Magical Marrakesh...
I went to Marrakesh with an open mind and came back with it totally blown!!!
I often visit Maryam's Blog and was a little puzzled why she has decided to, not only settle in Marrakesh but to build a guesthouse in an olive grove.
As I reported a while ago, my cousin got the job of looking after the completion of the conversion of an old Ryad (Moorish villa) into a six-bedroom boutique hotel. He rang me last week and suggested I should visit because, in his words "you'll be pleasantly surprised!"
He is very persuasive and I am easily led astray. Permission was sought and given.
Thursday night at around 8 o'clock I got out of the plane into a giant hairdryer... The temperature was 48 degrees Centigrade!! For a second I thought about getting back inside the plane and home...
Couz as I call him and he calls me, was waiting for me.
We dropped my suitcase and walked to Djemaa El F'na, the Medina's (Old town) main square.
It was full of food stalls selling from snails to skewered meats, tagines to fried sardines, sheep's heads to freshly squeezed orange juice... Lots of singing troupes, magicians, snake charmers, charming storytellers, etc...
We had some food, mint tea and headed back to the new town and to a palacial night club (Jad Mahal) where a multinational, multi-talented band played from Dire Straits to Algerian Rai, Gypsy Kings to Salsa music...
Click to enlarge...
Click to enlarge.
More photos later... (I took over 400)
I screamed and guess what?
19 Comments:
Magical indeed ~ looking forward to more. The hottest weather I ever experienced was 46 degrees the day we left the town where we'd been living in central Greece. Interesting because in the winter we actually experienced a very light dusting of snow one day!
gosh, 48 degrees! how does one breathe in that kind of heat???
p.s. do you mean to say you never got to meet maryam?
Andrea, Marrakesh's heat is dry and quite bearable once you get used to it. After the initial shock, I was ok. Perspiration only occurs with effort, so one needs to do everything very slowly...
Marcos, it was a real shame but I didn't get to meet Maryam. She was away until Tuesday. I will definitely be going back around November for a touch longer, so I hope we will meet up then.
I can not tell you how happy I am that you liked Marrakech. I tell you, I feel like a little proud auntie. You like my city! And if you like it in the oven that it is now, imagine how much you will love it in November when all around you can see the snowcapped atlas mountains!
You should come to Singapore and feel the heat as soon as you leave the airport building!!
Thos pics are fantastic - can't wait to see more - one of the reasons I nominated you for an award (even though I know you may not like it!)
Maryam, as I told you, it was a revelation! I'd move there tomorrow if I could! I just felt at home. We did go up towards the Atlas and saw a tiny bit of snow.
November will be fab!
Bella, is the heat in Singapore dry?
Thanks about the photos. Nominated me? Wow! A schmoozer! Moi!
Welcome home!
Fantastic photos can't wait to see more. :)
Oui, toi, le schmoozer!! ;-) No, unfortunately, it's veeeeeery humid here, so you can imagine the heat AND being uncomfortable with the humidity!
Thanks, Akela. More to come when I've got a minute.
Bella, I thought it would be humid. I bet it is very uncomfortable. Marrakesh was quite bearable because the heat was dry.
I'm going in November too. What a coincidence. I can't wait now I've seen all those wonderful photos. I can almost smell the vibrancy.
You'll have to let me have Couz's address and we'll pop in and say 'hi'.
I've always wanted to go to Marrakesh. It looks and seems so vibrate. Quite like your friends blog! What a feast for the eyes.
How WONDERFUL! So great to have someone there to show you the sights!
The night photos are amazing.... the black sky above the festive haze of lights..... our skys never really blacken any more. Light pollution.
Cherrybabes, you'll love it. And, you never know we might meet again!
I'll let Couz know you're going.
Mary, you'd love it! The whole city gets full of people strolling, dining or just people-watching. Beautiful!
Hayden, my Couz has only been there since the beginning of July but he was a great guide for all things beautiful.
Yes, the night sky is so black because there is only Marrakesh and nothing around it for miles and miles.
Reminds me of the six months I spent in the Persian Gulf area. Cept without the guns and armored vehicles and stuff.
Hi! look's wonderful,Cream you inspire me thank you. Just passing by, will be down south for a time. Take care Q x
CD, there was gunfire but just for fun...
Q, you'd love it! Sorry again.
Wow!
Those images are out of this world, the temperature too (I experienced 118° Fahrenheit in Phoenix, Arizona, exactly the same temperature as you in M., maybe that is a maximum? It almost blew me back into the airconditioned airport building, when I stepped out onto the boiling asphalt).
Did you manage to see the night sky from the desert, far away from city lights? I once heard Peter O'Toole talking about this magical experience, of stars reaching all around you to the bottom of the horizon (while filming Lawrence of Arabia, the crew and stars stayed in tents on location).
I was too busy looking at what was on the ground to see the sky, Merisi. But I can imagine that out in the countryside, the starry skies must be fabulous!
magic is right! wonderful!
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