MARRAKECH 2008

MARRAKECH

Marrakech is the "capitol" of the south of Morocco. Like many capitols all over the world, it has wide boulevards and lots of open space. In Marrakech, the open space is filled with roses,

palms and olive trees. In fact the governor promised to plant a rose bush and a palm tree for every inhabitant (1,000,000 and counting). The focal point of Marrakech is a mosque tower that's the highest point in the city (by law, no other building can be higher). There are no stairs to the top; instead, when it was designed centuries ago, the way up was a ramp. The ruler wanted to be able to ride a white horse while in full regalia up to the top and preach to his people from the six hundred feet in the air. Even today, this tower can be seen for miles. When there is a call to prayer, for inhabitants that are deaf or are too far away to hear the call, a flag is hoisted to the top of tower which signifies prayer time. Of interest also is the fact that this mosque was actually demolished and rebuilt next door (demolished, not left to decay). The reason that happened was that it was not in alignment with a long road that had an important administrative building at the other end. In the picture to the left, the people with Carol are water carriers in traditional dress.

We visited the medina (old walled city) of Marrakech. It is similar to the one we visited in Fez but somehow lacked the same excitement and charm. Our guide is also a cook and so promised me that he would take me to a real spice market to purchase saffron. There were dozens of merchants selling herbs and spices of all kinds: for cooking, cosmetics, wool dyeing, medicine, and even witchcraft. The smells alone were worth the trip, not to mention the general everyone-talking-at-once market "music."

The markets were fascinating in that shop after shop after shop sells the same goods. As I remember New York, sections of the market were specialized in that there was a location to buy every kind of

merchandise; the shops tended to be segregated and bunched. Without leaving breadcrumbs, it would be impossible for a stranger not to get lost here in the Marrakech market. The courtyard outside the Medina was filled with sellers of all kinds.

Carol and I had read a book on Arabia that told of the tradition of story telling.It also mentioned the Moroccan dentistry practice of implanting secondhand teeth in place of a bridge. I was fun to see a storyteller with people gathered around, and see a tooth seller in this open air market.

At the end of the first day, we went to a Sultan's Palace. The place was elaborately carved and painted. The Sultan had his own quarters, his favorite four wives had theirs surrounding a single courtyard, and the harem had a section of the palace and a courtyard of their own. Although the facilities were likely plush compared to the places that the women came from, they looked more like dormitories where women shared three to four to a room. The courtyard above was the common patio for the harem, since these women were not permitted into the rest of the house or into the family quarters.

The next day we took a carriage ride through the modern part of the city. Perhaps because the sky was very clear today (yesterday it was quite hazy but today we could see the snow covered Atlas mountains about 75 miles away), the city felt cleaner and better. We toured a residential part of Marrakech which was very impressive and very European. (That's not a real surprise considering how long the French were here, among other Europeans.) The trip ended at a Botanical Garden originally built by a famous designer from France and currently owned by Yves St. Laurent. Part of the extensive gardens (which contain huge cacti, bamboo, palm trees and many other plants and flowers) is open to the public. Children have used the spot for decades to learn about plants, birds, and nature in general. When they arrive, they are given a coloring book that also educates them about the garden's flowers, trees and birds.

We ended today as we ended yesterday, with Carol wearing out both Hassan and me working her way through the bazaar. The shops in the Medina expect bargaining; Carol doesn't understand bargaining and so gets frustrated with the game. (This is now an editorial comment from Carol: yes I DO understand bargaining, having been trained by the shopkeepers in Mexico!) The shopkeepers love her. So as not to get myself in more trouble than I ordinarily do, let's say just that women shop differently than men. Men are lucky if they don't have to charter an extra 747 for excess baggage. I exaggerate, but only slightly. Nonetheless, great fun was had by all.

Our pick-up time tomorrow morning is 4 a.m., so at 2 p.m. this afternoon we told Hassan and our driver, Hadid, that they had the rest of the day to themselves. Now we pack, with Carol hoping to fit her "bazaar bonanza" into the one checked bag and/or our two carryons. Morocco was amazing, but now we are off to Tunisia.

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