• Home
  • About us
    • Get Updates from Women Travel
    • WomenTravelBlog.com meets WomenTravel.info
  • Tours for women
    • Stories of Tours
  • Accommodation
    • Accommodation Stories
  • Retreats
    • Retreat Stories
  • Local Guides
    • Local Tour Guide Stories
  • Tour Companies
    • Tour company Stories
  • Cheap Travel Insurance
    • OnLine Booking

Women Travel The World

Women Travel - stories and news for women travellers, solo travelers

womentravelannimated banner

  • Story Map
  • Destination Stories
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Asia
    • Australasia and the Pacific
    • Africa/Middle East
    • Central/South America
  • Niche Stories
    • Women Travel India
    • Women Travel New Zealand
    • Adventure Tourism
    • Budget Travel
    • Business Travel
    • Cycling Women
    • Eco/Sustainable Tourism
    • Food and Wine
    • Girlfriend getaways
    • Lesbian Travel
    • Packing Tips
    • Photography
    • Travel Resources
    • Volunteering
  • Links
    • Women Travel Links – our pick of the best
    • Rosemary’s Pick of Links For Volunteer Links and Work Exchange Travel
  • For WT Business
    • About Women Travel
    • Advertise Women Travel Businesses
    • Women’s Travel Business – Join us
    • WTW Promotional Items
    • Updates from Women Travel
    • Link to Women Travel
    • Login NOW
  • Travel Writing
    • Guest Bloggers Welcome
    • Women’s Travel Writing

One Day in Marrakech

May 16, 2013 by Rosemary

Rensina Van Den Heuvel organises tours in Morocco, Queensland and Mongolia – here she writes about a day in Marrakech

Mohammed came to pick me up in the Touristique van at 10.30am on the dot and the music that was wafting loudly from his stereo was very calming. The type of music which can make you relax and feel at ease. Thank goodness for that because Mohammed has a lead foot and he drove the three Germans and I, at breakneck speed, through thick traffic into the Souk in the centre of Marrakech.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

“Come bek at three, Medem.” he says as he drops me off near the largest Mosque in Marrakech. ‘I will pick you up in front of da Portafino Restaurant”, he says as he points across the street, slams the sliding door closed behind me and honks his way back into four lanes of traffic.

“Oh heck, I have over four and a half hours to use up” I am thinking. ”How will I do that AND how the hell will I find my way back here?”

I look down the street towards the Souk. It is positively alive with oceans of people and so many colours as women flit about in their vibrant jellabas. There are masses of cars, horses, carriages and motorbikes and I can hear the thundering noise that comes with all of that. “There is no mistaking that I am in Marrakech.”

I take a quick look at a few landmarks around me and step out excitedly towards the seething mass of activity. Venturing into the Souk at Marrakech, alone takes courage. A great adventure no less!  And really, how can you ever be alone, walking amongst the thousands of people who are in the centre of Marrakech today?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMy main goal is to find a gorgeous traditional hotel, suitable accommodation for next year’s trip. I would also like to buy myself a colourful cotton jellaba to take back to Australia and add to my collection.

Firstly as I walk down, the main road which leads down to the Medina, I take notice of some of the buildings and other things around me. As I am not usually very good at orientation, I have learned to take notice of my surroundings, after getting myself into some, lets just call them ‘sticky’ situations in my life of travel!

Okay, so as I walk down the street, I notice all the horses and carriages are on my right and as I keep walking, I find myself in the main square which connects to the Souk.  Aha! I know where I am. I was here last year.

Many alleys come off the large main square and even though it is fairly early, they are already teaming with life and the effects on all of my senses is the way it always is in Morocco.

Loud, smelly, wildly decorative, delicious, colorful and unbelievably awesome….everywhere you look!

The square is alive with snake charmers, monkeys doing tricks, lots of juice stands selling freshly squeezed red grapefruit and orange juice. The stalls, a giant mass of oranges and grapefruit stacked inconceivably high. There is food cooking on hot coals, morsels of meat on skewers, smoke from the burning embers being swished this way and that with the changing breezes and smells reminiscent of Sunday roast lamb.

marrakech soukAfrican fabric drapes over beautiful, caramel colored women, their hair intricately beaded as they squat on blankets, selling jewellery and Berbere women sitting on stools under large red and yellow beach umbrellas, who will henna your hands in a half hour. A few motor bikes crawl slowly amongst the throng of people and there’s the clip, clop of the horses hooves against cobble stones as they tow carriage around the busy streets.

