Exploring Marrakech

Today was a good and very productive day spent exploring Marrakech and learning more about the city. I booked a 3 hour city tour via airbnb so that I could get a better understanding of my surroundings then be able to explore on my own. The tour is titled "New Concept of Marrakech" and the guide's name is Youssef, I am giving out all this information because it was a very enjoyable tour and I highly recommend him to anyone reading this and thinking of visiting Marrakech.

The tour was meant to start at Dar el Bacha museum which is touted as one of the most beautiful palaces in the city, but unfortunately it was closed so we headed to Le Jardin Secret (secret garden) which has housed some of Morocco's most important political figures. It was recently renovated and visitors can now enjoy the tranquil grounds upon which the garden stands.  A lot of couples shoot their wedding photos there and we so happened to witness this while there, fashion shows from big name designers are also held there.

From the secret garden we headed to Alnour, a non profit organization that helps disabled women make a decent living. Hearing the women speak about the organization was very touching and they were not pressing us to buy any of their products, they were just so happy to tell us all about what they do and how the organization has changed their lives. Its truly worth supporting.

We got to visit various parts of the souk (market place) in the Medina that are not tourist traps and where no one harasses you to buy their stuff. It was such a welcome change, trust me! actually this tour aims to take tourists off the beaten path and venture into areas that most people don't even know about, I would say it was a welcome change from the norm.

Since we had missed out on going to the museum due to its closure, Youssef our guide decided to make up for it by treating us to some very tasty local cuisine, Tangia and roasted lamb (can't remember the name of the lamb dish). The food was AMAZING!!! and get this, the restaurant we ate at is owned by a guy who had been the Moroccan king's chef for 20 years! even more fascinating was learning that the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Andrew Zimmerman and Gordon Ramsey had eaten there! the restaurant is called Chez Lamine

I was going to have a solo photo taken at the entrance of the restaurant but these waiters came up to me and asked to be included, how could I say no? they were so sweet!

Tea Moroccan style, before the meal was brought out. See how the guy is holding the pot high? that's the proper way of doing it here.

Roasted lamb and Beef Tangia, delicious!!!!!

I am in love with the various colorful tiles I have seen in Marrakech. I couldn't resist a photo session at the restaurant.

After the tour we split up and everyone went their separate ways after saying their goodbyes. I made my way to the Bahia Palace which has a long history but I will summarize it by stating that it was built in the 19th century and is considered one of the major monuments of Morocco's cultural heritage and is ranked as one of the main tourist spots in Marrakech. When I got to the palace it was packed so it was hard getting decent photos but at least I can say I enjoyed the experience of being there. The fee to get inside is 70 Moroccan Dirhams (about $7) and the hours of visitation are between 9:00 am to 5 pm

It was hard taking photos with the large crowd of tourists so this is the only decent photo I managed to have taken.

After spending some time at the Bahia palace I decided to move on to the Saadian Tombs from the Saadian dynasty that ruled Morocco between 1524 and 1659. These tombs remained hidden until 1971 when they were rediscovered. As morbid as tombs and the idea of death may be, I have to say they look very beautiful! it's even hard to imagine death being associated with them. Entrance to get inside to view the tombs is 70 Moroccan Dirhams (about $7) and the hours of visitation are between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

My next stop after the tombs was Jardin Majorrelle. If this is not one of the most photographed sites in Morocco aside from Chefchaouen, I don't know what is. It is a beautiful botanical garden that was created by a French artist named Jacques Majorelle who dedicated most of his life working on it. The garden is so beautiful that I don't think pictures do it justice. Minus the throng of tourists, it actually makes for a nice tranquil getaway from the chaos of the Medina. Entrance to the garden is 70 Dirhams and the the hours vary depending on the month. Oct 1st to April 30th the hours are 8:00 am to 5:30 pm, May 1st to Sept 30th 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and lastly, during the month of Ramadan 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

After exploring the areas that I had intended to, I was tired so after having a light dinner at one of the local restaurants, I went back to my Riad and took a nice long hot shower before calling it a day.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

I don't like the main square Jemaa el Fnaa that much, its exhausting dodging hustlers. It is safe but expect to be hustled left, right and center to buy stuff. It has become my landmark though, as long as I am at the center I know how to get back to the Riad and I know which alleys to take.

