We arrived in Marrakech at lunch time and parked the Bunyip in a 24 hour carpark a 3 minute walk to the central square. 80 dirhams per 24 hours in a guarded place and so close to the centre, bargain. It was hot and our plan was not to sleep in the Bunyip but to find a Riad (Moroccan house turned into accommodation) in the old medina area. We hadn’t booked one but luck was on our side. It was time for lunch and we found a rooftop cafe called Kif Kif when after having a pleasant meal, we asked the doorman if he knew where we could book a Riad. He walked us down the road where we found a Riad which was pleasant, clean, in a great location and all for a reasonable price. I asked the cafe man where we could buy some ice, he was confused a strange question when you think about it. Frozen water, “ah” he said at the supermarket. He arranged for someone to ride their scooter there and he had a bag delivered to the Riad, all for $2 or 14 dirhams. It was good to have some cold drinks, no fridge in our rooms and it was a 37 degree day. I did manage to bring a few beers and other drinks from the motorhome.
Our Riad place
Food in Marrakech
To experience Marrakech you have to taste it. As I mentioned earlier when we arrived we ate on the third level of the cafe Kif Kif. Later that evening we ate in the square. I will now explain the title of this blog. Back in 2011 we were in Marrakech with a group of people one of them being a Moroccan, he said we should try the sheep’s head but for some reason we never did. As we entered the food market the touter said he had sheep’s head and we saw them displayed as well. I did have the sheeps head and it was delicious. During the next couple of days we ate in many other places, the photos will explain more. I will mention the breakfasts, we came across this place when we were looking for an ATM. It is a hotel that had a smorgasbord breakfast for only 30 dirhams or $4. This included orange juice, coffee, several varieties of bread, croissants, wheat porridge and freshly cooked omlettes. A real find and only a five minute walk from our Riad.
Drinks in Marrakech
Mint tea is the preferred drink of the locals and also in the square there were plenty of orange juice stalls selling a glass for less than 60 cents. At one stalls the friendly lads even asked us up for a photo. In the square we also tried a spicy tea drink which was popular with the locals.
The square “Jamaa El Fna”.
In the morning it was very quiet with just a few locals going about their business, but in the afternoon the craziness starts. Everyone trying to get a piece of the tourist dollars, monkeys which you can hold, people with snakes that they put around your neck, ladies applying henna, traditional water bearers wanting you to take their photos, all of this in exchange for your money. At night the eating places are set up and the touters are busy hassling the tourist to come to their stalls. Many performers and bands playing giving the place a carnival atmosphere. The place is now packed with people, locals as well as tourists, an amazing atmosphere.
The Medina
This is a maze of shops where everyone is your friend and wants to sell you something for of course “a good price”. I was pleasantly surprised that this time the stall holders were not as persistent and harassing as they were 6 years previously. It’s a place where you can easily get yourself lost and spend many hours taking in the sights. We are not big shoppers but we did buy some cookies from the best cookie shop in Marrakech!!
Our walking tour
On our second day we planned ourself a walking route based on some of the landmarks. We visited the Mosque Moulay El Yazid, Saadian Tombs, Dar Si Said, Ben Youssef Madrasa and then back to the centre square the Jemaa El Fna. Below are some photos of our walk.
We had a great time in Marrakech and the stay in the Riad was a pleasant change from staying in the motorhome. On the way out we visited the gardens of Yves Saint Laurent before heading east towards the desert.
