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Friday 12 September, Dar si Saïd museum, the Medina
Marrakech - part VI
Elisabeth & Teije2006-07-19 19:12:07
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The day seems to start a bit cooler than the last few days, at most 30 degrees. But when we leave the hotel we find out that the weather has also turned rather muggy. There are grey clouds hanging over the city and since I can't stand humidity in the air (so, why do I live in Holland, you ask? Very good question!) so everything feels very tiring, especially walking. Everyone has problems with it, we notice and we haven't walked far when we stop for the first break at a bar to have a drink. It takes quite some time before we recover a bit. Fortunately, we have found a nice place with view on the Bab Doukkala from where lots of grand taxi's leave for the villages around Marrakech.
We now enter the souks at the northern side of the Medina, through Bab Doukkala, an old city gate build in the 12th century. Along the mosque we enter the souks and try to walk southwards, in the direction of Jemaa el Fna, but soon we are hopelessly lost in the maze of all these alleys.
We come across quite some nice gates of old palaces, but also desolate alleys where occasionally we see a beggar sitting. Elisabeth wore a shirt with sleeves the last days, but not today and we feel a bit uncomfortable in this poor area where seldom a tourist visits. The people we meet look silently at us and we pretend to know exactly where we are and where we are going.
We have to go southwards but we can't see the sun since it hides between the clouds; anyway, the alleys are to narrow to see much of the sky.
Ultimately, we arrive on the Jemaa el Fna, the central square of Marrakech. It is still very hot and trucks loaded with soft drinks keep arriving to replenish the restaurant's supplies. We feel exhausted by our long ramble through the old city, but mainly because of the muggy weather and we stay for hours on our favourite roof garden restaurant. From this one we have an excellent view on the square.
Many women wear head
...
See photographs from:
Morocco Gallery