As a woman traveling solo you will be harassed by men in Marrakech (it might be a different experience for some but this is based on my own experience). I am talking catcalls and random men whispering in your ear, I usually just ignore the offenders and act like I am oblivious to everything around me although it annoys the hell out of me and most of the time I fantasize about punching them in the mouth.

Speaking of men, a lot of the souks I have seen are heavily male dominated and it can be very intimidating. Imagine ending up in an area with a bunch of men congregated then when they see you they all stop talking and start staring at you intensely as they make their way toward you and either hustle you to buy stuff from their stalls or start catcalling or clearly talk about you as you try your best to ignore them. Today I had that experience several times and it got to a point where I was feeling so overwhelmed.

Despite the annoying incidences, for the most part I have met very wonderful people that have made my trip enjoyable. I hope I haven't painted a bad picture of Marrakech because I am actually enjoying the city minus the few bad apples who always seem to stand out. So should you travel here alone as a woman? why not? do it! men actually also get harassed but it's mostly to buy stuff. Some of these hustlers just take it a step further with women.

Marrakech, Morocco

As-salaam Alaykum! I am currently in Marrakech, Morocco and pretty excited to explore the city. As with many other trips that I have written about here, Morocco has been on my radar for a while! I had actually planned on visiting the country next year for my birthday but there was some change of plans so here I am.

I arrived in Marrakech this evening and once I was settled at the Riad (traditional Moroccan house) that I am staying in, I wasted no time in doing some exploring to familiarize myself with my surroundings.  Actually, Yassin the guy who works at the Riad was kind enough to help me with directions and even volunteered his time to take me to the main square Jemaa el Fnaa and show me which restaurants to eat at, where to convert my money to the local currency, what common scams targeting tourists to watch out for and the places to avoid. After giving me well explained directions on how to get back to the Riad, I was left to explore the surrounding areas by myself.

I was hungry and hadn't eaten the whole day so I made my way to one of the restaurants that had been recommended, Snack Grand Atlas. It actually has pretty good reviews and I got to enjoy a 3 course meal for less than $10 which was more than reasonable in my opinion.

After my meal I decided to wander a little bit around the square before heading back to the Riad since it was getting dark and I did not want to be outside late into the night. Jemaa el Fnaa comes alive in the evening with all kinds of street performances so it was pretty crowded although it's hard to tell in the picture below.

As usual I got lost trying to make my way back to the riad due to my bad sense of direction, the streets in the old part of Marrakech are narrow and can be so confusing. I thought I had all my landmarks figured out but trying to make my way back, it seemed like each street resembled the last one that I had just emerged from. Thankfully, I was able to find my way back after getting instructions from this one shopkeeper that I approached. Happiness can not describe the feeling I had once I got to this street which leads to my Riad..........it's the little things.

That's it for now, I am tired and the internet is super slow so I better just stop here. Tomorrow will be a much better day as I will have the whole day to explore and take pictures galore so check back in.

Random Thoughts of The Day:

These are the warnings I got from Yassin: at Jemaa el Fnaa avoid taking photos of animals because the owners can harass you for payment, if the women who do henna tattoos at the square reach for your hand to "show" you a sample of a henna tattoo, don't fall for it because you will get charged plus he said the henna they use is mixed with other chemicals and is not pure henna that is traditionally used, avoid anyone offering to show you around because you will be tricked into paying them, avoid eating the street food at the square unless you want to spend your vacation expelling your whole gut in the toilet.

Bottom line, there is no free service in Marrakech............Yassin's words, not mine. Actually I looked like a kid as he was running through the list of warnings and I kept nodding my head up and down in rapt attention, hilarious! I got lucky that the shopkeeper I approached for directions wasn't all about hustling to get me to buy stuff from his shop and was genuinely willing to help me out.

