Restful day in Marrakech

Let's see...where did we leave off...

Today was our day on our own in Marrakech. Rach was remarking how much she felt like she was in an Indiana Jones movie. I have never been anywhere that feels so foreign yet so familiar at the same time as does Marrakech. I can't explain it. It's Africa, but European, permeated by Islam, but not imposing, clean, red and beautiful! The people are warm and friendly while the salesmen are terrifyingly pushy. Nothing makes sense while everything does.

Anyway, we got lost on our way to our friends' riad due to getting distracted by the live chicken vendors, stray kittens, delivery mini-trucks of fresh herbs, the fishmonger slapping his fish onto the display shelf, etc. so we ended up face to face w/ the medina wall knowing at that point a u-turn was in order.  After a few map consulting stops in the shade of vendor awnings and a garbage collector pointing the way we made it. So, a 5 min. walk took us 30!

Dijana and I decided to take a petit-taxi from the wall to the Majorelle Gardens in the Gueliz, or new city located outside the walls while the girls walked and got whistled at. Okay, the whole shaded gardens thing I definitely can appreciate!! We learned about YSL's history here post-Majorelle the artist's, had a bite at the lovely cafe and frankly I could have stayed all day just for the beauty and shade. We then took a grande-taxi together to the main plaza to see it (big fountain, blue tiles, why can't we get in it?), then our friends taxi'd one way and we taxi'd another toward  our riad where we got lost again heading to The Secret Garden, a villa w/ a lovely garden where we enjoyed a bit of history about the quarter, then we stopped in a few stalls and it was time for our hammam (thank God it was only a few doors down from our riad's alleyway so we couldn't get lost). 

Atelier at the Majorelle Gardens, peak-a-boo view

Fabulous experience!! Hammam de la Rose was beautiful, classy and professional. We chose Hammam plus massages, and Rach & I shared a massage room to start while our friends began w/ the Hammam. We were lead to the changing room and were given silly flimsy thong-panty things that reminded me of the face masks people wear when they have a cold, slippers and really comfy bathrobes, then lead to a waiting area.  Rach and I got massages in the same room - we were told to drop our towels and get on the table - no room for real or false modesty here! Shoroc gave me a wonderful massage, slow and sensual but surprising efficient, even massaging my breasts, a first for a professional massage experience for me. 

Ok, this Hammam-thing is awesome!! I was washed and left to steam, then rinsed and slathered w/ potions and a face masque applied, then rinsed and scrubbed and rinsed and re-potioned, wrapped in my bathrobe, hair towel/dried and voila - fluffed and ready for what else - tea and cookies in the lounge area w/our friends, from where we gradually had to pry ourselves free. Lovely way to spend an hour or two for sure!

Then we came back to our riad to have a snack, rest, and get situated for our departure to the High Atlas Mts. tomorrow.  Dinner tonight is around the corner from our riad at a nice restaurant, so we were told. I will let you know! So far lamb tagines and couscous dishes have been my favorites.

My first Moroccan beer - Flag Speciale - and some olives, nuts & chips to hold us over