When I was in Morocco last month, I was so intrigued by the
promise of culture that lay ahead in Marrakesh and visiting some of the world famous souks, but had my
reservations – I was a young female traveller with little knowledge of the
country and felt partly out of my depth.
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Trousers: NEXT Petite Top and Scarf: Second-hand Sandals: Debenhams |
But, sometimes you have to push yourself out of
your comfort zone. Because, I knew I would regret it if I didn’t at
least try. Luckily my friend wanted to accompany me. That didn’t mean we didn’t
get absolutely swarmed on by locals and traders alike. It was definitely tough
– but I felt a huge sense of awareness afterwards.
Marrakesh was hot, very hot. Golden, and noisy.
Cars, scooters and buses lined the streets and traders, tourists
and local men and women made up the crowds...
Above: Scorching Marrakesh midday |
My favourite memory was stepping into a tiny café
to grab water, where a group of
men casually dressed in beige suits were sharing mint tea (traditional
Moroccan tea), and reading newspapers. It goes to show that wherever you
may be in the world, there is always time for tea and news.
As we walked from souk to souk, we became aware of
what goods were available, I discovered the most beautiful lamp figurine. The beauty came in the fact the seller didn’t once bother me, or force the sale
on me, which I was incredibly gracious of.
On our way back to our hotel later that day, my
friend and I chatted about our experience in Marrakesh and how different things
were from anywhere we had ever experienced. But, we both said how different
selling goods is, the fact that nothing had a price tag or a 'fixed value' – it’s
open to suggestion.
I only saw a tiny part of an incredibly
fascinating place – I imagine if I went back, I would be far braver, and more
adventurous.
I truly believe that sometimes doing things you
wouldn’t imagine yourself doing is sometimes the most satisfying journey you
can take.

Tasting Morocco - The Olive and Date way
Moroccan Dreams
♥
I loved Marrakesh, it was so vibrant and alive. The colour and noise captivated me. I was told that Marrakesh is one of the more relaxed of the souks, the traders in Fez are meant to be far more insistent, but perhaps it's changed a bit now as I went ten years ago?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you loved it, I knew you would!
I agree Hazel, so vibrant indeed, and noisy, but in a totally captivating way. I definitely want to do back to discover more. I feel I only saw a glimpse! x x x
Deleteyou look fabulous! I don't even mind that I can see your feet ;)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got to explore and venture into the market <3
Aww Sophie! It was quite an adventure, but one I totally felt was necessary x x x
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