Happy New Year - from Marrakech!

Happy New Year!  To ring in 2011, Matt and Mark decided to take Jen and Molly where they would fit right in.....to Marrakech, Morocco!  Ok, so they may have been the only blondes in sight but it was an incredible experience and so much for the four of us!  We arrived first and after checking into the Riad (comprable to bed and breakfasts in the US), we went right into Jamaa el Fna which is the main square within the medina.  It was even crazier than what we read about - people everywhere, motorbikes zooming by you and every single person trying to sell you something or negotiate a price with you.  There were snake charmers and monkeys and people using donkeys to carry their goods from one place to the next.  We immediately bega shopping in the souks (little markets in the square) since they really do sell everything - from pottery to handmade pillow covers to fake snakes...this place definitely had it all.  At first we found it tough to communicate but most people speak French in addition to Arabic - and most people actually have a good grasp of the English language as well. Well at least those who want to make a buck or two.  Matt's New York City lawyer skills were not up to snuff initially and he was taken for a ride on a bracelet.  But after a few back and forths, he was a negotiating machine buying pottery, scarves and even slippers for a very good price.  Molly was a bit hesitant early on but soon realized how genuinely nice the people were and they made sure you knew exactly where you were going.  The books suggested that women travelling there should wear a band on their wedding finger so Molly did just that....which of course nearly gave Matt a heart attack.  It was obviously worth being safe, but seeing Matt's face was priceless.  Both Jen and Molly also wore long sleeved shirts and pants most of the visit there out of respect for their culture and religion.  One of the more interesting and beautiful parts of the culture was to hear the chants coming from the Koutoubia Mosque.  They pray every day starting at 5am and do it 5 times a day. 

On our first full day, we decided to take a day trip to Essaouira which is a small fisherman's town a few hours away.  It was nice to be on the water and do a little negotiating outside of Marrakech.  It is said to have been a favorite of Jimmy Hendrix and a vacation spot for Cat Stevens.  On New Year's Eve day the four of us went hot air ballooning.....well, Matt, Mark and Jen did while Molly looked on.  But let's give all of them credit for waking up at 5am to do this.  We got to watch the sun rise and then the 3 of them had lift off which was really fun to see.  Afterwards, we were treated to breakfast by the locals who the hot air balloon owner had befriended over the years.  They served us their infamous Moroccan mint tea and various types of bread (which seems to be what every one eats all day!).  That night, we had a traditional Moroccan meal hosted by Joce from the riad which was lovely.  We were treated to their wines, cous cous, music and desserts.  Afterwards our guide, Hammed, took us to a club so we could ring in the new year.  The club played a mix of Spanish and French music with a little American pop.  Their party favors may have had, "Happy Birthday!" written on them, but we didn't care - we had a blast and danced through the night.

On New Year's Day, we woke up early again for an excursion to the High Atlas Mountains and Ourika Valley.  We made a stop at one of the Berber's homes (a Berber is someone who lives in the mountains) where we were served mint tea (and bread of course) and had spectacular views of the desert and mountains in the distance.  We then began our "walk" through the mountains which ended up being much more of a hike than any of us expected.  We had some of the most stunning views we had ever seen and it really was a great day for the four of us.  And it was nice to work off some of the booze from the night before.  Since that evening was our last night in Marrakech, we decided to eat in the middle of the action in the square and it was delicious!

The next day, we stopped off at the Saadian tombs to see where the Saadian Kings and Queens were buried and then made sure to have have one final mint tea before we headed back to the UK!

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