Morocco is a country located at the western end of North Africa. Its population is mainly made up of Berbers, an indigenous population, Arabs, and a Jewish minority. In fact, its name derives from the word Mur-Akush, which in Berber means "Land of God".
I visited Morocco in May 2017, with my friend from Moldova, Diana. We took a flight from Marseille to Fez, where our 10-day adventure through this beautiful country began.
Fez
Fez is the imperial city of Morocco. It is mainly popular for its Souk, which is a wall-bounded area made by narrow streets and settled by street traders that will try to sell you every kind of Moroccan handcraft: from jewelry slippers to tapestries, and every kind of Arabic slippers! Anyway, if you can not get lost in this maze of streets, you could discover very nice restaurants to eat delicious local dishes. My advice is to always keep Bab Boujloud as a reference point - the blue door that marks the entrance to the old city. Diana and I tried a fantastic Tajin in the Chez Rachid restaurant, and we immediately became friends with our friendly waiter Mohamed.
Unfortunately you have to be careful when meeting locals. Moroccan authorities may think that these people want to steal the job from the official city guides. Ten minutes and we were immediately surrounded by plainclothes guards who wanted to know how and why we knew Mohamed and his friend. They had to pay a small fine to let us go .. I was shocked but it was normal for them. Finally we visited the Royal Palace, which cannot be accessed but it is a nice place to take photos and admire its walls from the outside.
Rabat-Salé
Although not as well known and touristy as other cities, Rabat is the capital of Morocco. When we arrived in Rabat, we immediately noticed modernity, feeling the strong contrast with Fez. Here it is very common for people to speak French, especially in bureaucratic and administrative circles, as Morocco was a French colony until 1956. In Rabat you can visit the Mausoleum of King Mohammed V and the port of Salé, where we attended at an African music festival.
Casablanca
Casablanca is bigger, cosmopolitan and modern city. Once there, you could enjoy a walk on the big sandy beaches till reaching the mosque Hassan II, named after the king that commissioned its construction in 1986. Built with granite, plaster and white marble, this mosque is the second largest of all Africa.
When we arrived in Casablanca it was the first day of Ramadan, so we had to face a slightly different reality. Not all Moroccans respect 100% Ramadam, however no one is allowed to eat on the street, as a sign of respect for those who are fasting. So Diana and I, having to hide from everyone to try some new sweets, ended up respecting ramadan and also eating us only after the sun goes down. Thanks Couchsurfing, we were invited by our guests to their families' homes during Hilal's day, and we were able to try the experience of sharing the first meal with them before the start of the fast.
Marrakesh
The definitely most famous and tourist city, Marrakesh is full of fascinating things typical of the country. In Jama-el-Fna square you will find vendors of all kinds of stuff, snake charmers and a very beautiful sunset. Do not miss the Jardin Majorelle (70 dirhams = 7 euros) and the Bahia Palace (10 hours = 1 euros) and the Menara gardens (free admission).
Not having so many days left but still wanting to try the experience of riding a dromedar, we booked an organised tour that brought us to the gardens of La Palmerie, at one hour distance from Marrakesh. For Diana it was the first time on a Dromedary, while I had already trying when I was young in Egypt, so it was definitely a very fun experience.
Unfortunately, during this time we didn't have the occasion to go further in the desert ot visit the Atlante mountains. Have you ever been there? Which places would you recommend me for a next visit to Morocco?
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