Marrakech – Colourful and Full of Surprises

It was a long night train from Tangier. So much excitement along the way because I was finally going to see Marrakech. I have seen so many nice photos and heard many stories about this place. Time to see it myself.

Got out of the train station, I took a taxi to the Riad. The train station is located in the new area of Marrakech so everything seems very modern around here. However, you will see a huge difference when you enter the old town. I arrived very early in the morning but it was already lively in the square Jemaa El Fna. The market was already opened, people was up working. Horses and donkeys started working hard transporting goods.

Jemaa El Fna is the main square of Marrakech and it the main door to entree Medina. My first day here was definitely a shock. It might not sound so pleasant but it drove me insane. Many people on the street that lure you to buy stuff. One moment you are walking then you got a snake on you and you have to pay 100 dirhams for that. Any photo taken has a price tag. At that moment, I understood what they said about tourist scams. Okay, that sounds scary and bad but I hope I didn’t scare you off. You could actually get a hang of it. What you should do is do not show your interest because when they see your eyes sparkling with full of curiosity, they will come to you. Sometimes you have to swallow your lust of taking photos or try to sneak one fast.

The most popular activity you do in Marrakech is visiting the Souk. It’s the place where you can find clothings, jewellery, spices and other stuff. It’s simply a big bazaar. During the day, it is a perfect escape plan from the heat by wandering around the Souk. The place is huge and alike a maze. If you try to look up the street on the maps, you probably will never find the way. However, it’s a great fun to just get lost in this place. The Souk is full of products, from clothing to decors, food, etc. The exciting aspect must be the colour. It’s so colourful and lively here.

 

During the day, it is very hot. In mid August, it’s the madness. The temperature could reach over 40 degrees. Therefore, most local people would rather staying inside to stay away from the intense heat. However, after 7pm, this is the real life of Marrakech started. People come out from every direction to the main square. Jemaa El Fna becomes a big food market with different food tents. There are so many shops that offer you from street food to big meal, like kebabs or tajin. The funniest thing must be the way they promote the shop – ‘No diarrhoea, guarantee!’. Seems fair, right?

To me, Marrakech is very different from wherever I have been. It has something mysterious but wild. The local people are very friendly, even though I was driven insane but some of them. I just only spent 2 days here so I didn’t have a chance to visit everything. But I see that it’s a great place to visit. Full of surprises, adventures and madness. I will definitely visit Marrakech another time to understand better the culture and have a closer look at its beauty.

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