Day Two in Marrakesh
When we got up the next morning, it was almost a weird state of confusion, like the whole day had all just been a dream. I had developed a new understanding for a quote that I had always loved.
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the most pleasant sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure.”
— Freya Stark
Freya hit the nail on the head. However, I had Karlie and we were indeed, ready for another day of adventure!
We enjoyed our delicious free breakfast and mint tea while Mohammed joined us to chat for one last time. They set us up a cab ride to bring us to our new hotel, and we said our goodbyes. We told them we’d miss them, and we meant it.
Our cab driver, Adam, ended up becoming our entourage for the day because we were so fond of him. Since he was assigned to us by locals we trusted, we negotiated a flat rate with him to drive us around the entire day for only $60.
Le Jardin Majorelle: $7
After we checked in, our first stop that day was to visit Le Jardin Majorelle. Le Jardin Majorelle is a large and enchanting garden full of exotic botanicals plants. If you watch Game of Thrones, it’s probably closest thing you’ll ever see to High Garden. I felt like a modern day Margery Tyrell strolling through, with the rose from my new friend in hand.
Yves Saint Laurent Museum: $10
Conveniently located next to the garden is the famous Yves Saint Laurent Museum. The famous designer actually co-owns the garden with Pierre Bergé. Saint Laurent and Bergé fell in love with the garden and bought it in 1980 after its creator Jacques Majorelle passed away in order to preserve it.
The garden’s buildings and designs are inspired by the colors of Marrakesh, which so forth inspired new visions for Saint Laurent’s designs.
“For many years, the Jardin Majorelle has provided me with an endless source of inspiration, and I have often dreamt of its unique colours.”
–Yves Saint Laurent
This inspiration is apparent when you visit Laurent’s museum. The exhibitions show a timeline of his designs beginning with almost all black and white color, but as you walk further through to when he arrived in Marrakesh, you see the significant change in style to vivid and bright colors resembling those in the city. There were no photos allowed inside, but I can assure you that the exhibitions were nothing short of brilliant, and it’s definitely worth stopping by to see before you leave the area.
Bahia Palace: $7
After that, our next stop was to visit the Bahia Palace. The Bahia Palace was built by Moroccan Sultan Hassan I in the 19th century as a gift to his wife. The word “Bahia” in arabic translates to “brilliant” and “beautiful,” and this description couldn’t be more accurate for the palace. The vast space is full of detailed and varying architecture that is so articulate in its creation that you can’t help but be captivated. Next to Le Jardin Majorelle, it’s probably one of the most picturesque spots in Marrakesh.
Safety in Marrakesh
Bahia is located right near the Medina, so Karlie and I were once again drawn in to do a little more shopping. Unfortunately I was experiencing some mild nausea, so as we passed by a tea market, I wandered inside to see if they had a remedy.
They gave me a free sample of Berber tea, and I immediately felt better. Karlie and I both ended up buying some tea to bring back to the states with us. On our way out, I had an interaction with the merchant after we took this photo with him.
Before I disclose whether the interaction was good or bad, I want you to guess.
- Did he try to grab the loose money out of my purse when I wasn’t paying attention?
- Did he warn me to zip my purse up tightly before I continued my walk through the market?
Answer: Option #2. Are you surprised by that?
The reason I wanted to test my readers with this is to help them avoid spending their visit to Marrakesh in fear. Everything is situational, but I can confirm that there was rarely a moment where we felt even somewhat close to threatened in this city.
Yes, you may be pick-pocketed, yes, you may get yourself into the wrong situation if you don’t remain smart and vigilant. But from what I witnessed, the only safety precautions you have to take are the universal ones you would take in visiting basically any new country.
Maybe our interactions were all situational, it’s hard to believe we encountered so many kind people, but perhaps it’s because we approached the situations with open minds and optimism. Manifest, be good to others, and you will receive abundance.
The Funeral
After we got a little bit more shopping done, we decided to head back to our hotel to relax and get ready for dinner that night. On our way back, Adam suddenly stopped to pull the car over, and we weren’t sure what was going on. We then saw a swarm of people walking through the streets, holding a casket with their heads down.
Adam then told us we were witnessing a funeral. He got out of the car to pay his respects, although he didn’t even know the person, he stood in silence with his head down.
Karlie and I watched in awe, it was so compelling to see how the people in this culture cared for each other, even the ones they didn’t know. Being there, we could almost feel the energy of the people around us, and their genuine empathy and compassion for the person who had passed on.
Once again, Marrakesh had subjected us to an experience that was almost too compelling to compartmentalize what we were feeling, but we were feeling something, and we were feeling it deeply.
Our Last Night in Marrakesh
Comptoir Darma had a wide variety on its menu, the food was exceptional, and very reasonably priced considering it was a 4-5 star restaurant. At midnight, we finally got to see our belly dancing show, and it did not disappoint. The dancers interact with you, and the overall energy in the room is so full of life.
We decided the last thing we wanted to check off our bucket list was to have dinner with some Moroccan Belly Dancing, so our hotel made us reservations for a restaurant called Comptoir Darna. Since alcohol was mostly prohibited around our Riad in Old Town, Comptoir Darma was our first time finding alcohol on the trip. My first glass there was probably one of the most precious glasses of wine I’ve had to date.
Although we had a flight leaving at 5 AM the next morning, my mischievous accomplice and I decided our Moroccan adventure wasn’t ready to end. Truthfully, I think a part of us just wanted to keep drinking so we could try to numb out all the emotions we were feeling about having to leave. So on that Tuesday night, we headed over to a club called So Night Lounge.
We stumbled into the club expecting it to get busier, but it never really did. However, we were graced by some amazing musical performances. To make matters better, after the performers were done, they came over to talk to us. They had noticed our excessive clapping and cheering for them, and they wanted us to know they appreciated it.
We ended up spending the rest of the night with these wonderful ladies, having such a good time we didn’t realize we had two hours to get to the airport to make it to our flight.
We took the first taxi back and rushed to the airport, a little bit too intoxicated and way too sleepy. When we woke up in Madrid, we were still asking ourselves if it was all just a dream. It felt like we had delved into another galaxy of wonder. When we woke up back in the states, it was hard to admit we were back in reality.
I had known Karlie for a year at this point, and even after living with her for six weeks in Flight Attendant training, I had only ever witnessed her cry once (while she was heavily intoxicated, I must add.) Leaving Morocco and adjusting back to normal life had us slightly depressed, even to the point of tears, for days to come after.
Eventually I got back out of my slump and reminded myself that even if my love story with Morocco had come to an end, the love I developed there would always remain in my heart.
“The real voyage of discovery consists, not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.”
—Marcel Proust
I will forever feel indebted to Marrakesh, and that is why I write about it with such passion. For all the eye-opening experiences and humbling lessons it taught me, the best thing I can do is pass the word on to inspire others to travel somewhere that feeds their SOUL. Marrakesh is that place, and that is my Clare in the Air guarantee!