I have been informed that Marrakech is pretty safe so I shouldn't be too worried about walking around alone especially at night, I don't plan to stay out at night but it's good to know.

I just love the colors at the souk (market place). Jemaa el Fnaa is surrounded by a big souk with so many shops selling the cutest stuff you can imagine. Its a bit overwhelming because every step you take you encounter something even more prettier so its hard to even know what to get. I am definitely leaving here with some cool souvenirs.

Internet here is pretty slow, maybe it's just specific to the Riad that I am staying in.

Long Weekend in Chicago

Thanks to the Labor Day holiday, we had a long weekend and since I am never one to pass up on a chance to visit somewhere without using my PTO (Paid Time Off) from work, I figured we might as well take advantage of the holiday and take a mini vacation. I have been to Chicago before but this was years ago so I was looking forward to re-visiting the city plus my husband had also wanted to check it out so it was a win-win situation for both of us.

Where We Stayed:

We based our stay in downtown which is where the city's main attractions are located and this time we decided to stay at a hotel instead of an airbnb. We stayed at this hip hotel called Acme which had a cool vibe and interesting style that I liked, definitely not your typical stuffy downtown hotel.

What We Did:

Michigan Avenue (Magnificent Mile) - If you love shopping this is the street for you as it is lined with various shops to suit every taste. Shopping wasn't on our to do list even though the temptation was there but it was nice walking along the lively street checking out different stores and fashion.

Lakefront Trail - This is a trail that runs along the beautiful Lake Michigan where you can walk, bike, rollerblade, jog or just sit on the side enjoying good weather and people watching. I looked up online and the trail is about 18 miles long, we didn't walk the whole 18 miles along it but we covered a decent chunk. Is a mile considered decent?

Navy Pier - Have you really visited Chicago if you haven't been to the Navy Pier? it's an iconic Chicago landmark located on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Here, you can catch a live show, go on a boat cruise or tour, eat, drink & be merry and top it all off by riding the Centennial Wheel. Honestly speaking I think it's a tourist trap but hey! it's still worth checking out.

This is what you get when you combine good weather and a ride in the Centennial wheel, beautiful aerial view of the city.

Boat Tour - Speaking of Navy Pier, while you are in the area why not take a boat cruise or tour? I had wanted us to do the famous Chicago Architect Tour that lasts 75 minutes, but the weather on the day that we went back to the pier was really cloudy and looked like it might rain so we settled for the shorter Classic Lake Tour. Included in the tour was narration about the history of Chicago and some of the city's famous landmarks. I'm I the only one who never remembers what the narrator said, afterwards? 

Millenium Park - Described as the heart of Chicago in some articles I had come across, it's definitely worth checking out. This park is a nice place to chill and have a picnic, admire some interesting architectural structures, take in a live show (there was a jazz festival taking place when we were there) and last but not least, check out the famous Cloud Gate sculpture famously known as "The Bean."

Hubbard Street - If you like nightlife then this is the place for you in downtown, at least that's what we were told. This street is lined with bars, restaurants, lounges and nightclubs. We went out for drinks on a Saturday night and it was very lively, we didn't stay out too late though.

Helicopter Tour: This was totally unplanned, we came across reasonably priced helicopter tours being advertised at the Navy Pier so we decided to check it out, neither of us had been in a helicopter before and we figured it would be one of those unforgettable "got to try it" kind of experiences, so we went for it.  The ride itself was very short, I am talking maybe 10 minutes if not less but the tour was pretty cool as we got good aerial views of the city and the pilot was very interactive and made sure to point out different landmarks and tell us about them.

PS: We took the tour with Chicago Helicopter Experience

Where We Ate:

Sunny Side Up - We were spoiled for choice but I have to give a shout out to this brunch and coffee shoppe. The food was good and the service even better, the hotel we stayed at recommended them and we found ourselves heading there for brunch everyday during our short stay. 

That's it folks! we enjoyed our short stay in Chicago downtown area. There was so much to do but so little time which was a bummer but all in all, it was a good mini vacation. I have an exciting solo trip coming up in November so watch out for a fun update on that.