The Pink City of Marrakech

I heard and read stories about Marrakech, but as for everything else, I decided to check the facts myself. Well, it’s true what they say… City’s irresistible charm soaks you in and you cannot resist its charming atmosphere.

Nevertheless, the first thing I realized about Marrakech was that here nothing is free of charge, not even the directions or taking a photo.

Luckily the first impression from yesterday was wrong.

Today I asked an old man selling fresh herbs for tea if I’m allowed to take a picture. Yesterday I got the typical rubbing with fingers as a response to the same question – a gesture showed, that taking a picture will cost me some money. Today the story was completely different. The old men smiled, nodded and even made the herbs “pose” for me. I thanked him and he thanked back with “No, thank you for your smile!”. Awww! My heart melted immediately! Maybe that opened my heart and mind a bit, as I got all the advice and directions without charge from then on. I was even offered a husband – for free of course! ?

As I have already mentioned, my life savior so far was offline maps empowered by Google. Well, in Morocco, I am giving the flattering title to a set of sentences in French. The Gluten Free Card saved me with every single meal ? If you are a gluten-free-person (and traveling), make sure you download yours here (not sponsored, I personally find this very useful).

Monday was dedicated solely to the pink city of Marrakech.

I wanted to beat the crowds, so I planned to visit Marrakech’s top sights in the morning. Didn’t have much luck though, as groups of tourists had pretty much the same idea.

After taking some photos of Koutoubia Mosque at the end of Marrakech’s most famous square I visited Bahia Palace, which is a set of houses and gardens. It did not impress me as much as Saadian Tombs, where colorful mosaics do the magic. Medersa Ben Youssef was also on ‘must-visit’ list, so I took an interesting walk towards the sight. Combination of tile mosaic and carved wood works its charms on visitors.

For the evening I decided to catch the city’s vibe and watch the Jamaa el Fna from above before I head towards the edge of the Sahara.

Thank you so much for reading!

Love,

Read also: A Date with the Desert