This weekend we visited one of the most popular destinations in Morocco, the city of Marrakech. It was a 5-hour bus ride to get there but the city city was probably one of the prettiest in Morocco, with clean streets and colorful flowers everywhere. What we noticed immediately is that it was tourist central, like the New York City of Morocco.
We stayed at Hotel Andalous, which was very impressive at first sight, with a huge lobby and a gorgeous pool. However, when Lauren and I were given our room, we walked in and to our disgust, it hadn't been cleaned, the toilet was foul and there were drops of blood on the floor. The hotel was delayed in cleaning the rooms, yet another example of Moroccan unprofessionalism. I immediately demanded a room change.
Later that day we visited Jamal el-Efnaa, a popular square which is an entertainer's dream. There were snake charmers and monkeys and singers and performers everywhere. Men with water snakes draped over their necks approached us from all sides and treid to put the snakes around us without even asking. The monkeys jumped around and there were crowds of tourists everywhere.
The medina behind the square was one of the largest I've seen so far, with numerous souks leading through the maze. In one particular souk, I was looking at a pair of pants but after bargaining with the shopowner, I decided not to buy them. The shop guy got so mad he said, "You know what- f*** you!" Just another example of how uncivilized people here can be.
The next day we visited the Saadian tombs, which were tombs of royals from the Saadi dynasty in the late 1500s which had been discovered in the early 19th century. They were very anti-climatic after a long wait in line. Afterwards, on Sunday we visited the Majorelle Garden which is owned by designer Yves Saint Laurent. It was more of a bamboo forest than a garden, with tons of crazy looking cactuses and beautiful flowers.
Overall Marrakech is more of a site-based tourist area, with many specific places to visit unlike other Moroccan cities where you just take in the scenery of the city. Be prepared to get hassled by men trying to sell souvenirs on every street and overcharged by cab drivers. It was entirely too touristy to really enjoy and I wouldn't choose to stay there for more than a weekend. This trip was the last of my travels in Morocco and now I am simply awaiting the final countdown before I can head home.
