مراكش      ⴰⵎⵓⵔⴰⴽⵓⵛ    Marrakech

This morning, we woke up in Essaouira and had a buffet breakfast–with our all time favorite Msemmen–before getting on the bus for our three-hour journey to Marrakech (with some pastries and drinks along the way). Once we arrived, we walked through busy streets between pink walls (on Wednesdays we live in pink) and entered a small gate that opened up to our gorgeous home for the next three nights. We sipped on traditional sweet mint tea and nibbled on sweet treats by the courtyard.

Marrakech means “Land of God” in Arabic, and it is the fourth most populous city in Morocco. It is known as the “City of Seven Saints,” for the shrines of the Seven Saints buried here, and also as the “Pink City,” for its well-known earthy pink shades. It is divided into two main sections, the Medina, the old city, and the Glise, the new city. Our hotel that we are staying in is surrounded by a ten kilometer wall with twelve “babs,” meaning “gates” in Berber–built in the twelfth century.

We then hopped on the bus to go visit one of Ms. Trespas’s high-school friends, coincidentally from Andover! He owns a store called “Marrakshi Life” and we got to observe the weaving process and do some fun shopping! All of his products are hand-woven by his workers and he’s in the process of expanding his business.

Next, we made our way to the Medina to browse the crowded alleyways lined with Souks. They sold everything from small souvenirs to snake-skin shoes to ceramics. We emerged at the central square for food and performers, where we briefly watched a comedy show and some snake charmers.

We also stopped by a shrine where one of the Seven Saints was buried. Unfortunately we could not enter, but the exterior was beautifully engraved. Abdou shared some interesting stories about the role of these shrines and religion in Moroccan society.

Here is a photo of us posing with the water sellers!

We ended the day with a delicious dinner (tagines etc.) on a rooftop terrace and witnessed a total downpour (thankfully we had a shelter overhead and didn’t get wet at all).

Les chats du jour:

-Charlotte and Yishu