Marrakesh again

We got back into Essaouira that night, so we decided to walk at the square and see Djaama El Fna at night for the final time. It’s really a spectacle at night and this is what I will remember from Marrakesh the most.

We got “drunk” from our usual orange juice stalls in the square. We also went for some short souvenir shopping. Marrakesh is famous for its woodwork and ceramics. I bought some of course, and I’m proud on what I bought (a wooden chest set and a shisha)



We woke up next morning to pack and prepare for our train to Fez. Since we had half of a day in Marrakesh left, we decided to still visit a few museums.







Our first stop was the Ben Yousseft Medersa, a medieval Islamic School, the oldest Islamic school in the world. It was a school that was almost like a maze. I also find it weird that it has rooms that are 10 square meters big, which makes me wonder was it really a school or a prison cell?



We then headed to the Marrakesh museum with a quick stop Almoravid Koubba, the oldest building in the whole of Marrakesh.

We had to quickly run to our hostel after to pick-up our bags. We were so close in missing out our train but luckily we manage to catch it.




Looking back, all I can say was Marrakesh was simply amazing.

Essaouira

After a day in the hot and steaming desert, what better way to cool off than to go to the beach. So, of course, we thought and did something about it.



Essaouira is four hours away from Marrakesh by bus. It was jampacked, half-filled with tourist ride, nevertheless it was comfortable. We got there around lunchtime, so we headed first to get some grub. We enjoyed an excellent seafood feast, though it was very expensive (I think a little less than what we would have paid in Brussels). Still, seafood is seafood and having it fresh is always the key.



We head on after to walk around the city centre, it was filled with shops selling mostly tourist items like in Marrakesh, though generally cheaper. The city is vibrant though as it was surrounded with colour, as well as some paintings and other art designs.

Of course, the most part of the day was spent in the beach. There were not much tourists there, and the beach was not as clean, still it was nice to swim on the slightly cold Atlantic coast.





There was also no babe watching, as Morocco is an Islamic country, most of the girls swam with their dresses. No bikini watching, unfortunately.

Still though, we made the best of the day, just sitting on the sandy beaches and waited until the afternoon when we have to go back to Marrakesh.

the Sahara desert

Man is a complex being; he makes the deserts bloom and lakes die.~ Gil Stern



After a day and a half of travelling, we reached the Sahara. From afar, the Erg Chebbi sand dunes towers the skyline like a mountain without the brown and green color. It was glimmering in light orange. And the road to it was “ deserted” apart from the camel herds. :)





We stopped in the town of Merzouga, on the foot of the dunes. Before we move on to the desert we dipped into a pool, the best part of the tour for us then I think. Danco and I afforded to sunbathe as well, though I didn’t actually need one, still I made myself darkER. After showering, we went out and saw that our camels were waiting outside. This was not the first time I saw a camel, though it would be the first time I would ride one.

We joined in a 6 camel caravan and I was on the farthest back. Though it’s not a big deal, it’s just not an amusing sight seeing 5 other camels defecating. And as expected, riding the camel hurts, especially in the crotch area.





The slight pain was forgotten though as we see the terrain that we were passing into. It was only after 20 on trek that we saw no hint of civilization apart from us and towers of bright orange sand (plus some black camel shit :P)

I can say that we really enjoyed the tour, perhaps making sure that everything is well-documented. After an hour and a half trek, we reached our camp where we will spent our night.





The minute when we got there, we already went around – like kids in a never-ending sandbox. The dunes are high enough that it takes a while to climb it. The sand is very pure, and as it was sunset, the dunes are seen to be dark orange. After taking photos and videos, we head back to the camp.

As the night drew in, we ate tangine for dinner then chilled out alongside some Moroccan entertainment. Danco was starting to get quite sick when we got there and was sick for the rest of the night. Luckily I wasn't so I was able to sleep outside for some stargazing. I was so tired that only after a few minutes I fell asleep. Though, I still manage to see some shooting stars.

We woke early next day to catch sunrise, though we were disappointed that it was cloudy so we didn’t see it on its fullest, though the feeling of being detached from the pains of everyday life was spectacular. Though, disappointed from the lack of sunrise, we humored ourselves with a strange Japanese tourist who was collecting sand then after 10 minutes just putting it back. What’s his point? We rode a camel back to the town after a few hours. We were all tired when we got into the van so we slept the entire day as we drove back to Marrakesh. Though stopping at few sites, we were down sleeping all the way.







I can say that the trek was one of the highlights of the trip, it was a tingling sensation to be there amidst the sand, sun and camels. I don't know when I can go back, but for sure, I will make it a point.