Moroccan Adventures Part 3

All aboard the train to Marrakesh

After Casablanca, we decided to move south to Marrakesh. There are other ways to get there, but we chose to travel via the train.

Marrakech or Marrakesh? Both are correct! In France, it’s Marrakech but the latter is more commonly used in English.

As a music fan and a critic, every time I hear the word, Marrakesh, I’m reminded of the song by Crosby, Stills & Nash, ‘Marrakesh Express’. It spent 8 weeks in the Top 100 starting at position #86 in August 1969 peaking at #28.

The lyrics:
“Looking at the world through the sunset in your eyes
Traveling the train through clear Moroccan skies…”
“Wouldn’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express
They’re taking me to Marrakesh.”

Even as a child that song made me long for exotic Marrakesh. I pictured riding on that train. That song sowed a seed in my heart. Now fully grown, that song is probably one of the main reasons I wanted to visit Morocco. I needed this.

I could barely believe that these many years later that I was boarding ‘the train from Casablanca going south’ and every step of the way, the beat of the song was drumming in my head.

We were going by train to Marrakesh. I normally would have bought train tickets a day early, but Hana, our guide in Casablanca, advised us against it.

“Why don’t you just buy your ticket tomorrow?” She said.“If you missed your train, you won’t get refunded. So I suggest buying the tickets when you are at the train station.”

“Good Idea,” I said.

The train ride from Casablanca to Marrakesh was only 3 hours. Secretly wanted it to be longer. Having an overwhelming experience inside the Medina in Casablanca, we opted to get a little distance from the Medina this time. We booked at Riad Julia. We still remained within a walking distance to the ‘Old City’.

The Riad Julia is a cozy comfortable hotel. The owners were accommodating and friendly; they provided us with good info on getting around Marrakesh.

When we were picked up by our ‘day tour’ driver, Ahmad said “Great location!” complimenting me on my hotel choice. It made me feel good about my travel decisions. I think I needed a little affirmation. When you are traveling abroad, choosing a hotel really is often a ‘hit and miss’ proposition.
Interestingly, Morocco sort of color codes its towns. Marrakesh is The Red City.

We strolled the city with its gorgeous shades of red and orange hues.

We fueled up for the day in our tiny breakfast nook in Riad Julia which was replete with old paints and weaponry. One thing you can say about Morocco is that they are into extravagant and nutritious breakfasts. They filled us up, energized us, and put smiles upon our faces.

In Casablanca, we did a walking tour, so in Marrakesh we decided to explore what the locals call, ‘The New City’, by car. The Old City is in the Medina, but ‘The New City’ is a sprawling modern affair. Staying in the ‘New City’ has something for everyone. There are affordable hotel options or extravagantly and prohibitively expensive accommodations ranging from old palaces to modern high rises condos.

Our first stop was Terrasse Majorelle, a 2 acre botanical garden located in the heart of Marrakesh.

It was built by an artist, Jacques Marjorelle (1886-1992). He was a French orientalist painter and son of the famous Art Nouveau furniture designer, Louis Majorelle. He lived there with his wife in the 1920s purchasing a vast palm grove, known as the Majorelle today. He stayed there until their divorce in the 1950s.

In the 80s, a famous designer, Yves St Laurent acquired the property with a French industrialist and patron, Pierre Bergé, and saved it from the clutches of real estate developers. The couple worked to restore the garden and added many new and exotic plants. We spent a good hour perusing the landscape architecture, the art, and sculptures. It was a very popular attraction for international travelers.

Darwin admiring the gargantuan cactus family next to the Museum.

A museum dedicated to Berber culture was opened in the painter’s studio. Next to the cafeteria, there was a special Berber exhibit that attests to the superlative creativity of the oldest tribe of North Africa. The collection had Jewelry, arms, leather works, basketry, textiles and carpets, it was sourced throughout Morocco. The museum required an additional entrance fee. This might have been one of those ‘book in advance’ instances. It looked interesting, but we decided to skip it since getting the tickets in those crowds would have been another couple of hours.

A memorial for Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berges.

A memorial for Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berges.

The plan of the garden above was taken from a leaflet that was given during our visit.

Today, the Jardin Majorelle includes a bookstore, cafe and boutique.

Our next stop was the Menara Garden.

The Menara Garden and water reservoir is a public garden and it’s been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985. It is an aqueduct from the 12th century, it is an example of an ancient but well developed irrigation system. It still brings water from the mountains, which are the source of the pool, and it continues to irrigate the city and the gardens after all of these centuries.

Our guide mentioned that the general of the army, required his soldiers to swim here before they started their daily drills.

Walking towards the water reservoir, we passed by orchards of Olive, Cypress, and fruit trees.The trees are planted on a regular 10-meter grid.
Another highlight of our tour was the ‘The Bahia Palace.’

The Bahia Palace of Marrakesh is a stunning example of Moroccan architecture and design amidst sprawling gardens and courtyard. It was amazing to imagine what it must have been like to live here as a home.

Check out the amazing intricate wood carving on the wall.

See the artistic detail of the roof above and the colorful mosaic tiled walls below.

The Monarch had 3 palaces all over Morocco. Unfortunately, the Royal Palace in Marrakesh was not open for tourists at the time. There are more than 500 employees who work there. it has a famous and beautiful golf course. Unfortunately, we could only see the outside structures and towers.
After our drive, filled with Moroccan history and culture, we were more famished for Moroccan food. We looked for a vegetarian restaurant. We found one where you can eat while their house-turtle crawls around your feet.

After lunch we rested, in preparations for a walk to the famous Medina of Marrakesh. We walked to the square from our hotel.

We had one simple goal, to enjoy Marrakesh’s public square. It’s also known as the Djemaa el Fna. It was the hub of all activities in The Old City, it’s also a UNESCO World Heritage since 1985. This is the world famous square where there are Berber men and women wearing their beautiful indigenous clothing. There are camels, monkeys, donkeys, musicians singing, playing pipes, tambourines, and African drums. And of course, the not-to-be-missed traditional snake charmers.

The stalls were filled with art, jewelry, ceramics, and souvenirs. The food stalls were stocked with fresh fruit juices and the wafting aromatic smells of Moroccan cuisine filled the air. And just like that we were suddenly hungry again!

Darwin checking out the local art scene below.

We couldn’t resist the Snake Charmers (Sapera) with their Cobras and Asps! Make sure you generously tip the charming charmers. Otherwise, you could leave with a snake around your neck as a souvenir.

We ended up watching a concert with Mali performers. Morocco is world famous center for world music! After the music we were once again lost despite our functioning GPS. We couldn’t find our way back to our hotel. The Medinas are laid out in a maze for just this purpose. Getting people lost means the ‘meander about and buy stuff’, this is part and parcel for the process. You’ve just got to relax and go with the flow. Adjust to the interesting diversions and enjoy the stalls, and occasionally ask directions. People working the stalls are generally pretty trustworthy and helpful with directions. Eventually, we found our way. We really enjoyed Marrakesh and would love to go back again and spend more time being lost and having fun.

Video of the square:https://youtu.be/tOMuS5xDZog

Photo credits:

Darwin and I took most of the photos ourselves. Some were done on our phones by kind locals. See below image sources of pictures taken off the web.

Map of Marrakesh by Bianca Tschaikner taken from a Pinterest website.

Plan of the Garden was from the flyer distributed at the Jardin Majorelle Garden.