I had hardly stepped onto the town square when I had a snake charmer thrust his tired grass snake around my head and demand my photo to be taken. Before I knew it he was insisting on 200Dhirum. 20Euro for a single photo was way too much to pay but I was not in a position to offer the 10Dh he should have been paid as I only had a single 100Dh note. The snake charmer earned himself 10Euro (100Dh) for 30seconds work. I was not impressed!
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) The 'Tupperware' (Campervans) |
Debbie writes ... there are no campsites in Marrakech, only parking lots.
Our Dutch friends had suggested we stay the night in this parking lot as
it was right next to the medina. After a challenging 'drive' through
Marrakech in rush hour traffic, we found it and paid for 24hrs. It was a
typical grotty-looking parking lot with many campervans (see above), as
well as other heavy-duty trucks. I was very apprehensive about setting up
our tent in a parking lot...
Food Galore
We wondered into the medina to explore the bustling night life and enjoy
the culinary delights on offer. There are many food stalls in the medina -
all competing for your business. After a stroll around the circumference,
we opted for the stall who's salesman could speak English. Within minutes
we were seated and our food was thrust upon us. A key learning is that
when you ask for something - the entire party receives the same dish. Our
table was soon laden with olives, aubergines, kebabs, fries, salad ... and
then mint tea. The bill came to 250Dh (£20) - which was pricey for
Moroccan standards.
'That' Carpet
Part of the Marrakech experience is exploring the various carpet souks.
With no intention of buying any carpets (no space in the landy's - we were
warned), we stumbled upon a small carpet souk tucked away. Said soon came
to greet us and in no time had enticed us into his shop to explore some
traditional Berber carpets. He was a real character and 'entertained' us
for 1.5hrs. Said set a challenge for Steve - if Steve could answer it
correctly, then he could take home the carpet he was interested in for
FREE. The challenge:
"The teacher said that that that that that student wrote was incorrect"
--- was this English terminology correct or incorrect? Steve lost
and ended up paying for his carpet. (Either way, I'm sure he would have
had to pay!)
) Palms of Marrakech |
) Conned by a Snake Charmer |
