Marrakesh, Morocco

Our bus ride from Merzouga was much like the trip there from Fez, slow and tedious. We had arrived in Morocco only 7 days after Marrakesh had suffered a severe earthquake. Over 2000 people had been killed with the news stating that Marrakesh was the epicentre. Curious to see how affected the town would be, we arrived at about 8 pm. We were dropped off by our bus on the opposite side of the landmark central city square. With absolutely no evidence of any disruption to normal life from the earthquake, the square was a buzz with activity. Like crowds you’d expect in the main pavilion of the Royal Easter show. There were throngs of people zig-zagging amongst the various stalls and street performers with everything from snake charmers to local dance displays. Very much a bigger tourist centre and entertainment scene than what we experienced in Fez. Loaded with both a large backpack and a small day bag strapped to our fronts we began the challenge of making our way through the crowds. Our Riad was in a small side alley just off the main square. Dumping our gear we went and found dinner in one of the many terrace restaurants that overlooked the entertainment below.

We’d booked 2 nights in Marrakesh to give us a full day to explore before heading off to the coast. Having already spent enough time in souks and markets we had marked a few different points to visit. One highlight is the highly recommended Jardin Majorelle. A beautiful house and garden estate once owned by the famous French designer Yves St Laurent. Morocco has a reputation for its amazing textiles and over the years has attracted various artists and fashion designers. None more so than Yves St Laurent who had spent significant time here before his death. He had bought Jardin Majorelle and created an incredible garden environment. In the centre is an iconic two-story house characterised by its electric blue exterior. The property had been converted into a museum of sorts providing a peaceful oasis amongst the hustle of the hot streets outside.

Unaware that pre-booked tickets were required, we were forced to get tickets for an afternoon slot so set off on a wander around the rest of the city. While we had only seen sporadic evidence of damage from the earthquake, a lot of the other main tourist destinations were closed. It turns out that the epicentre of the earthquake was out in the nearby High Atlas region which suffered the worst of the damage. Having seen enough of the markets we found a few rooftop terraces to waste some time and relax for the rest of the day.

Having now seen both Marrakesh and Fez, we are definitely happy that we spent more time in the more authentic and quieter town of Fez. We settled in for the night and early the next day got ourselves to the bus terminal. Extremely thankful that this bus was a full coach and only 3.5 hours we were on the road again.Les mer