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| MEHDI, OUR HOST AT RIAD CASA SOPHIA |
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| INSIDE THE PALAIS DE BADII |
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| LUNCHTIME SNACK |
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| JEMAA EL FNA |
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| EXPLORING THE SOUKS |
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| SIDI BEN SALAH MOSQUE |
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| THREE BEASTS OF BURDON |
I managed to keep the destination for Rubi's birthday treat a secret for a while, but it was necessary to tell her when it came to getting the relevant immunisations. Morroco is certainly not rife with infectious diseases, but it is advisable to have jabs for Hepatitis A and Typhoid, and make sure your Tetanus is up to date.
Our flight from London Gatwick was at 6.25 am on Wednesday 31st May, so we left Waltham Chase at 1.00am and drove to Gatwick through the night. After parking the car in a secure compound, we were shuttled to the airport in good time.
It was cool and drizzly on the drive to Gatwick, but after a three and a half hour flight we exited the plane into the warm heat of a Moroccan morning. After patiently working our way through the interminably slow security measures at Marrakech's Menara airport, the taxi I had pre-booked to take us to our hotel was nowhere in sight. A kindly airport security guard phoned the taxi company for us.
Within a short while a rather clueless individual turned up to take us. He didn't know where the hotel was so we waited at Jemaa el Fna (the central city square) while he called for someone from the hotel to fetch us. Along came Mehdi, who I had previously corresponded with by email. He was scathing of the taxi company's poor performance, but guided us through the maze of dusty lanes that led us to the inconspicuous front door to his hotel.
Inside, however, was full of eastern promise, with guest rooms surrounding an open courtyard in typical riad style and the usual range of African Arab furnishings. We chatted to Mehdi for a while as we completed booking-in formalities (passport info., etc) and then chose one of the rooms offered.
After depositing our bags we went out for a couple of hours to visit the Fna and join the hustle bustle of the souks. We then walked down to El Badi Palace to explore this mud-built walled complex. From the terrace we could see the storks nesting on the tops of the walls.
It was very hot at over 30 degrees C, so we walked back to the Riad for an afternoon rest before heading out to the Fna again for an evening meal - which comprised delicious traditional tagines.
Next morning we packed our bags and left them with Mehdi in reception while we took a longer walk around the Medina (Old City). As well as the chaotic and rowdy souks we saw the working areas (their version of industrial estates) and the residential areas.
In the early afternoon we headed back to the Riad to collect our bags and walked down to the Grand Taxi rank where we would negotiate a price to take us to Tamatert in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. We said farewell to Mehdi but would be returning in a week.