Marrakech - Part 4 of 4

Marrakech - touristic capital of Morocco, but that bird shitting on me in Buenos Airies must have paid off again, as we got lucky. The leader of our group, Atikah, liked us so much she convinced the agency to upgrade us from Hotel to Riad for our stay in Marrakech - so instead of a dive in Marrakech, we got to stay on a sprawling property in the Palmerie on the outskirts of town, with huge marble bathrooms, a massive pool, an in house hammam - a Riad is a big home, and it was like staying in someones big home. Gorgeous.

I don't really like 'touristy' so it suited me fine. It was a busy but relaxing time. The first thing I did was have a hammam to get rid of the Sahara - the lady who scrubbed my tan off (sob!! though Emma says I'm still black and therefore a bitch) was tut tutting her way around me as she'd clearly never seen so much debris come off anyone: anyone who hasn't experienced a hammam (read: entire body degloving) should - you'll never feel so clean. First hot steam, then black soap, then scrubbing by a fat Arabic lady who has NO QUALMS ripping off your knickers and scrubbing your bare ninny with the equivalent of a Jex scourer; then a clay mask all over followed by hair washing and a massage; all the while laying on a heated marble slab in a heated room.... you can amost forgive her for the ninny scrubbing it's that good.

Marrakech proper was a shock after being so remote for days on end..... First stop was the Djemaa El-Fna main square for some gawking and some chow.

Water sellers.....

Sunset over the square..... all of these stalls are food stalls, market stalls.... it's mad, surprisingly mostly locals, and a great people watching place:

We ate at one of the food stalls - you pick your food, they cook it!

Some sights in the old Medina in Marrakech.....

the Marrakech souk.....

The Saadian tombs, where descendants of Mohammed are buried....

And last night, the ladies of our Riad let Margaret, Emma and I in to the kitchen to give us a course on Moroccan cooking. It was a bit odd cooking with al the women who saw me naked (and.....) in the hammam, but that's how it's done in a Riad in Morocco. We cooked 10 Moroccan salads, Chicken with Preserved Lemon, Lamb Tagine, Lamb Couscous???? it was great - I learnt so much I can't wait to try at home (and praise God not one piece of manipulated fruit in sight). So Rob, maybe one day I'll be able to put right for you that Moroccan disaster I cooked......

Zarah - our chef and tutellage-type-person.....

Fruits of our labour - it was delicious!!

So - now it's time to chill in Essaouira with Emma and Elizabeth until such time as I leave for Hong Kong to play with my big sister.... one more Morocco update is in store...... and I'm glad I have some more time for tagines, couscous and Rose.