A Marrakesh night on the town

Djemaa l-fna Medina Square Marrakesh, 10pm Wednesday 13 October

We enjoyed the horse and carriage ride so much in Seville we do another. On arrival at our lovely lovely lovely we love you new hotel (the same family as the glam one we had in Seville) we need to celebrate that we can eat, swim and sleep comfortably again. There are horse and carriage rides from outside our hotel into the night market for 150 Dirhams, that’s about E15, and that’s about NZ$30 – between four it sounds like a cheap night on the town. Our driver agrees to take us into the market and then to wait while we have a look around and then to bring us home. Clippity Clop it is a very pleasant way to travel, I think I will buy one. It is still very warm and the night air is very nice after being cooped up in the bus. We have a little monologue of the high points from the driver and then we come across a square in which families are walking through. Is this the Square we ask? “No, no” smiles the driver, “it is soon”. We clippity clop up the road and then all of a sudden we see a sea of heads. There are hundreds of people in the square, backlit by the food vendors all you can see is head and shoulder silhouettes for miles. We clippity clop into the heads but keep to the side. It is packed. The locals are standing in tight little groups, each group being entertained: some by story tellers, some by monkey tricks, some by magic, some by snake charmers. I really want to get out and wander around but we have been warned about thieves again. It was recommended at night that as well as being really careful with our cash we “Wear plain clothes, no jewelry and don’t stand out”. I am however to tired tonight to have my wits about me to deal with anyone trying to take advantage (it is hard work fending people off all the time and I have done some stupid things when I am tired) so I stay in the carriage and soak up the atmosphere for a bit from there before we clippity clop back through the traffic to the hotel and a nice working shower.