Weekend in Marrakech

FRIDAY

I had a really amazing weekend in Marrakech.  I woke up kind of early ~8 to get a taxi.  I think I woke up too early because I waited a looooooooong time for a taxi.  It was very frustrating, but as I have learned, everything always works out.  I even asked a tour group if I could have a ride with them, but they did not understand what I was asking I don’t think? ANYWAY… I finally snuck a ride to Asni (the cab drivers usually prefer to take me straight to Marrakech, but it is more time effective to go to Asni and then RAK).  Once I was in Asni, I got a cab right away to Marrakech, and it was only 15 dirhams, and it’s usually ~20 or 30.  My cab prices have gotten lower everytime I have taken them.  Anyway- I finally made it to Marrakech, and the driver dropped us off in the area of the medina, but I was not totally sure where I was.  I used my sense of direction and headed towards the Koutoubia Mosque.  Then I knew where I was, but I didn’t know where to go exactly, so I went to KFC and asked the man (and snuck a sip of my water--- it is INCREDIBLY hot in Marrakech~~ so so so hot... like walking thru fire.  At that moment it was 115 degrees—at least!).  He said I should get a cab, so reluctantly, I did.  True to Marrakechi form, the cab driver wanted to charge me 20 dirhams, and I said thanks but no thanks and continued to walk.  He came up next to me and basically said “get in, it’s too hot for you to walk there”.  I did, and he turned the meter on.  It was great to get to Aniko’s apartment, but it was not particularly cool inside… I opened all the windows and sat on the couch/my bed.  I turned the TV on and watched the Olympics as I cooled down. 

Then I went to La Belle Vie (Carrefour) to do some grocery shopping.  I was dying for cheese and crackers so I bought some & grapes, and enjoyed a small happy hour when I got back to Aniko’s.  I also got a lot of Tango cookies and Aicha jelly… Consider yourself lucky if you get some when I get back.  I was conservative in my purchasing in anticipation of packing next week. 

My friend Erica (from the trek to Toubkal) was supposed to meet up with me, but she basically never surfaced.  She was on a tour group so I think she had things to do with them, and then our phones never connected.  I waited until about 7 to see if she would appear, but she didn’t SO I went to the souk by myself.  First actually I looked for this Lebanese restaurant that I had heard about and wanted to eat at.  I was walking around in the dark, and I stopped to ask someone and he lead the way.  NOBODY was out (it was just before sundown) it was eerie, but cool.  I found the restaurant, but it was closed for Ramadan.  I knew my second choice would be open, so I went there on the way to the souk and asked if I needed to make a reservation for one.  She said no.  Lol.

I pleasantly walked to the souk.  There were some tourists out, and some straggler Moroccans, but the streets were pretty desolate.  I passed a café/ice cream place, and saw this painting. 

If I were to get any Simo Sadis paraphanalia, this would be it.  I asked if I could take a picture, and the waiter agreed.  I took a few, and then thanked him.  Teasingly, he asked me if I knew who that was.  I said “OF COURSE” or something, (I wish I knew how to say "fucking duh" in Arabic) it was still funny.

The call to prayer sounded as I walked to the souk, and as I got closer the streets became more crowded.  Mom said that a New York Times article called the jmaa el-fnaa “magical” at night during Ramadan, but I would have to disagree.  It was pretty normal except for these pop-up restaurants with workers begging you to come inside and break the fast with them.  I didn’t make it very far into the medina because it was really crowded and there were a TON of motor bikes, which I hate.  Also I think I picked the wrong street to go down because there were a looooot of Moroccan families walking in the OPPOSITE direction as me… I turned around and left.  I left the medina completely to go to dinner.  I wasn’t really feeling it on Friday night I guess.  I think it was because I didn’t totally know what I wanted to get or where I was going.  Better luck tomorrow.

