Adventures in Africa: Marrakech, Morocco

Today is my final full day in Morocco, and I am travelling from Dakhla to Marrekech via Casablanca.

I had a bit of a crazy time in the morning, because Phil had told me to just drive myself to the airport and leave the keys under the car mat.  But, the car was parked in the driveway such that there was no way I was going to get out without another vehicle being moved, especially in the dark and especially with my manual driving skills.  I didn't want to wake anyone at that hour, so I simply walked myself to the airport, which actually worked out just fine.  First time walking was my method of airport transfer!

My flight landed in Casablanca around 9:00.

Unfortunately I ended up in a passport control line I apparently did not have to be in, and therefore missed my train by ten minutes.  I literally got to the station in time to watch it pull away.  This was tremendously disappointing, because it meant waiting two hours, and getting to Marrekech two hours later than I planned.

I took the next train into Casa and went to a cafe for lunch and coffee while waiting for the train to Marrekech.  Just before 13:00 I caught the train, arriving in Marrakech around 16:30.

The United Nations' "22nd Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the 12th Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 12), and the 1st Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1)" is in Marrakech right now, which is certainly turning the city into a happening sort of place.

I found a cab and took it to Jeeme El Fna, the famous square just outside of Marrakech's medina.

I managed to find my riad, but it took awhile, and I realized the Marrakech medina is as labyrinthine as Fes's.  My room is on the ground floor, just off the courtyard.

My time in Marrakech is limited to today, so I was eager to get out, but I also was desperate to get some laundry done.  The young man who had checked me in took  me up to the roof and showed me the facilities to do my laundry by hand.  He sent me down the street for some soap, then helped me run a bucket full of water and get my clothes soaking.  He was tremendously helpful, and my clothes were clean and on the line to dry in no time.

I hurried out now and went deeper into the medina.  Again I was lost quickly, but there was nowhere in particular I needed to go, so this was not a problem.  I found a little barbershop and popped in for a shave.  The barber was pouring himself some tea, and offered me a glass, so we drank mint tea for a few minutes before my shave commenced.

Back out in the alley, I found a postcard and made my way back to Jeema El Fna and the post office.  I had to go around to a side entrance because there was a large protest out front.  Like I said, COP 22 was clearly having a major impact on the city.

Having mailed my postcard, I wanted dinner.  First, I got a glass of Jeem El Fna's famous freshly-squeezed orange juice.  It was every bit as special and delicious as I had heard, and I was tempted to have another glass.  But now I was running low on cash and I decided I better save my remaining coins for food.

I was eager to eat some couscous, because had yet to do so in Morocco.  I found a booth serving chicken and couscous and sat down at one of the long wooden tables.

My couscous was good, and the experience even better, because I could watch all the happenings in the square while eating.  

Once I finished my meal I wandered into a bakery for a pastry, and now, more or less cleaned out of cash and getting quite tired, turned in to my riad.