Marrakech Express

I haven’t blogged for a while as I have been busy and have been away to exotic Marrakech for a week. This is nothing to do with boats but it was fun and different (although I was there for a couple of days last year too). I like Marrakech it is a busy city with not too many hassles (you just have to learn to say no to the street vendors and people who try to clean your shoes, sell you bangles etc) but Morocco overall has improved for tourists in the last few years and now seems a good safe place to go. I went for work (not bad being paid to go somewhere nice) but the downside was I had to spend most of the time at the University listening to lectures still they were mostly on a subject that I am interested in (Vertebrate Palaeontology-fossils to most). I had to give a talk too which is what had been keeping me busy for the last couple of weeks.

All very serious.

Typical Marrakech biuldings

The weather was hot and got hotter during the week up to 32C. This was good aclimatisation for my return last weekend when we had such great weather in England. I had half a day to sightsee and managed to get to the Jardin Majorelle which was a lovely quiet rest from the heat. These gardens mix architecture, colour and plants and I got some good pictures.

The nearest thing to boating- some turtles laze by the side of the water

The last night of the conference we had a special dinner laid on. We went to Chez Ali which is like a walled fortress outside Marrakech. Inside, a large compound is surrounded with about 30 rooms set out like tents in which you dine. There were about 80 of us so we filled one room (that gives an idea of how many people they can get in). The whole thing is really cheesy and a touch of tourist tat but great fun (especially after a drink or two which is available luckily).

Various small groups of singers and dancers come through the tents to entertain you whilst you are eating the mainly ‘moroccan’ food. This was soup, followed by half a roested lamb that you all picked from (very tasty though) then a chicken tagine (sort of stew) with lots of couscous and vegetables. I thought the food was tasty but not much of it and desert was a large bowl of mixted friut (very healthy though). After dinner there was entertainment in the central corral with Berber horse riders shooting guns (with blanks I presume), trick riders and the dancers, singers and a camel of course wandering round the ‘ring’ and it finished with a short firework display.

Berbers riding and shooting

All great fun and and nothing like I have seen anywhere else.

The next day we did what all geologists enjoy and went out 'into the field'. We visited the local phosphate mines and looked at some interesting cliffs and collected some nice fossils. It was very hot though and reaching over 100F so we were happy to get back into the air conditioned coach.

These really are interesting rocks honestly.

Still the phrase mad dogs and Englishmen (though in this case it is mad dogs and geologists since there were also french, german, danish americans and brazilians involved) comes to mind.

The last day we managed a bit of retail therapy. Last year I went one evening to the main souks in town. These are a must-do, at least once, but you really do get hassled every step by each stall holder to buy something. It’s all part of the system and mostly done with a smile and you can haggle but it can get a bit wearisom if you are not wanting to buy (since you can’t buy everything).
This year I went instead to the Gallerie des Artisans which is like a small shopping arcade with little shops. They sell most of the tourist things like lamps, carpets, shoes, carved animals etc and also original artwork. It is very pleasant and no-one hassles you. You can move at your own speed but there is no haggling and prices are slightly higher but so is the quality. I did succumb and bought some silly moroccan slippers (bright red leather with sequins on!).
After that it was time to come home where I was pleased to find it was nice and warm.

Next week though we are back up north for a week on the boat. I can’t wait to get there and we hope to have a nice two day trip out in Tormentil. So it will be back to boat inspired blogging.