I went back to Café de la Poste and the hostess immediately lead me to a table for two with only one place setting.  I smiled and thanked her.  I have never been OUT to dinner alone- maybe lunch, but not dinner, and DEFINITELY not at a place as fancy as this.  I had already scoped out the menu the week before in Imlil (procrastinating cooking for myself) so I kind of already knew what I wanted.  Someone brought over a delicious bread basket and I ordered the cheapest glass of white wine.  I also got a calamari salad with carmelized pears and the skewers with potatos au gratin.  It was DIVINE.  I really enjoyed listening to my neighbors conversations and just being by myself.  I probably won’t do this for a while now (because I am coming home- I will have a lot of dinner dates, and we will all eat together EVERY NIGHT at the Diva Den), but it was pleasant and necessary.  I saved half of my entrée because I was thinking of the week ahead.  The man next to me was complaining about the heat, and I realized only then that it was actually INCREDIBLY hot still- even though it was late at night.  There are spritzers coming from ceilings all over this city (like the entrance to the W Hotel in Union Square), but I kind of found them weird in the outdoor dining space… Anyway I paid the rather large bill and then happily walked home. 

Earlier in the day, a woman who’s name I forget—the famous belly dancer who is staying at Aniko’s apartment--- IDK if I mentioned this earlier, but Nitran (is her name- I remembered) is staying in Aniko’s apartment while she is in India, and apparently she is very well-known on the belly dance sphere or whatever you want to call it.  She came back in the middle of the day (surprised to see me) and showed me the air conditioning etc.  I was happy, but it only barely worked.  Aniko has every single pirated DVD in the country I SWARE.  They’re in English & in French, but very disorganized.  I picked “Bad Teacher” to watch as I fell asleep.  I set my alarm and passed out almost immediately.

SATURDAY

I woke up at 9 am and made myself a delicious egg with bread and cheese from happy hour on Friday.  I ate it and got ready for the POOL.  I put on sunscreen and my bathing suit and got ready to go.  I was very conflicted as to how I should approach going to the pool at the hotel that my mom and I stayed at in April.  I decided that, in order to get the utmost relaxation, I should give in and pay the 450 dirhams (~50 USD) to go to the pool legally.  The Four Seasons cost 800 dirhams (~100 USD), so Le Meredien was a bargain.  I walked right into the hotel like I owned the place.  I wanted to check and see if the pool was crowded- if it was (it wasn’t) then I would not pay for it.  Then I went up to the desk and told the lady that I wanted to use the pool.  She said “okayy…” as if “okay- go to the pool then, duh”.  I then realized that I should have just snuck in, but I was in too deep at this point.  I clarified that I was not currently staying at this hotel and she finally understood.  I paid and got my “lunch ticket”.  I was VERY happy at the pool.  I read a lot of US Weeklys and the book that I HAVE to finish before I leave Maroc. 

At around 2 pm I went to lunch.  I was expecting a specific pool-goers menu, but to my surprise, my (very nice) waiter told me that I could have whatever I wanted.  He left me to think, and came back with a juice cocktail (SO good).  I hesitantly ordered a chicken caeser and a cheeseburger (thinking that he was going to stop me) and he nodded and went to place the order.  He came back with bread and butter.  HEAVEN.  The chicken ceaser was SO good, and totally what I wanted.  The burger was decent, and the fries were great.  I could not open my jar of Dijon mustard, which was embarrassing, but my awesome waiter helped me. (I had to call him over).  BTW I also got a diet coke AND water with a lot of ice cubes.  When I finished he asked me what I wanted for DESSERT!!! I really wanted to order something, but I really was wayyyy too full.  I asked if I could come back later, and he said of course.  I really felt like I was in an alternate universe (forgetting that I had actually paid 50 bucks for this…). 

Back to the pool to relax.  There was one annoying family there.  Well the daughter was LOUD and bratty, but the parents were alright I guess (remember them for my next blog post…).  Lounging lounging… SO nice.  I decided that I would come back tomorrow, but not pay.  I was supposed to meet Angela, a former EFA volunteer, at 6:30 for dinner, so around 4 I went back to the, now deserted, restaurant to claim my dessert.  I thought that I wouldn’t get it, but my friend popped up and asked what I wanted.  I had already looked at the dessert menu, so I was prepared.  I asked for the fruit salad with orange sorbet.  He brought it out in a jiffy.  I asked if I could eat it by the pool, and he said yes.  I REALLY enjoyed that.  Lounged till 5:30 then took a shower in the spa.  Then left to go meet Angela.  The consierge asked if I wanted a cab, but I said that I would walk a little bit (because I didn’t want to pay 20 dirhams).  He let me go and I was on my way.  BTW I am proud to say that every time that I took a cab in Marrakech, I got the driver to agree to use the meter~ go me!

I was early (quelle surprise!!) to meet Angela, so I sat at the post office and took some HAZY pix. 

