Marrakesh's Contrasts

The crisp, morning calm provides a stark contrast to the previous day's commotion.  As I sit atop the riad's resort-style roof, nothing moves along the city's skyline except singing birds and a couple of fat cats, prowling along the various rose-colored ledges for a spot to nap in the sunlight.  Roosters call in the distance as the clouds stand still above the morning's standoff.  

On one side, the high Atlas mountains peek down at their urban neighbor to the west; in return, thousands of rooftop satellite dishes return the attention eastward.  Nothing seems to move as the distant echoes of vehicular and train traffic assure doubters that life continues below.  It's early enough to see your breathe, as yesterday's hagglers, entertainers and guides undoubtedly get some well-earned rest.

And busy they were.  From our mid-afternoon arrival to our early retirement, they filled every tight corner, alley and gathering locale in Marrakesh's "medina" (old city).  As opposed to the new city that expanded out of the medina's protective walls after French colonization, the old city remains a living memory of the centuries of Berber and Arab life.  

To a few first-time travelers to their city - and especially a true rookie like myself - the people easily over-shadowed the remnants of ancient architecture now listed as a World Heritage Site.  Between visits down the suq's tightly-crowded lanes, the Marrakesh Museum, Jardin Majorelle (see updated post from yesterday - with pictures!), the Cyper Park, Marathon Registration (not for me), La Fondooq Restaurant and the Jamaa L'Fna, thousands of locals and foreigners converged to create a sometimes-frenzied atmosphere of tourism, entertainment, socializing and culture not-so-neatly organized within the medina's large protective walls.

Smells of spices, leather, orange juice stands (best OJ I can remember) and open grills welcomed the crowds, seemingly trapped under the huge cloud of smoke and tightly-packed buildings.  Open-aired alleys quickly disappeared under slat-covered "hanut" (shops), all the while occupied by the same omnipresent guy, selling artwork, leather bags in one alley and fruit, pottery and electronics in another.

Though we wandered through most alleys without assistance, young guides (who probably should've been in school) were more than willing to help us (and it was needed more than a couple times) when we thought north was south, left was right.  Maps being useless and most buildings appearing identical, you can't know what's behind a door, around the corner or at the end of the alley.

One of the more pleasant discoveries was La Fondouq Restaurant, which was recommended by the riad staff.  Cradled in the middle of one of those mundane, dirty alleys, inside the restaurant's over-sized door resided a beautiful French restaurant that offered a brief reprieve from not only the inner city, but Morocco itself.  The contrast was a testament to Arab architecture which, according to a recent lecture, centers itself around a warm, highly inviting and decorated interior often within a cold, dirty and unkempt exterior. 

As the medina's populace welcomed us (and our money) at every turn, the medina itself was warm, inviting and another example of the Arab architectural phenomenon, much to the contrary of that cool morning air above the city walls.

   The central shopping alley

One of the more deserted alleys

The Jamaa L'Fna orange juice and spice carts

The Jamaa L'Fna at dusk

The Khatoubia Minaret over the Jamaa L'Fna

Hotels and lofts overlooking the crowds

Nuts, fruits and spices

Minaret of one of the Mosques

The Jamaa L'Fna getting busy

  A viper and his buddy

(from my first Moroccan trip, 28-30 JAN)