Marrakech

It was exciting to change this trip's momentum by visiting Marrakesh. Being so close to Europe we knew we needed to make time to visit Morocco and step foot in Africa for the first time!

We didn't really know what to expect and what we discovered was a city flooded with lights, noise, people and craziness that can only be understood if experienced. The Medina which is at the heart of the city is where you'll find tiny streets with local shops selling everything from traditional goods to knock off brand names. It was a bit intimidating walking through the Medina as you had to weave out of the way of scooters, bicycles, and locals trying to grab your attention to come into their stores and restaurants. We quickly realized we had to be very alert at all times and walk with confidence to avoid looking like a "tourist". Oh and good luck finding a map of the tiny streets since it doesn't seem to exist, which led to plenty of wandering in the never ending maze.

The main square was also an interesting experience and basically a huge carnival. No matter what time you visited it, there were people everywhere, mostly poorer locals trying to make money in any way they could including snake charmers, men with monkeys on leashes, traditional dancers, acrobatic acts and much more!

We embraced this cultural immersion and got a chance to see how this predominantly Muslim country had been influenced by religion in their daily life.Read more