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Marrakech
Express - 23/06/04
I have been home for two days and the memory of Morocco is
fading fast in a haze of England euphoria and now a further bout
of pre-game nerves! Therefore I will make this brief and to the
point(less).
After getting a train from the airport to the centre through
some of Casablanca's worst slums and wandering around the medina
I realised that, similar to Mandalay, Casablanca would not live
up to its romantic image. Despite this it is an
interesting city to wander around, the people are friendly, the
food good and cheap and some of the buildings, the giant Hassan
II mosque especially, are very impressive, in fact Hassan II is
the 3rd biggest religious monument in the world.
From Casablanca I moved onto Rabat, the capital. There was
far more to offer here than I first thought, highlights
including an old medina similar to Casablanca's but more open
and laid back, the cobbled maze of the Kasbah in between the
blue- and white-washed buildings that you could spend hours
walking around (probably in circles), the expansive grounds of
the Royal Palace and the Chellah, an ancient Roman site on the
outskirts of town. The Chellah is incredibly serene, the
only sounds coming from the menagerie of chickens, cats and
storks that inhabit the ruins, a great place to relax in the
shade in the afternoon.
Football in the Kasbah, Rabat
Keeping up a quick early pace I moved onto Meknes, one of the
Imperial cities. The train journey was very scenic, the
fields of arable farmland reminiscent of the Norfolk countryside
even down to the ubiquitous red Massay-Ferguson incising its way
through the harvest. As in most of the cities, the train station
is in the Ville Nouveau, the new town built by the French next
to the old town (medina).The medinas are classic Morocco, stalls
and spices, jewelery and clothes, hustle and activity whilst the
Ville Nouveau represent any French town, except with an alarming
number of Salon de The's (Tea shops).
In addition to the cramped and claustrophobic medina, Meknes
also houses an imperial city - a deserted area of courtyards and
battlements (think the setting to Black Hawk Down) - and the
Mausoleum of Moulay Ismail.
Green minaret of Meknes
Within 50kms of Meknes are the
Roman ruins of Volubilis, the most important ancient site in
Morocco, involving a short bus ride to Moulay Idriss and a 4.5
km walk to the ruins. The site is very well-preserved and
the mosaics in the House of Orpheus are a highlight. The
area of the basilica, forum and capitol as well as the
Triumphant Arch are all eye-catching monuments as well.
Exhausted from the days activity I indulged in a feast of local
cuisine - harira (spicy lentil soup) which precedes every meal,
hard boiled eggs and spicy fritters on the side and a huge dish
of Tangine, which is the national dish - a kind of stew, this
one being lamb.
Still eager to press onwards I headed to Fes, another Imperial
city and probably the most famous along with Marrakech.
Staying the Mellah, the old Jewish quarter, I walked into Fes
El-Bali (Old Fes). The Bab Bou Jaloud (Blue gate) entrance
is swarming with touts and hustlers and it is hard to keep your
cool! Unfortunately it was Friday, the Islamic equivalent of
Sunday, and most of the old town was empty. I gave up on
exploring and returned to the more lively Mellah, only to be
ripped off for 90p by a "guide"! Friday is also
the traditional day to eat cous-cous in Morocco and far be it
from me to ignore a national culinary tradition.
On Saturday the medina was a thriving hub of activity once more
and I braved the attention of the guides to explore it more
thoroughly, highlights being the Place Sefraine and the
Kairaouine mosque. After escaping the melee I climbed to
Borj Nord, overlooking the old town, and viewed it from a safe
distance. Returning to the medina I was told to go home by
a tout because I wasn't welcome in "his" country if I
didn't want to either buy his drugs or take one of his tours!
After a dinner of Pastilla - the local specialty which is pigeon
pie topped with sugar and cinnamon, a sweet/savoury unhealthy
delight - I had the last laugh in Fes as I arranged to visit a
Berber home with a tout the next day, by which time I was half
way to Chefchaoun.
Set in the Rif mountains, Chefchaoun is a really laid back place
and all the buildings are in a pale blue wash and the streets
are cool and hassle-free. Its hard to imagine anywhere
more relaxing, although that changed in the evening as I watched
England plat France in a cafe with about 200 French speaking
Moroccans. A weird experience, a room full of men, all
drinking and facing one screen, however they are all drinking
tea and coffee, though I think one fruity punter did indulge in
a Coca-Cola! One drawback is that everyone is on a sugar-hit and
cannot keep still, always up and down, changing seats, chatting
and generally causing a distraction. I experienced this
situation throughout my Euro 2004 experience in Morocco, whether
it be England vs Switzerland, Germany vs Latvia or Czech Rep vs
Holland. JUST SIT DOWN AND CONCENTRATE!
Chefchaoun
I escaped my French tourist filled hotel the next morning on the
early bus to Tangier. I only spent one afternoon and
evening there. As far as I could see it was no more than a
seedy port town with a dubious past. I did get invited to
watch a band practice which basically involved sitting in a
small room with half a dozen pensioners, watching them smoke
enough hash to tranquilize a camel. After watching and listening
I quickly left, not before being ripped off for the mint tea I
had drunk.
Needing to relax and slow down I took the overnight Marrakech
express and awoke the next morning in the desert, the High Atlas
mountains in the distance. I spent a few days in
Marrakech, exploring at a slower pace and enjoying the activity
of Djemma El-Fna (the famous main square). Where as Meknes
was green and Chefchaoun blue, Marrakech is all in a haze of
red, adding to the fiery landscape and unabating sunshine.
In order to escape I twice took a trip to the Royal Palace and
relaxed in the shade in the gardens, until being politely asked
to leave by the guards, so polite in fact they were almost
apologetic! Marrakech is far more laid-back than Fes
though more touristy, evolving from its position on the hippie
trail in the 60's. It was probably my favourite place in
Morocco and will bring a whole new meaning to the Crosby, Stills
and Nash song from now on. To fully experience the hippie
vibe I spent the evenings in Marrakech sitting up on the roof
terrace, listening to Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' and
'Wish You Were Here' in succession whilst watching the Koutoubia
mosque lit up against the velvet black desert sky. God
damn hippie!
Royal gardens, Marrakesh
I spent my final days in Morocco at the beach resort of
Essaouira. It was surprisingly quiet and peaceful (no
alcohol remember) and very clean. As the beach was packed
like sardines in a can and there was quite a wind I vetoed
sun-bathing, instead viewing the action from a distance when not
wandering the cobbled streets or watching Euro 2004. A days
travel back to Casablanca and a full day getting back to the UK,
courtesy of those amateurs at Alitalia and the ugly Malpensa
airport, and that's it, another trip finished, flying home
during the England-Croatia game. Still not sure how we let
in two sloppy goals, though in the words of Nick Hornby:-
"The natural state of a football fan is bitter
disappointment, no matter what the score."
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