A band of musicians wearing massive red hats, shaped like the tops of tagines, with bells and blue, yellow and green pom poms bouncing around, as they wander through the crowd drumming and playing exotic instruments.

It’s the sort of music which makes me want to wiggle my hips and throw my hands into the air in wild abandon.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAll of this is happening under a bright blue, clear Moroccan sky with loads of sunshine.  I go down some alleys into the darker covered area and there is stall after stall of color and design.  Jellabas, scarves, shoes, babushes, fabric, clothes, jewellery.  Once you enter the souk every centimetre of your visual space is taken up with color and shapes and designs. It is full on.

It is a riotous labyrinth of activity noise, color and music. After a half hour I give up totally on ever trying to find my way out the way I came in and I plunge in, leaving all of my uncertainties and ‘what if’s’ about anything behind me.  I will find the massive stone minaret belonging to the mosque again and find my way back to Mohammed.

There is something intrinsically special about wandering alone.  I feel self contained in my own bubble. The mistress of my own destiny. There’s a tiny excitement in my belly of the not knowing, the lack of plans and the freedom of not having to cater to anyone else’s needs. I allow myself to get totally distracted and drawn into the Medina and it’s low light and constant hum. It’s sort of relaxing, just meandering the intricacies of this giant hive of aliveness.

I stop to look at hundreds of jellabas, the gowns that almost all the women in Morocco wear. (And in many other Islam countries). They are incredibly beautiful and available in every hue, every pattern and decorated with literally thousands of different beautiful and ornamental braids and trims. It is hard to describe and even harder to imagine until you set eyes upon them. They hang from the ceilings and it is difficult to drag my gaze from them. (Fabric is one of my serious passions.)

jellabaI look up at them as I wander along. I can not resist just gazing up like an astronomer searching the night sky. They all hang there with their sparkly braids, beads and embroidery, tempting me. I hear “Medem, Medem, what you look vor? You like dis? Vat color you like, Medem? I give it you, good price.”  I just smile and wander. I think I am drugged by all the color.

A young man with a gentle demeanour runs a stall which actually has a few prices on some of the gowns. Fifty Dirham. That attracts my attention and I stop to look. After much consideration and the young bloke’s, unending patience, ((and NO pressure), I buy two light weight cottons. One is rich earthy brown with golden cream embroidery all down the front and the other is bright blue and summery with thick white, ornamental braid down the front.

Perfect for Australian summer at home…
and here in Morocco after my afternoon shower.

how to get your ex girlfriend back

Find out more about Rensina Van Den Heuvel and her tours in Morocco, Queensland and Mongolia

zp8497586rq

Filed Under: Adventure Tourism, Destinations, Morocco, Rensina Overland, Tour companies, Tours for Women Tagged With: Morocco, morocco tour, Shopping in Morocco

Keep in Touch with Women Travel

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
email list sign up

WTW Quick Links

  • Accommodation for Women Travelers
  • Womens Tour Calendar
  • Womens Tour Business
  • Women Local Guides
  • Retreats for Women

More Stories here

Local Websites

wtnz Women Travel India

Great Packing Advice

whattowear

Women Travel NZ Blog

Rosemary Neave PO Box 17727 Sumner Christchurch 8840 New Zealand Phone +64 27 289 0383 Email Rosemary

Women Travel the World

Accommodation and Tours for Women in New Zealand around the World

Women Travel the World Blog

Stories from Women Travelers

Web2Blog:

Would you like a website like this? You can have one! Contact Rosemary

Rosemary on Trip Advisor

Follow Rosemary's travel and reviews around the world

Tags

Adventure Women Bali Indonesia Bushwise Women Camino de Santiago de Compostela ceridwyn parr Cooking classes Cruises cycling holidays cycling women Food and wine India Ireland Italy Kenya Kerala keralablogexpress Ladies trekking Club Lyn Taylor Morocco New Zealand Paris Tour pilgrimage Portugal Rensina van den Heuvel retreat for women Safari sailing shopping skiing solo traveler Solo Women travel Spain Sustainable Tourism Thailand tours for women Tuscany VakanShe Venus Adventures volunteer travel Walking Tours what to pack Wild Women Expeditions womens travel blog women travel women trekking
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo Uluru base ride
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo
Blue Walk Walking Vacations - mindful walking
Global heart journeys
Wild women expeditions

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in