Sticky Nicky in Marrakesh
By Joanne Lane Every day Sticky Nicky would come running back from the Djemaa el-Fna
square in Marrakesh, Morocco, bragging about how he got orange juice at
a rock bottom price. He went into intricate detail about how he bargained and haggled and we
enjoyed his tales so much we let him purchase it for us every day.
We called him Sticky Nicky because on our first night in Morocco he
spilt a honey pancake on himself - not just a few sticky gobs, it was all
over his clothes, legs and even his socks and shoes. He was one of those all round good guys who could tell a tale and make
it seem the most amazing experience ever. But actually buying orange juice in Morocco can be an experience, and
when Sticky Nicky went the way of all travelling companions we went out
to buy our own. The famed Djemaa el-Fna square, described as the greatest open-air
spectacle in the world and where Sticky Nicky bought the juice is a
chaotic hubbub of people, food stalls, tourists, hustlers and snake charmers at all times of the day and night. During the day we milled with people collecting herbs from medicine men
after they explained their illness, bought water from elaborately
decorated sellers and watched musicians perform. We drank orange juice until our stomachs hurt, tried to understand the
meaning of the Arabic performances and were hassled for money along with the other audience members at the acrobatic show for tiny children who did the most mind numbing, back breaking stunts. It was fun working out what everything meant, although some were pretty basic, like the performance involving two competitors who had to collect money from the crowd or endure a harsh smack on the backside with a piece of wood. The air too, required little interpretation - a thick haze of
barbecueing meats and seafood. Numbered stalls would set up every night under electric lights while white clothed chefs called to attract potential customers walking by. With seafood, chips, salad, kebabs, barbecued meats, eggplant, olives,
chilli, bread and wonderful mint tea there was little need of persuasive powers. Actually most of our time in Marrakesh was spent filling our bellies.
It's not that the city suffers from a lack of monuments, it's just that
the people and the food are an assault on the senses. Apart from the rather unhelpful woman who would not bargain with me for rooms or give out useful tourist information, the people are an overwhelmingly hospitable group. Shopkeepers seemed to lie in wait for us with tea pots full of
irresistable Moroccan mint tea, particularly when they knew we had already drunk a glass or two in every shop down the road. This hospitality is Moroccan but Marrakesh is also described as more
African and laid back than the northern cities even with a population of
1.5 million. But in Marrakesh there is no feeling of overcrowding as
the medina walls enclose a far more open area than is found in other
large Moroccan cities. Even when you penetrate right into the heart of the old city into the
familiar twisting alleyways of the medina and find carpenters sweating
over cupboards, tailors squeezed into tiny shops using treadle sewing
machines, and others repairing or making shoes from rubber tyres it is
all done in such a relaxed and unhurried fashion that the crowds never
seem intense. Even the call to prayer that sounds five times a day seems to lose its
intensity in the eternal stretch to its fellow mosques across town. It
has all of Marrakesh to deal with first - scraggly palm trees, open
balconies with satellite TV antenna's, fighting or sleeping cats, women
hanging laundry and the snow capped High Atlas mountains nearby. "Enshallah" ("God willing" or "As God Wills") is the most commonly used
phrase here and people in Marrakesh seem to live it out. When we first
arrived a tout accosted us but when we said we were in no hurry to look
around he called out good naturedly, "That's good madam, people in a
hurry are already in the cemetery" and went on his way. It seemed to sum up Marrakeh pretty well. For all its hustle and bustle
the city seems to have a timelessness and restfulness that the desert
lands in the south fully embody. There seems to be a pleasure taken in
the simple things of life and a constant need to sit back and enjoy what
is on offer, preferrably if it is with a glass of mint tea or orange
juice. OTHER PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO SEE
In the hammams (wash rooms) you can get a hot bath and body scrub for
Dr 40 (USD $4, AUST $8). Be prepared to strip down, be scrubbed
everywhere and manoeuvred into strange positions. Mosques and tanneries also dot the medina streets. It is forbidden for non Muslim's to enter the mosques but you can go into the tanneries where animal hides are dyed in huge pits. Fes in the north is a more Arabic and aloof city famed for its
confusing twisting medina, many mosques and annoying touts. It has more of a big city mentality but its tanneries and workshops are exceptional.
However if you prefer the more laid back atmosphere of Marrakesh then head further south to Ouarzazate and Zagora, on the edge of the Sahara. These desert towns are small but people are friendly and the lifestyle
tranquil. Camel safaris are available from here but it's also fun to go from town to town enjoying the spectacular mountain scenery and lush oasis' on the way. HOSPITALITY AND SAFETY
Moroccans are very friendly and don't pass up dinner or tea invitations
unless they hint at payment. Keep your wits about you, but most the
house will be a room amongst many in a maze of alleyways. Hassles in
Morocco are pretty low key especially if you adopt the local attitude of
"enshallah" (God willing) and never agree to anything out of sheer
frustration or impatience. Make it clear you will not pay for services or
entertainment you don't want and it is not advisable to travel alone or
without male company. WHEN TO GO AND WHERE TO STAY
Spring is the best time to visit but winter is sunny and warm and a
wonderful respite from Europe. To find accommodation be prepared to
bargain. Check for hot water and clean bedding. Most hotels cluster near the
main square. They should cost about Dr 40-50 per person. GETTING THERE AND AWAY
There are international airports in Marrakesh, Agadir, Tangier, Fes,
Laayoune, Oujda, Ouarzazate and Casablanca to name a few. Ferries leave
daily from major ports in Spain like Algeciras, Almeria and Malaga to
Tangier and Ceuta in Morocco. The most direct and commonly used is from
Agleciras to Tangier. GETTING AROUND
Moroccan transport is efficient and comfortable. Marrakesh is the
southern terminus of the train network. To travel further south there are
numerous buses and taxis. BOOK HERE |
