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In the Belly of Marrakech
A travel journal
Marrakech welcomes dusk. Ablaze with torches and infused with aromatic spices, the setting sun has turned the great square, Djemaa El Fna (Place of the Dead), into a surreal food fest and entertainment pavilion. As the scorching sun makes way for the night winds from the Atlas Mountains, carts bearing oranges and kebabs merge towards the center of the plaza. Tribal women clad in silver jewelry bear baskets filled with grain. Magicians and fortunetellers follow pushcarts selling Andalusian delights: fish, meat, vegetables marinated in savory harissa. Snake charmers and medicine men with their magical remedies find a spot for the evening’s transactions. Musicians and showmen twirl between flames. Eunuchs dance in wild abandonment and compete with the calls of merchants and leaping acrobats.
I have decided to visit the Imperial city of Marrakech on the grand festival of Eid-al-Fitr – “Festival of Breaking Fast”, at the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. Tailors mingle with cobblers; everyone is retail happy. Business is exceptional tonight as shopkeepers have lines at least three people deep. The snow-capped Atlas Mountains fade into the background and are replaced by a full moon. But even the moon pales in comparison to the mystical hue cast by hundreds of lanterns.
Bargaining comes naturally to a Moroccan and merchants will be insulted if the client does not engage in the negotiating game. There is no fixed price for any item or service “you pay what you like. I like you. You like me. I show you my country.” Earnest looking boys offer their services as guides and plead “pay if you like me in the evening.” The transaction is satisfying only after a hearty back and forth and that held good for every service, including a speeding ticket, engaging a guide, and of-course, acquiring a carpet.
I arrive hungry, and I can feel the earth’s fire through my shoes and dancing Arabic eyes on the nape of my neck. Unable to bear the negotiation on an empty stomach, I march onwards to the souk, unaccompanied by a guide. In the distance, I can hear deep-throated Berber singers. The aromas of rose water and mint punctuate the air. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see a rotund man in a Jellaba (Moroccan caftan) stealthily moving towards me. I am a gazelle and he is a hungry leopard. The Gnaoua drums pick up their rhythm as if sensing a hunt.
Almost always, a merchant would engross me in an unrelated conversation. “You! American? I like Bush, have mint tea. Don’t buy anything. Come inside my shop, my wife cook tagine.” A price is quoted and hangs between sips of tea and sighs. A respectable counteroffer is made and care is taken not to insult the other party. “You are my sister, my family.” If he lowers the price, you increase your offer. Sometimes, this goes on for hours; and during this routine no one disturbs us. That hospitable cup of mint tea converts into a sale and I feel what I bought in Morocco is worth much more than the price I paid simply because I worked a lot harder for it.
I wind my way through little alleys and piles of dates, casks of olives, and stacks of peanuts, almonds and groundnuts. I bend under straw baskets that hang on storefronts and pass colorful pottery and ceramic plates of all sizes. Unknowingly, I have entered the lair of a very eager carpet merchant. But I don’t need another pungent-smelling carpet made of camel hair. I am backed into a corner filled with multi-colored balls of wool. I resign to sample a cup of sugared mint tea, viewing his entire collection, the work of a few generations. Hoping that I have lost my stalker, I creep out of the back entrance with promises of my return. My stomach is acidic with the guilt of accepting tea without the intention to buy.
The street is bursting with bejeweled women purchasing dates, spicy kebabs and baklava doused in honey. There are shoe shops, dusty mules, fakirs (spiritual recluses who perform feats of endurance and apparent magic) and antiques. I watch a skilled juggler and am bewitched by his rhythmic movements. The whiffs of cumin, saffron, oranges, verbena, ginger and black pepper overtake me. I am lost in the flavor, the rhythm, the emotions, in a dark alley in a bazaar.
A little girl tries desperately to sell her trinkets to me, silver jewelry, something, anything. How about enamel chains? I clutch my purse, careful not to land in fresh dung. Brass works, shawls, jewelry paint a perfect picture of material happiness. From a distance, a priest can be heard loudly, his voice omnipresent in the medina. He calls for the end of the fasting period. Children run homeward carrying dates and toys. Cheers and greetings of congratulations are heard all around and the soothing fragrance of soup “Harira” pervades through the dark passages.
All of a sudden it turns quiet. The eerie absence of noise finds me in a vacant street. I am lost and the only person who can help me has a wicked smile. I follow the man with the dancing eyes and he leads me through one of the world’s oldest souks with more than 1500 twisted streets and alleys. I am humbled by his perseverance.
Secretly, I am grateful he did not lose me.
