Marrekech

Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in Casablanca this year. I had chicken.

Spent the last couple of days in Marrekech. It is a fantastic city that is so different from the other cities we have stopped in so far. It may be the opposite of Fes as far as the character of the city but it is equally as impressive. Fes was great because of the simplicity among the chaos in the medina. People were going about their everyday lives in the maze that is Fes and very little about it really was geared towards tourists. It was real. Marrekech is very much about the show. The medina is centered around a main square, the Djemma el-Fna, where everything that you would expect to see in a Middle Eastern square is represented. There are snake charmers, monkey trainers, story tellers, dancers and people just performing for the sake of the performance. The square is transformed at night, as food stalls dominate. You can eat most anything from sheep heads to snails to fish to meat dishes. All come with couscous and olives, of course. Lonely Planet got it right with Marrekech: the city does pulsate with activity. Sure, a lot of it is aimed at the tourists, but there is still the charm that accompanies the realisation that this has played out for centuries in this city.

On top of everything, Marrekech is cheap. A bunch of us are staying at a hotel just off the Djemma el-Fna that costs less than $6 a night. Not the best accomodations, but adequate for our needs. Food is also cheap, with full meals costing less than $5. $12 a day is about all you need to get buy. And the food is great.

Not sure how long we are going to stay in Marrekech before moving on to Essouira. The truck needs a little work before we attempt to cross the desert and Marrekech is the last place where the parts can be easily found. My guess is another 2 to 3 days.