The car is still intact

We ended our first day in Morocco with a gourmet dinner at our beautiful riad. Our host is an expert in nutrition and prepares healthy (guru-compliant!), fresh Moroccan dishes, reinterpreted. We were allowed to guess all the ingredients, but we didn’t figure out anything. For example, we thought the ice cream was made from berries because it tasted like berries, was red, and had small seeds in it (which he added to mislead us into thinking it was berries), but it was actually eggplant. Unique - but in a good way. The four courses were a fantastic experience and super delicious.
Day two started off a bit stressfully due to the upcoming car ride. The plan to be at the airport early enough to get a SIM card didn’t really work out as we waited a bit longer than the usual 'deux minutes' for breakfast. But no problemo, fortunately, we ended up being there on time, but realized that the car rental wasn’t at the airport itself, and that you had to call them for pickup. Fortunately, I (Barbara) had wisely set my mobile limit for calls and internet abroad to zero francs, meaning I could neither call nor turn on mobile data to increase the limit. Luckily Näthu was able to call, but the number hung up immediately. The second (very expensive) call finally went through and we were picked up and taken to the car rental. It was really very professional and we got a solid car. Surprisingly, Moroccans drive fairly moderately by African standards (unless you are in the city center). After getting a SIM card and some wine in a shopping center (alcohol is prohibited in restaurants here in the Medina and many other places in Morocco, so we stocked up), we headed to a saffron farm. The farm is run by a Swiss woman who emigrated here over ten years ago. The place was truly beautiful, with a lovely herb garden, cute little animals, a stunning mountain backdrop, and really great products. We were able to recharge a bit before heading back into the hustle and bustle of the city in the evening. As expected, the return trip through the old town was not easy. People were everywhere running into the street, motorcycles overtook us from left and right, and children banged on the windows shouting that we couldn’t get any further. They do this because they want money for the 'good advice' afterward. Even knowing that this is a tourist trap, one still feels a bit uncertain if it’s really true, and suddenly they find themselves stuck in a super narrow alley from which they may never escape. However, we managed to navigate the extremely narrow streets to the parking lot recommended by the riad owner (his car is parked there too). It does feel a bit uneasy, as you have to hand over the keys to the parking attendant since the lot is so small that he has to shuffle the cars back and forth constantly. Well, at least it was still there this evening. We then went out for dinner and to the main square. What seems like a huge event is really just a normal evening in Marrakech. There are people everywhere, stalls, and thousands of attractions. Locals and tourists gather in front of groups of dancing and singing people, individuals performing tricks, playing games, and getting henna tattoos. The incredible joy of the Moroccans in their performances is unmatched, even in seemingly understated and simple acts. A surprisingly large circle formed around a blonde tourist with dreadlocks who was made to repeat Arabic words – I assume with poor pronunciation. At another corner, locals try to throw coins into a specific spot on the ground. Yes, you can even be weighed for a small fee. Now we are eagerly wishing to create our own circle next time. So here we are on the riad’s rooftop terrace, diligently practicing a French canon. No kidding aside. Due to his pronounced phobia of French, Näthu regularly wakes up in a sweat during the night. Luckily, he then realizes that the French vocabulary test with Mr. Schmied was just a nightmare.
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We ended the first day in Morocco with a gourmet dinner at our beautiful riad. Our host is an expert in nutrition and cooks healthy (guru-compliant!), fresh Moroccan dishes with a new twist. We could guess all the ingredients, but we didn't figure it out. For instance, we thought the ice cream was made of strawberries because it tasted like strawberries, was red, and had small seeds in it (which he added to trick us into thinking it was strawberries), but it was actually eggplants. Unique - in a good way. The four courses were a great experience and super tasty.
The second day did not start entirely stress-free because of the approaching car journey. Our plan to get to the airport early enough to buy a SIM card didn’t really go as planned, as we waited a bit longer than the usual 'deux minutes' for breakfast. But no problemo, fortunately, we were there in time, but we found out that the car rental is not directly at the airport; you have to call them to get picked up. Luckily, I (Barbara) had prudently set my mobile limit for calls and internet abroad to 0 francs, so I couldn't call or turn on mobile data to increase my phone limit. Thankfully, Näthu managed to call, but the number got disconnected right away. The second (very expensive) call finally went through, and we were picked up and taken to the car rental. It was indeed very professional, and we got a solid car. Surprisingly, Moroccans drive rather moderately by African standards (unless you are in the city center). After getting a SIM card and wine at a shopping center (alcohol is prohibited in restaurants here in the medina and at many other places in Morocco, hence we stocked up on emergency supplies), we set off for a saffron farm. The farm is run by a Swiss woman who emigrated over ten years ago. The place was truly beautiful, with a lovely herb garden, cute animals, a fantastic mountain backdrop, and truly great products. We could recharge a bit before we submerged back into the hustle and bustle of the city that evening. As expected, the return through the old city wasn't easy. People were everywhere on the street, motorcycles passed us on the left and right, and children were banging on the windows and shouting that we couldn't go any further. They do this because afterward, they want money for the 'good tip'. Even if you know it's a tourist trap, you still feel a bit uncertain whether it's really true and that you might suddenly be stuck in a super narrow alley from which you'll never escape. However, we managed to navigate through the mega narrow lanes to the parking lot recommended by the riad owner (his car is parked there too). You do get a slightly uneasy feeling, as you have to hand the keys to the parking attendant, since the parking is so small that they constantly have to shuffle the cars around. Well, at least today it was still there. We then went for dinner and to the main square. What looks like a huge event is actually just a regular evening in Marrakech. There are people everywhere, booths, and thousands of attractions. Locals and tourists gather in front of dancing and singing groups, individuals showcasing tricks, playing games, and getting henna tattoos. The joy of the Moroccans in their performances is incredible, even in seemingly understated and simple presentations. A surprisingly large circle formed around a blonde tourist with Rastas, who was made to repeat Arabic words – I assume with poor pronunciation. At another corner, locals try to throw coins into a specific square on the ground. Yes, you can even be weighed for a small price. Now we eagerly wish to create our own circle next time. No joke. Because of his distinct phobia of French, Näthu wakes up sweating every night. Luckily, he then realizes that the vocabulary test with Mr. Schmied was just a nightmare.