Marrakech

Jay O's photo

This was actually the first place Mawj and I toured in Morocco. After a brief slumber in Casablanca straight from the airport, we took a train ride early in the morning. We wanted to ride first class so we can have reserved seats but we ended up in wa-class because all the good seats were taken. Correction: ALL seats were taken.

Mawj's photo
Sure, we looked like happy campers here but that was just for show. It was no picnic standing on the aisle for three hours with no air-conditioning. We had to squeeze against the wall whenever the trolley or new passengers came in.



Jay O's photo

We spent the day touring the Djemaa el Fna square. Hawkers are so aggressive that one even grabbed my wrist to force me into his store. They also have the habit of talking just inches from your face. Worse, Mawj and I got lost in the maze of stalls. A teenaged boy kept tailing us and told us to follow him. We ignored him at first but soon, we realized we had no choice. He led us past winding alleys while going around in circles. After several minutes, we finally saw the main square. The teenager demanded 300 dirhams for his service--roughly P1,500! We stood our ground and instead, gave him 3 dirhams. Kurips hehe.


Mawj's photo

At night, the square is alive with snake charmers, food stalls, and all the souvernirs you can imagine--from the exotic to the downright cheezy. Morrocans kept calling out Konbanwa! and Ni hau ma! to us. No one guessed we were Pinoys. :-)


Jay O's photo

We had to constantly watch out for gropers, snatchers, taxis, horses and bikes. They all made their way here, unmindful of pedestrians. But I gotta admit, despite its yucky elements, Djemaa el Fna was a must-see. Everything and everyone was so alive! I could feel the whole square ablaze with energy. I was drawn to it with a kind of fearful fascination.