Arrival in Marakech
Because we could, we arrived in Marakech a day earlier than most people. This was to allow ourselves a day to look around the city. And also we left a day later than most people.
Marakech airport, especially passport control, is not very good at processing large groups. Three planes arrived at the same time and so we took more than an hour to get from plane to taxi. And when we got to the hotel we found that our booking had been cancelled! Another couple, who were also arriving a day early, had had there flight cancelled and had phoned to cancel their room. For some inexplicable reason both rooms got cancelled. It took a little while to open up their spare room and get us installed. It was almost midnight by this time.
The next morning we decided to relax by the pool and get into the (working) holiday mood. and it worked.
After lunch, having met a couple of other group members, (people were arriving throughout the day), we went with them to the centre of town to see the sights. Some advice:- get some small denomination coins and notes AND avoid the snake charmers. If they spot you taking pictures of their snakes - and they will - they insist in draping you with snakes and taking pictures of you, and demanding payment, and they do not give change! Also they could not work my camera and their pictures were awful. I prefer my one.
Much more satisfying was our walk through the souks. They go on and on. And how they all manage to survive - and thrive - I do not know.
But they always seem to be crowded.
Most shops sell one of a limited number of types of goods - here it is brass.
Here sweets and pastries - note the picture of the king.
Olives and herbs.
Clothing, both modern and traditional, is a staple
And the usual tourist tat. But where we were going the preferred goods to sell to tourists would be fossils!
As we walked through the souks, occasionally we would notice an exquisite doorway suggesting that the blank, austere building we were passing was rather more interesting inside. We would find this for ourselves before we left Morocco.
We returned to our hotel, met our fellow fossil hunters, and prepared for an early start on the morrow.
Introduction
Arrival
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6