrakesh museum... They're tiny little places, but very nice: they remind us a lot of Andalusia!!! Next to them there's also the Almoravid Qubba, but it's really poorly preserved and it disappoints us a bit.

We have lunch at a rough stall recommended by Lonely Planet (Chez Abdelhay, 46 Rue el-Baroudiyenne): salad, mixed grilled meat, bread, water and the usual mint tea... 9 euros for two!!!! Definitely simple, but the food is excellent and the staff welcoming. At the end, of course, they offer us mint tea.

We happily set off toward the Palais La Bahia and along the way my husband tries some local sweets: he says they're very very good and recall French pastry (like brioches).

The Palais La Bahia is very nice, even though some parts aren't kept very well. The rooms, the ceilings and the gardens are very similar (though smaller) to the Alhambra of Cordoba (but then again the period and the kings were those). Unfortunately we don't get to enjoy it much because my stomach has decided to act up and so we take a taxi (after haggling over the price) and have ourselves taken to the riad, where we manage to order the classic "canarino" hot water and lemon.

We definitely opt for a break, but then we get back in the game and decide to have dinner at a stall in Place Djemaa-El-Fna (in the end though only my husband will eat: my stomach at the moment refuses to consider food!).

Marrakesh

It's Friday... My stomach is better, but we decide anyway to be good and relax.

After the usual, exquisite breakfast on the terrace, we make a quick stop at the bank to change money (here credit cards don't exist!!!) and then we go to visit the Saadian tombs: the hall with the Carrara marble columns is truly imposing, while the rest leaves a bit of disappointment. The problem of Africa, as little as we know it (we've been here and in Egypt), seems to be that of neglecting some masterpieces (like the pyramids, on which children climb undisturbed), letting monuments and sculptures erode with time....

Since it's still quite early, we reach the El Badi Palace, which is more or less in the same state as our Baths of Caracalla... Interesting though is going up to the terrace to see all the storks' nests and a good panorama of the city and its satellite dishes (a guide tells us that the little balconies with flowers are those of foreigners, while the "undecorated" ones belong to true Moroccans).

The visit is over quickly and we decide to go see the new part of Marrakesh. The sun is high and hot: to tackle the whole way on foot, we grant ourselves several stops on the many shaded benches.

The Ville Nouvelle is definitely different: wide streets, modern buildings and condos, shops and venues (of course McDonald's and Zara are not missing).

We eat at a grill restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet (Bar L'Escale, Rue de Mauritanie): good and cheap food (90 dirhams for two), but the only women present are few and foreign... (for some restaurants the guide also warns us that it might not be pleasant for groups of only women).

After eating, we go to see the Jardin Majorelle: spectacular!!! A corner of calm and relaxation, among tropical plants, water basins and strong colors (indigo and yellow above all). We take it easy and enjoy a mint tea with Moroccan pastries (all based on almond paste), take a half nap on the benches and then head to the riad for a pre-dinner break.

After the siesta we go back to the souqs toward the square and treat ourselves to a good Moroccan dinner on one of the many terraces overlooking the very lively square (Chez Chegrouni, 4-6 Djemaa el-Fna). And then we wander between the square and the Koutoubia to take photos and....eat dates!!!

Marrakesh

Saturday, last full day. The sun is very hot, but we have shopping in the souqs planned, where the sun doesn't reach. We learn that the art of haggling requires perseverance and practice. But we manage to find lots of things for us and for the parents: a pair of leather ballet flats, the typical tajines for serving jams, the skewers for the barbecue, cushion covers, scarves, spices...

Several herbalists try to stop me because they see that I have herpes and would like to offer me their remedies. Unfortunately I'm so resigned to the lack of a cure that I don't pay them any attention...

To rest a bit we treat ourselves to a tea at the quiet Cafe' des Epices (Place Rahba Redima) and meanwhile we watch the traffic in the square below... Saturday morning is anyway much quieter than the other days: maybe they have to recover from Friday's celebrations?

And to try all the delights, in the afternoon we treat ourselves to a brioche at the Patisserie des Princes (Rue de Bab Agnaou), which by the way is on the way to our relaxation break: Les Bains de Marrakesh (2 Derb Sedra, Bab Agnaou)!

To surprise my husband I had booked a Relax package for two. Everything is in white-beige-amber-brown colors and relaxing music fills the atmosphere. They provide us with impeccable bathrobes and slippers (you need to have your swimsuit) and they seat us in the garden, on the lounge chairs, where mint tea is served to us.

Shortly after they lead us into a private hammam (2 places) with the temperature almost like a sauna. Personally I would prefer to keep both pieces of the swimsuit, but the beauticians insist on me taking off the top and in fact it makes more sense... Oh well... I let them do it! In the following 45 minutes they massage us with black soap paste, they scrub us with a very rough sponge (which they then give us as a gift) and they cover us with scented mud. Beautiful!

After a warm shower we find ourselves again in the relaxation room, with a second round of mint tea.

We're then accompanied into a very very dark room by candlelight where two large tubs of warm water and scented rose petals await us. The thing is very romantic, but the warm water bothers us a bit (after the hammam our blood pressure drops) and so we get out before they call us.

We then go to a new relaxation room where we're offered...mint tea.

Here we stay a long time relaxing (almost dozing off), before moving into the third room (again for 2), where we're given a one-hour relaxing massage. Divine!

We even finish the massage and go back to relax and...mint tea!!! It doesn't seem true to us to be so relaxed and soft... My husband even would like to make it a weekly institution!!!! It was just what we needed...

Anyway we go back downtown and have dinner at the same restaurant as last night, but without going up to the terrace. The last photos, the last stroll among the stalls and toward the Koutoubia... And then we go back to the riad to finish packing!!!

From Marrakesh to Milan

This time the transfer was organized perfectly by the riad. After breakfast and after leaving our thanks in the guest book, we're accompanied to the airport, where the check-in and document control operations take place quickly and without a hitch.

Once again we note with wonder the cleanliness and order of the airport, but in these 7 days more than once we've been able to notice how many street cleaners pass continuously to collect papers and trash around the streets, how dutiful the shopkeepers are in keeping the sidewalk in front of their shop clean... It's probably a new habit of the big cities (during the tour inland this aspect wasn't so marked), but it certainly gives a good signal to the passing tourist.

The vacation is now over and we must also recognize and confirm the great hospitality of these people, with whom we had no trouble talking and who always welcomed us with a good cup of mint tea.