-- Anjali Mansukhani
STAYa Villa des Hotel Amanjena ($$$$ - www.amanjena.com) is the first Aman resort on the African continent. This picture perfect 53-room hotel offers ultimate luxury accommodation and resides on a championship golf course offering the High Atlas Mountains as a backdrop. La Maison Arabe ($$$ - www.lamaisonarabe.com) is a 17-room elegant boutique hotel located in the medina of Marrakech. It offers an intimate setting and one of the city’s best restaurants. La Villa des Orangers ($$$ - http://www.villadesorangers.com). Residence of a former Judge, La Villa des Oranges has been converted into a 16-room Moorish oasis. Surrounded by beautiful courtyards, filled with the omnipresent orange trees, this lavishly decorated hotel accommodates guests with an emphasis on Moroccan hospitality.
EAT The most authentic Moroccan dining experience can be found at the pushcarts set up in the Great Square. However, it is advisable to use bread as cutlery and paper for plates. Café Argana, Café de France, Pizza Venezia and Café Glacier have roof terraces with wonderful views of Place Jemaa -el-Fna.
Café de France is the most famous cafe in Marrakech offering a standard fare of pastas and salad. Tourists sip tea and people watch while locals use it as a meeting place outside the medina. Pizza Venezia serves crunchy, thin-crusted pizzas and warm, creamy pastas, along with views of the Koutoubia Mosque.
SEE and SHOP
Jemaa-el-Fna: The
great square of Jemaa-el-Fna is the center of medina life and is most
lively between 5:00 p.m and 11:00 p.m.
The Souks
Souk des Teinturiers – Home of the tanners. Souk Larzal – Home of the wool merchants Souk Chouari - Specializes in weaving, basket works, wood sculpting. Souk des Bijoutiers - Large selection of jewelry and gold. Souk el Attarine - Perfumes and oils. Souk des Forgerons - Copperware Souk Haddadine - Ironworks in all shapes and sizes, for a variety of functions! Souk Cherratine - This bazaar specializes in leather goods. Souk Rahba Qdima - Also known as La Criée Berbére (roughly translated as the Auction Crier) because of its proximity to the ancient slave market. This souk’s specialty is sheepskins, tapestries, carpets and rugs. Souk Smata - Babouches are the pointed slippers used by the Moroccans. Here you will find the largest collection in the world. Souk as Smarrine -This souk specializes in fabrics and souvenirs.
FYI ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: United States citizens require a passport, but no visa for a stay of up to three months. WHEN TO GO: December through April are best months for travel. The summers are hot and the winter is wet. FARES: Depending on season and point of purchase, competitive Internet fares start at about $600 roundtrip from New York City to Marrakech. Royal Air Moroc has direct flights from JFK, New York to Mohamed V (CMN) Airport, Casablanca, Morocco. A 40-minute flight from Casablanca will connect you to Menara Airport (RAK), Marrakech. Marrakech is also well connected through other points in Europe. ATMs are available sporadically and a can be unreliable; currency can be exchanged at banks or official “bureaux de change”. Dirhams cannot be obtained or exchanged outside Morocco and receipts must be retained as proof of legal currency exchange, as well as in order to re-exchange money when departing. Major credit cards are accepted in the larger shops, hotels and restaurants. Travelers’ checks can be used in tourist areas.
USEFUL WEBSITES: http://www.ilove-marrakesh.com, http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/Morocco.
SOUNDS
Brady's World
Don't miss it!
The SKYY’s the limit
Not even the rain could dampen the spirits of the jet set on a recent December evening. In this particular case, it was the SKYY Jet-Set Junket Tour that landed in Los Angeles on December 9 at Stone Rose Lounge for the Hot Hollywood Party. SKYY gave 12 people the opportunity of a lifetime to Indulge themselves in the lifestyle fit for VIP’s, while raising $75,000 to benefit amfAR in the process. Consumers bid for six seats aboard SKYY’s luxury private jet, provided by M Club by Marquis Jet for the trip of a lifetime to Las Vegas, Miami, Vail and the final destination, Los Angeles.
At the Maxim, amfAR, and SKYY Vodka Hot Hollywood Party, guests enjoyed specially prepared SKYY martinis while dining on hors d’œuvre’s and mingling among celebrity guests including Michael Vartan from ‘Alias’, Mario Lopez, a recent finalist in ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as well as Guest DJ’s Danny Masterson and Macy Gray.
“We are proud to give our consumers a premium luxury experience and contribute to the continued good works of amfAR at the same time. We are thrilled at the response to the Jet-Set Tour. We’ve raised $75,000 for a great cause.” Says Paul Fuegner, Vice President of Marketing for SKYY Spirits.
Who says a little indulgence can’t also be charitable?
MACY'S PASSPORT
Wows us again!
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In
2000, Falu moved to the U.S. and met up with the Indo-American
band Karyshma, and later with Asian Massive leader Karsh Kale.
She was the featured female vocalist on Kale's first two albums,
and soon hit the nationwide university, club and festival
circuit with him as well as with Karyshma. Her vocals on Kale's
best-selling album "Liberation" are irrefutably the release's
crowning glory. 
