Karen In Marrakech, Morocco - Mesmerized in Morocco
Morocco- Visiting Morocco has been a travel destination bucket list for me for as long as I can remember. So when me and my friends were deciding where to go for our 4 days off work, we all agreed. Beautiful Morocco.
The Red City of Marrakech was everything I imagined it would be: a beautiful and modern mixture of Moroccan and international culture with the most diversity of delicious international food and beautiful Moroccan architecture. The city poses a picture o a community of people always on the go. The Famous Jemaa El Fnaa square is definitely a mess everyone describes: thousands of people day and night shopping, eating, dancing, listening to storytellers and watching magicians, street performers and snakes charmers- ( definitely something I wouldn't do any more because I am scared of snakes! )
Here are my adventures in Morocco:
Hiking the Atlas Mountains- The Atlas Mountains cover most of Morocco and it took us almost 3 hours on a sunny day to reach the top of but it was all worth it. The view from up there was amazing!
Eating the famous tagine- This being said, I just had to try the famous tangine chicken- I had survived the flavors, seen the variety and got to really appreciate how long this dish took to prepare. Tagine is cooked with meat, dates, nuts, cumin, turmeric, olives, cinnamon and saffron served in a clay pot.
Drinking Moroccan mint tea- I couldn't get enough of this minty sugary treat. Specially after a full course meal of delicious Moroccan dishes. We went to a local tea house and drank tea while just watching the people go up and about the town square.
Shopping at the souks ofJemaa El Fnaa Square- It us easy to get lost in the famous square. One can be so amazed at the shops and stores that sell all kinds of amazing stuff. If you are someone like me, you will be wandering around the shops for as long as you want.
Getting lost in the Medinas- The medinas are the historic hearts of each city in Morocco. It is residential, shopping center and food market all at the same time. In here you will find a lot of twisting and turning streets full of shoppes that sell native goods from luxurious carpets, lanterns, blankets, pillows, slippers and everything you can think of. A word of caution though, they can be a bit sketchy and unsafe. A lot of merchants will try to sell you there goods and will not take no for an answer. So do not go too far off the beaten path.
Visiting the Berber Villages- The berbers are a traditionally ethnic people indigenous to North Africa, west of the Nile Valley. Their history dates back prehistoric times almost 4000 years ago! It is still possible to find some berber settlements today in the mountains of Morocco. It had taken us an hour to reach the village from Marrakech and I tell you, they are two worlds apart. The houses were a cluster of homes carved into the hillside setting the majestic Atlas mountains in the backdrop. The Berber people are known for their hospitality and they would likely invite you inside their homes to have a drink of Moroccan mint tea.
Visiting Jardin Majorelle Yves San Laurent- Most people who have visited or are interested in visiting Morocco probably have heard of the Yves San Laurent Jardin Majorelle. The vast expanse of different varieties of plants from all over the world, the famous blue accent walls and the Yves San Laurent museum is a famous attraction in Marrakech.
Dinner at the Cafe Arabe- Cafe Arabe is at the heart of the medina of Marrakech. It is a famous Italian-Moroccan restaurant that has served tourists for many years. It has a a mix of traditional and contemporary environment that will send you to an enchanting and charming atmosphere the minute you walk in. Our dinner at this restaurant was truly an experience to remember.
Morocco is an incredible destination. A lot of times it was chaotic, stressful and trying. It overloaded my senses and I felt like I was out of my element in this place but it was all worth it. Surely this place is a myriad of colors, texture and cultures all rolled into one.
