Our arrival from Casablanca was a bit later than expected. Already slowed by rain, the train engine broke down about 5 miles from Marrakesh. They had to get another engine to bring us into the station. We ended up getting in 3 hours late at 9pm -- the trip took twice as long as planned.
Fortunately, the station wasn't as chaotic as in Fes. In fact it was super modern, complete with a McDonalds. All of the petit taxis were trying to get us off fare and pay more. In the end we shared a grand taxi with the father and daughter to near the big square in the Medina, Djemaa el Fna. More about that place in a future post.
All of us traipsed through the Medina, occasionally getting help from a local. Eventually, we stumbled on Café Arabe, a modern-looking restaurant. The doorman kinda helped us while the father and daughter called their hotel to pick them up there. We went off on our own, promptly getting lost again. Eventually, we succumbed and had a local guy take us to our riad. It was literally down a darkened alley; we probably never would have found it on our own. I wasn't happy with having a guide latch onto us on. I paid him 5 dirham in loose change, although he was clamoring for more.
Our riad (Riad le Coq Fou) is quite different than the others we stayed at. This one is more rustic. We've noticed that most of the riads here in Marrakesh have courtyards open to the sky. Ours was summarily covered with a clear plastic tarp, 50 feet over our heads. I think this open style is keeping with the warmer summers here.
It was 10pm and there was no dinner at the riad (well, they did offer me a pastilla -- chicken or pigeon in phylo -- but nothing for Sudha). So we went back to Café Arabe. I had my pastilla (only with chicken though :() and Sudha had some mixed vegetables. The restaurant was very nicely done and the staff was quick and friendly.
Finally, the long day caught up with us and we returned to the riad, managing to find it without getting lost.
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