Angela and I walked around the Medina a little but we didn’t buy anything.  We became hungry so we went to this place called Earth Café~ it is vegitarian/vegan, but it was good.  I got something that is hard to describe, but I have pictures.  It was like veggies (pumpkin, spinach & pears) and GOAT CHEESE wrapped in filo dough.  It was SO good.  It was BIIIIG, but I obv ate the whole thing.  We also got carrot ginger orange juice which was great as well.

After dinner we walked around a little more, but still didn’t buy anything.  It was okay though because we agreed to go shopping on Sunday.  Angela walked me home (on the way to her apartment), which was very nice of her.  Aniko said that Angela is the only other person that is allowed in her house besides me so I gave her a little tour.  It started to get very hot in the house for me, so I was kind of happy when she left because I could change and rinse off. 

The air condition broke during the day.  I think I wasn’t supposed to keep it on the whole day, but I did- woops & sorry.  HOW was I supposed to know? Anyway I am not even thinking about it anymore, but it was not a very good night.  I kept my windows and doors open, but it was still 100 degrees outside.  I had a hard time falling asleep, and once I DID actually fall asleep, my darling mother called my Moroccan cell phone (~1:30 am my time).  I don’t really remember the conversation, but I do remember her saying “we are at a BBQ at Ellen’s house” and I remember myself thinking, “I do not care”.  Mean, but honest.  I also thought about complaining how hot I was, but there is absolutely nothing she could have done, so I just groggily told her that today was good and she got the hint. She called because I was out all day and my e-mails didn’t go through I guess.  Anyway I was awake and hot again.  I knew that the belly dancer was away for the weekend and I thought that her AC might have been working still, so I got up to move to her room.  I went to open the door, but it was totally stuck.  This had happened before so I knew it was okay, but I really wanted to get out and couldn’t.  Instead of freaking out and making myself hotter, I decided to go back to my bed and suck it up- I would have more energy and patience to open the broken door in the morning.  Good day, bad night.

SUNDAY

Another lovely day in Marrakech.  It was significantly cooler when I woke up, so I was happy.  I ate breakfast on the terrace and then went back to the hotel.  I snuck in.  I wasn’t nervous, but wasn’t as relaxed as Saturday.  I stayed there until about 3, went home and showered then met Angela at 4 or 430.  We wanted to go to the artisanal market, but realized that it is closed on Sundays when we got there.  It was okay though because I was finally READY for Medina shopping.  I bought SO much stuff.  I can’t say most of it, but I did get gifts for myself too.  I am so excited to go home and give everyone their gifts.  Angela and I are veryyy different shoppers.  I hoped that my shopping style would have broken her out of her shopping shell, but it didn’t.  I got much more than she did.  My Arabic helped us get good deals.  I am very happy with the shopping day. 

After shopping, we went to a touristy place called café de France in Djemaa El Fna (the main square in the medina).  We spoke a lot about EFA and ate great (relative term) pizza.  We also got some nice pix…

We did a liiiitle more (unnecessary) shopping after dinner.  I went to the bakery to get shebekiya (I am actually OBSESSED with it and am getting a little nervous to come back to the shebekiya-less United States).  I got 10 dirhams worth, but because it was a nice bakery- it was muuuch less than normal.  I tried to save some for later.  Luckily, Angela wanted ice cream, so that took my mind off the shebekiya… I am still not used to the lack of lines in this country, so when the 7th person cut me I finally made a face and the ice cream server quickly tended to me.  The ice cream was good, but not Scoop du Jour or John’s… We walked home from there. 

Around sundown during Ramadan, the streets leading towards Koutoubia mosque are closed and only pedestrians and people on those stupid motorbikes can get through.  SO MANY people come to the mosque to pray.  There are definitely people inside, but theres not enough space (in the biggest mosque in Marrakech) that people have to pray from outside.  It is crazy, but cool.  Also the lack of cars in the streets (kind of like NY for the next few weekends, right?) makes walking home GREAT.  It is so quiet and peaceful.  You notice it once you turn the corner past the mosque.  It’s amazing. 

I walked back with Angela, but she didn’t come upstairs this time.  I was SO happy when I got back into the apartment- it was COOL! So nice.  I definitely could have slept inside, but I decided to sleep on the terrace because it was even cooler.  I had a GREAT night sleep (slept all the way through, and was woken by my alarm~~ I usually wake up before it).  Very happy end to a happy weekend.