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| The souks |
Showing posts with label Morocco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Morocco. Show all posts
10 November 2011
Some Methods in the Madness of Marrakesh
Marrakesh: Atlas Leaped
Yesterday, we rose soon after the first call to prayer and headed off on our excursion into the Atlas Mountains. It was a gorgeous day and the sun was so strong that even after we passed the 2,000-metre mark, I was too hot in my jeans and t-shirt. Our route took us into the High Atlas, over the Tizi N'Tichka pass and into the Ouarzazate region, with plenty of stops en route for potential retail opportunities, photos and, in my case, leaps.
08 November 2011
Marrakesh: Quel Gommage!
We accomplished two very Moroccan things today: haggling and a hammam. The first took place mainly in the souks and I am now the proud owner of a pretty, stripy scarf in four of my favourite colours (teal, turquoise, purple and pink) and some colourful pottery bowls, one of which is for my mum.
07 November 2011
Marrakesh: Burn, Baby, Burn
Today was Eid al-Adha and, for a few hours at least, Marrakesh's tempo slowed down to a moderato pace. For the past few days we had seen sheep being carried around on motorbikes and today, all that remained were their heads being barbecued on street corners in the medina.
06 November 2011
Marrakesh: The Girl Who May Have Eaten Goat
We finally made it to our riad at about 5.30 last night, where mint tea awaited. I was exhausted and a bit under the weather so it was lucky we had ordered a meal in the riad — both opting for chicken with pickled lemons. Instead, after soup and some spicy aubergines, along came a tagine with something else. Initially, I thought it was lamb but it may have been goat (in which case, goat tastes "like lamb").
04 November 2011
Marrakesh: Into Africa
I don't really make New Year's resolutions, but as well as my efforts to pronounce 2011 as twenty-eleven rather than two-thousand-and-eleven, I also wanted to visit at least two new countries this year. I travelled quite a lot while I was a student but since then a combination of limited income and my love of New York have meant that most of my foreign forays have been limited to the US and France.
Still, my trip to Stockholm in March took care of one new country and tomorrow, I'll be entering a new country—and a new continent. My wardrobe, which consists mainly of two-inches-above-the-knee skirts and dresses, and almost no trousers, isn't exactly compatible with the advised dress code but with some opaque tights, leggings and knee-high boots, it should be OK.
Still, my trip to Stockholm in March took care of one new country and tomorrow, I'll be entering a new country—and a new continent. My wardrobe, which consists mainly of two-inches-above-the-knee skirts and dresses, and almost no trousers, isn't exactly compatible with the advised dress code but with some opaque tights, leggings and knee-high boots, it should be OK.
It will be Eid ul-Fitr while we are there--the festival of the sacrifice, which celebrates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son and which involves the sacrifice (and roasting) of numerous animals. When booking the trip, I thought there was only one Eid — celebrating the end of Ramadan — and didn't realise we would be there during a public holiday. It will, no doubt, be an interesting experience even for this former vegetarian.
I'll be staying in a riad in Marrakesh for a few days, hopefully taking advantage of the in-house hammam and rooftop terrace. Mint tea, tagines, purchasing of argan oil and even some haggling will probably feature too and we have booked an excursion into the Atlas Mountains, which should allow for some good leaping photos. And thanks to a tip-off from a colleague, I really want to see some goats in trees and to investigate whether argan oil really is made from the argan nuts that have been, er, processed by goats!
I'll be staying in a riad in Marrakesh for a few days, hopefully taking advantage of the in-house hammam and rooftop terrace. Mint tea, tagines, purchasing of argan oil and even some haggling will probably feature too and we have booked an excursion into the Atlas Mountains, which should allow for some good leaping photos. And thanks to a tip-off from a colleague, I really want to see some goats in trees and to investigate whether argan oil really is made from the argan nuts that have been, er, processed by goats!