Marrakech - Where it all began

Marrakech, the red city. This was the first stop on our journey, and what an experience it has been! On arriving in Marrakech our first job was to unpack our bikes and put them together again so that we could cycle to where we were staying. This proved to be a  lot easier than we were expecting, as we were allowed to do it inside the airport, which was surprisingly empty. We did get a few odd looks as we did it though, presumably they don't see this occurring on a daily basis.

After assembling our bikes (the time was now 8pm) we then headed out of the airport onto the roads of Marrakech. I must admit to feeling a bit of apprehension about this due to not really knowing what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it was actually quite a nice experience. The roads we encountered were well lit, traffic moving at a reasonable speed and to my amazement (as I had read nothing of this beforehand) a nice, wide designated cycle lane, which I felt safer on than when cycling on London's cycle lanes! Although there was a nervy experience at our first roundabout, this being more to do with the unusual direction of traffic as opposed to feeling in danger of being hit.

It took us about an hour to arrive at our riad (traditional Moroccan house with an interior garden or courtyard) due to getting a bit lost after leaving the main roads of Marrakech. We must have looked lost as several groups of people came over to us to give us some directions. Even with this help we ended up cycling up and down the same road about three times before finding the riad a bit further down that same road. (Carmen likes to blame this on the weird numbering system)

Our room in the riad

After finding it we were shown to our room, which was decorated to look like the inside of a Berber tent. We then asked where we could get some food and were directed to the famous Djemaa el Fna square. Djemaa el Fna is a big open air market where locals set up stalls at night (they only start turning up at 9pm!) and serve all sorts of different Moroccan style foods for both tourists and locals to enjoy. We walked around the stalls to try and get a look at the different foods on offer, but were constantly harassed by stall owners asking us to come and eat at their place (some being quite persistent!). We eventually chose stall 31 to sit at as it was very busy with lots of locals there (a good sign), also it was one of the few stalls where someone wasn't pestering you to come and sit down (another good sign).

After sitting down we were served very promptly with some Moroccan bread and dipping sauce. Now us, being a bit naive thought that this was something that was complimentary like the bread at a meal in a normal restaurant (apparently not). Instead it was added to the bill at the end of the meal. So lesson learned, if it is put in front of you and you don't say no, you will have to pay for it. Having said this we were very hungry after the flight and cycle ride, and it being 10pm and having not eaten for about 9hrs I wasn't complaining too much. The bill once we had finished came to 60dh (£4.40) and included: two Moroccan breads with dipping sauce, grilled aubergines and a chicken tagine with vegtables, a very good deal!

Looking forward to my Moroccan breakfast

 The next day in Marrakech saw us waking up to enjoy a traditional Moroccan breakfast on the rooftop terrace outside our room. We had some Moroccan pancakes and bread with jam and a cup of mint tea. After breakfast we headed towards Avenue Bab Jedid to see the Marrakech International Marathon and on the way we saw the Koutoubia Mosque, which is the tallest mosque in Marrakech and an impressive sight. Unfortunately we were not allowed in as neither of us were muslim. When we arrived at the finish line of the marathon we saw several people crossing the line (some looking more tired than others), it was a nice atmosphere to experience as the runners were getting plenty of support from people watching.

Koutoubia Mosque

Watching the finish line at Marrakech International Marathon

Carmen doing her re-enactment of the marathon

 After that we decided to go for a bit of a walk and see some of the new parts of Marrakech, we went past some big landmarks like the Royal theatre and Palace of Congress before heading for the Menara gardens. There we had a nice walk around the lake before heading to buy some food and then back to our riad to eat it. We then shortly after had a deserved early night after walking nearly 15km.

Carmen by the lake at the Menara Gardens

 Our last day in Marrakech (we thought at the time) saw us exploring the old part, the Medina. We got nice and lost in the numerous souks looking at all the beautiful things on display, rugs, jewellery, spices, meat, clothes and numerous other things. A trip to Marrakech wouldn't be complete without doing this. After working out where we were we headed for the Saadian Tombs where 60 members of the Saadi dynasty are entombed. Inside the tombs we got to see what the inside of a Moroccan Mosque might have looked like as it was originally built as a mosque before being converted to tombs. We decided to eat our lunch whilst relaxing in the calm atmosphere of the tombs, away from the hustle and bustle of the narrow streets of the Medina where bikes, mopeds and carriages drawn by donkeys weave their way in and out of all the pedestrians.

Saadian Tombs

 Next stop was Bahia Palace, home of the Grand Vizier Si Moussa, which we would definitely recommend going to visit if you're ever in Marrakech, ticket prices being 10dh (73p) Whilst on our way back to our riad we visited the Jewish market, a less touristy area of the Medina where prices are a bit better and tourists get much less hassle. We also visited a store where we had our first experience of bartering (the art of trying not to get ripped off). We thought we did okay at this, although probably not as well as we thought as the owner didn't take long to agree to our price of 50dh (£3.60) knocked down from 60dh (£4.40). We then headed back to get some food and rest before our first day of cycling.

Unfortunately due to Carmen getting a rather nasty cold our trip to the Ouzoud Waterfalls (Cascades d'Ouzoud) has been delayed until tomorrow. Today we shall just be relaxing and hoping Carmen starts to feel better so we can get going as soon as possible.