Marrakech (2) and the Atlas Mountains

It is Wednesday of the second week. In recent days, I have had a cold, which is quite annoying. So what to do? At first, I wanted to take a 3-day tour through the desert to Merzouga. But it turned out to be too much just sitting in the bus (8 hours one way). Then, I wanted to climb Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa at 4167 meters. Youness is currently making the ascent. But with this cold, I don't feel fit enough. So I will take a relaxing day and then go hiking for 2 days in the Atlas Mountains.

At the hostel, there was a large group of British travelers, all in their mid-60s and older. They were so annoying with their good spirits and endless chitchat. I don't know why they subject themselves to such a budget hostel. They certainly aren't poor. I rented a bicycle for the morning to explore the city from this perspective. Traffic here is manageable, and I mostly ride on less busy streets. Initially, I wanted to go to a park, but a policeman stopped me. It's a palace, not open to the public. So I cycled through the outskirts of Marrakech without a specific destination. Through poorer, lively neighborhoods to the green golf course and the villa district. The park by the riverside is dilapidated, and currently, there is no visible river. Just a small trickle, that's all it is at the moment. The bike was actually good, and the movement was also nice.

Later, I decided to visit a traditional Hammam in Gueliz. It's easy to find by bus. It costs 150 MAD (Dirham), around 15€, including a towel, one set of underwear, and everything else. It's quite an experience. You get doused with hot water, then soaped up and scrubbed down, kneaded a bit, and rinsed off—all over your body. You really feel clean afterward. The job of the men and women there is to rub and scrub bodies all day in bathing clothes. A bit wild. In the evening, I went back to a street restaurant I had been to before. I had fish kefta. There is no menu with prices here, and there are face prices, but that's okay; it was really good.

The next two days are planned for hiking in the Atlas Mountains. So, back to the mountains by bus. There are 9 people in our group, besides me, there are 3 Germans (Michi, Jo, and Xenia), a Finnish couple (the man is half Austrian), and two Russian men with a boy. The actual hiking is fine, a lot of elevation over rocky paths, a total of 4 hours a day. I expected more. The guide is just okay; he doesn’t talk much and hardly takes breaks. We have lunch on top of a mountain, and then we head to a hut in a village for the night. It rains moderately along the way. The guide is moving quickly. We arrive by 3 PM. We have plenty of free time, play UNO with my cards and later also Yatzy. At 6 PM, during tea time, the power goes out, followed by the internet. We are served popcorn and later plenty of couscous, vegetables, and chicken. There is always plenty to eat, and it's always good. The evening by candlelight is wonderful. Everyone is present, nobody is stuck on their phone.

Day 2 of the hike starts with power and breakfast on the terrace with a view of barren mountains. We go through more villages along very rocky paths. The weather holds up. After lunch, I am heading back to Marrakech. The others have booked 3 days. I could have easily gone for one more day. In Marrakech, I visited a barber for a shave. He tried to overcharge me. After the shave, he wanted to cut my few remaining hairs. When he started to try to cut my non-existent hair with scissors after a few minutes of hocus pocus, I stopped him. He wanted a serious 35€ for that. Not with me. I paid him the agreed price for the shave, left, and ignored him. It's a shame they sometimes try that. It only creates a bad reputation. The fifth hostel in Marrakech felt like a chicken coop. Everything was way too cramped and there were way too many people. Train to Fes is booked.