Marrakech: 26.8. - 28.8.2018

Marrakech 26.8.2018

We were handed over there by Abdul to the previously ordered pick-up service of our Riad "Miral". The two men led us cheerfully chatting through the Medina to the destination, where they apparently rang for us - and suddenly became very serious. €20. How €20? Security Service €20 - immediately! I still had exactly €2.60 in my wallet, but the two of them were not satisfied with that and became more and more insistent and angry. While I started shaking in panic alone with these unpredictable guys in a tiny alleyway in Marrakech, Leon took the reins and knocked on the door. A nice lady asked if there was a problem. It turned out that the woman from the Riad had sent her husband to pick us up. He was still waiting for us in the car park, because the two creepy men had mistakenly identified themselves as employees of the Riad. Bring money. €20 is a good profit. But not with us. Although we kept our money, I still went on shaky knees an hour later and at first never wanted to leave the beautiful Riad again. Leon then followed him out into the Medina in the evening, but it paid off. The market square is super interesting, the classic Tajine for dinner is quite delicious, and with the sunset, a slight breeze even came up, so we could end this exciting day on the rooftop terrace with a super tasty Moroccan spice tea.

Monday, 27.08.2018

Our Riad here in Marrakech is so great, we could hardly motivate ourselves to leave in the morning and dive into the hustle and bustle. First stop was the famous Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, but to be honest, we were quickly disappointed and moved on, because as stunning as it is said to be from the inside, it is rather inconspicuous from the outside. And even if we had claimed to be Ultras, real full-time Muslims, we would not have been allowed to set foot inside. So we strolled further through lime trees on a secluded food market, where we were the only tourists among locals and received corresponding looks. However, the stalls were brilliant! Fresh fruit, vegetables, spices, everything your heart desires. However, my little heart desired a pretty henna tattoo even more, which I got on my forearm at the Henna Art Café from a real La Mamma - allegedly completely harmless and not visible in two weeks because it is brown henna. I'm curious. Currently, my arm feels sticky like snail slime. After a short siesta back in action, we were surprised by a heavy warm downpour while having a freshly squeezed orange juice at Djemaa el Fna. We just managed to find shelter, but we could have saved ourselves. The whole city turned into a steam sauna, and the ground emitted biting smells into our noses. Sweat was running down our backs for ages. That's where the aggressively intrusive flyer distributor came in handy. In no time, I turned the restaurant flyer into a handheld fan, which the guy found great fun. For the starter, we ate at the trendiest fast food joint among locals, and for the main course, we planned to go to the famous food market at Djemaa el Fna. Well, what can I say? We preferred to replace the main course with a Fanta from the kiosk and were glad that we had learned so many brilliant German swear words at home. Like piranhas, the stall owners verbally and physically attacked us potential customers on the food market. In any case, we were fed up with the hustle and bustle and retreated to the Riad.

Tuesday, 28.08.2018

A bit sleep-deprived, we packed up the room the next morning after a delicious breakfast, including an egg seasoned with traditional Moroccan salt and cumin (which was apparently a bit too Moroccan for Leon's sensitive stomach). Two little sparrows had taken shelter in the Riad courtyard last night to escape the rain and couldn't find their way out, and they were trying to tell us their story all night long. That morning, we tested our bargaining skills for the first time: from 50 to 30 Dhm for a taxi to the bus station. There, we bought a ticket to Essaouira and spent the waiting three hours in the café at the nearby train station. Suddenly, everything happened very quickly and before we knew it, we had bought an extra ticket for our luggage (yes, the Moroccans are real businessmen) and were sitting on the bus heading towards the Atlantic. Inshallah Marrakech