From the moment we arrived in Marrakech, we could tell that Morocco was a second-world country. The airport was undeveloped (you had to walk from the runway taxi area to the terminal and there seemed only to be one gate) and the bus from the airport showed the same. The cars drove randomly in the road, intermixed with bikes, scooters and people. The landscape was a mix of single-level buildings and trees/bushes growing where they can. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the environment in smaller Chinese cities.
The single biggest tourist attraction here is the Medina which is the old town. It is a packed mix of small hole-in-the-wall stores and restaurants along with lots of Moroccan people. A small part of the Medina is the souks which is an even more crammed market selling lots of Moroccan goods and tourist items. The stalls in the souks is reminiscent of the stores in Chinese cities where they sell ‘A’ items; and the owners are very aggressive in getting you, the tourist, to check out their wares.
All shop owners are aggressive, even food stalls. If you happen to stand near one and reach into your pocket for money, they will all start yelling at you to go there instead of their competitor (they group similar foods together). The night market at Djemaa El-Fna is famous here and we tried many food items here. I wouldn’t say that it is any better or worse than hole-in-the-wall restaurants although it is recommended. The hustle and bustle of the square and medina is actually quite tiresome. You are often accosted by touts or salesfolk shoving items in your face, but not as often as I thought we would be.
Because it was so busy, the Riad that we stayed in was a huge relief. There was actually peace, quiet, breathable air and your own personal space. The only problem was that in order to find the Riad, we had to wander through nameless narrow alleys. It seems like it would be a haven for muggers but luckily there weren’t any.
I though that Morocco would be a more interesting experience as it is our first African, Arab, and predominently Muslim country; but I think there is too much Capitalism and is too disorganized for my liking. Its worth the side trip from Spain or other parts of Europe, but not as a trip on its own.
Hi! and welcome to the eclectic personal blog of Kevin Quan. Come in, stay awhile, peek into the nooks & crannies, and learn a bit about me and my interests.