18th Stop - Marrakech

Nezha took a couple days off of work so we drove to Marrakech on Wednesday. It was a fun ride and I was happy to learn that "nezha" not only means virtuousness, but also to party! As for Nezha, she seemed quite impressed by my ability to figure out what the Arabic songs we were listening to were about. It’s easy, the majority of songs are about love; all you need to do is listen to the melody to figure out if people are falling in love, out of love, if it’s an impossible love, someone’s been betrayed by their one true love, etc. It’s like a test with multiple choice questions: when you don’t know the answer, choose “C”!

Marrakech is a hot city. Like 45° C hot, or 113° F if you prefer. First things first, fresh squeezed, ice cold orange juice on the central square amidst the monkeys, vipers, and other oddities. Truly the best orange juice I’ve had and it only cost €0.30. We’ll be back.

We meandered through the souk and bought a few gifts, then found a nice local restaurant called Chez Abdelhay Frère Rachid and had lunch. A couple from France sat down beside us and confirmed that this was a great restaurant and that we’re lucky to have found it. Luck? Who needs luck?

Nezha commissioned some name signs from a local artisan and we had to come back later to get them. So we continued to meander, stopped in for an apple-banana juice, and spoke at length with the shop-owner. He had lived in Germany and the Netherlands for several years and was convinced that Marrakech was heaven on earth. He wouldn’t go back to Europe for anything in the world. He explained how a lot of people complain that there is no money in Morocco, that is is poor. This is false, he said. There is plenty of money, you just need to work hard and figure out the best way to earn it.

Cyber Park

We continued on our way and ended up in a cyber park. This is an interesting concept. There is free wifi access throughout the park in addition to stand up internet kiosks with touch screens. We just went there for the shade but it’s nice to know that now you can go outside, smell the roses, and facebook all at the same time.

Nezha picked up her name plates, we had two more glasses of orange juice each, and then we hit the road. Unfortunately, the Bastille Day party hosted by the French consulate wasn’t starting until 7:30 pm and we had to get back to Casa :-(

Next stop: back to Casablanca!