More Marrakech!
Sooooo my time in Marrakech was progressing nicely. After my initial 'lost in the souk' experience - which seems to be a compulsory experience for all visitors - I'd settled into a kind of routine.
Each day was sun-filled, so I rose at a reasonable hour, stretched and meditated, showered and had breakfast (ps their toaster was the shittest so far!) then greased myself up like a Channel swimmer and headed down to the pool to sunbathe.
In the past I've been what is known as a "burner" so most of my sunbathing was done when there was very little sun about, but I'm learning that as long as the factor is high enough I can pretty much sit out all day and soak up the much needed Vitamin D, without being fried to a crisp. To be fair, it was much cooler here relatively speaking than say Thailand, the daily temperature seemed to be around 80f, and because there's so much less of me, I don't find the heat to be painfully uncomfortable the way I used to do.
I felt great laying there, watching the freckles pop up on my skin, some parts of my skin that have never really seen the sun before, like my tummy for instance. Yep that's right I was bikini'd up folks, and it felt great! I didn't even care who saw the waterproof dressing on that sodding belly button wound (which is still healing btw). The freckles seemed to be especially appearing on the scars from my surgery of recent years, making them much less apparent. What a result!
I swam 20 lengths of the pool every day too, which was amazing for me really. I been swimming a lot more recently and while my style leaves a lot to be desired, I've noticed that my technique is improving. What a fab, full body workout too.
I had planned to use the gym every day as well, in fact that was one of the reasons I chose this hotel as opposed to a Riad closer to the centre of the Medina, but as I bounded in there on the first morning I was stopped from entering by a miserable looking man who informed me that if I wished to use the machines it would cost me £10 a time! Needless to say the place was empty. Shame on you Expedia and Best Western for misleading me and no doubt many others by inferring that these facilities were free! The entire time I was there I didn't see a single person use the gym, how stupid!
One of the more fabulous things about Marrakech is the big square called Djemaa el Fna. In a recent Jamie Oliver TV show he visited it at night and it looked amazing. Once the sun starts to set a whole bunch of chefs set up their own little restaurants selling all kinds of delicious food. As I walked up to it from where the cab dropped me off, I really had the feeling of being somewhere magical.
Of course, once you get close enough, the hassling begins. Everyone has the best food, everyone has the widest selection of the freshest fish, everyone is best mates with Jamie Oliver! It's a kind of floorshow of it's own. The reality is, everyone has the same menu, apart from the guys on the outer ring who are selling things like escargot - I was given a free sample and learned this is not for me, and I've had all sorts in my mouth in me time I can tell ya! - and the most amazing looking egg and potato sarnies!
I picked one stall at random and had the most delicious meal, Moroccan salad - tomato, onion, green pepper and some fresh herbs - some calamari and shrimps, olives, bread, and a mint tea all for about £4.50! It was soooooooo tasty!
I walked it off in the souk afterwards, being careful not to go too deeply into the heart of it, if I could get lost in the day time, the night was way beyond my pathfinding skill even with landmarks like this one!
I also took advantage of the free shuttle bus to the Nouvelle Ville a couple of times. According to Lonely Planet this part of town was a "must see". Hmmm well I guess if you wanna check out what kind of rubbish clothes Etam would be selling if they were still in business here then yeah, it is. Other than that, there's one road, Place de la Liberte, that is kinda worth seeing, if only for the amazing patisseries!
Each day was sun-filled, so I rose at a reasonable hour, stretched and meditated, showered and had breakfast (ps their toaster was the shittest so far!) then greased myself up like a Channel swimmer and headed down to the pool to sunbathe.
In the past I've been what is known as a "burner" so most of my sunbathing was done when there was very little sun about, but I'm learning that as long as the factor is high enough I can pretty much sit out all day and soak up the much needed Vitamin D, without being fried to a crisp. To be fair, it was much cooler here relatively speaking than say Thailand, the daily temperature seemed to be around 80f, and because there's so much less of me, I don't find the heat to be painfully uncomfortable the way I used to do.
I felt great laying there, watching the freckles pop up on my skin, some parts of my skin that have never really seen the sun before, like my tummy for instance. Yep that's right I was bikini'd up folks, and it felt great! I didn't even care who saw the waterproof dressing on that sodding belly button wound (which is still healing btw). The freckles seemed to be especially appearing on the scars from my surgery of recent years, making them much less apparent. What a result!
I swam 20 lengths of the pool every day too, which was amazing for me really. I been swimming a lot more recently and while my style leaves a lot to be desired, I've noticed that my technique is improving. What a fab, full body workout too.
I had planned to use the gym every day as well, in fact that was one of the reasons I chose this hotel as opposed to a Riad closer to the centre of the Medina, but as I bounded in there on the first morning I was stopped from entering by a miserable looking man who informed me that if I wished to use the machines it would cost me £10 a time! Needless to say the place was empty. Shame on you Expedia and Best Western for misleading me and no doubt many others by inferring that these facilities were free! The entire time I was there I didn't see a single person use the gym, how stupid!
One of the more fabulous things about Marrakech is the big square called Djemaa el Fna. In a recent Jamie Oliver TV show he visited it at night and it looked amazing. Once the sun starts to set a whole bunch of chefs set up their own little restaurants selling all kinds of delicious food. As I walked up to it from where the cab dropped me off, I really had the feeling of being somewhere magical.
Of course, once you get close enough, the hassling begins. Everyone has the best food, everyone has the widest selection of the freshest fish, everyone is best mates with Jamie Oliver! It's a kind of floorshow of it's own. The reality is, everyone has the same menu, apart from the guys on the outer ring who are selling things like escargot - I was given a free sample and learned this is not for me, and I've had all sorts in my mouth in me time I can tell ya! - and the most amazing looking egg and potato sarnies!
I picked one stall at random and had the most delicious meal, Moroccan salad - tomato, onion, green pepper and some fresh herbs - some calamari and shrimps, olives, bread, and a mint tea all for about £4.50! It was soooooooo tasty!
I walked it off in the souk afterwards, being careful not to go too deeply into the heart of it, if I could get lost in the day time, the night was way beyond my pathfinding skill even with landmarks like this one!
I also took advantage of the free shuttle bus to the Nouvelle Ville a couple of times. According to Lonely Planet this part of town was a "must see". Hmmm well I guess if you wanna check out what kind of rubbish clothes Etam would be selling if they were still in business here then yeah, it is. Other than that, there's one road, Place de la Liberte, that is kinda worth seeing, if only for the amazing patisseries!
Labels: Travel
posted by JoJo Smith at Saturday, May 15, 2010
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