TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

Hi, I am back in the Netherlands. Jordan was lovely and will be posting detailed entries and fotos about the trip. For now I am astounded and woeful about the Marrakesh blast that happened yesterday. Many of the dead and wounded are foreigners—tourists. Go here for the story at BBC: Morocco probes deadly Marrakesh cafe blast Precisely 2 years ago me and Blondine were sitting on this same café restaurant on Djemma el-Fna. The Café Restaurant Argana is probably the most popular traditional café restaurant on the square because it has a nice balcony with a view down to the Djemma el-Fna square. Blondine and I had lunch here twice and I have a few fotos below to remember the events. It is scary to think that major tourist spots are not safe anymore these days. This is not confirmed yet but police are suspecting a suicide bomber or someone who left a bomb in a bag in the restaurant and left just seconds before it detonated. The cafe restaurant on Djemma el-Fna Moi here 2 years ago ...

The Marrakech Menara Airport is very 1950’s and 1960’s in design but even if its old it still exudes a lot of character and personality. I like it. It is so unique. I took a few pictures before we left for Amsterdam via Agadir. Morocco is a country I would like to come back. In the near future. P.S. (this is a later edit) In the Sex and the City 2 (goes Abu Dhabi), the film was actually filmed in Morocco and this airport can be recognised in the film which was a year later after I have visited Marrakech =) Travel Period: April 2009

Nouvelle Ville It all seems that Marrakech is a tale of two cities! There is the grand and old medina that brings you back a hundred years and then there is the Nouvelle Ville, a brand spanking new city... totally different yet so oddly familiar. Leaving the Medina and passing through the modern and clean streets of Nouvelle Ville in Marrakech seems like entering into a new world. Spotlessly clean and wide avenues; palm trees lining up on the pavements; parks, gardens and benches everywhere; sophisticated shops, bars, clubs and restaurants; a totally different world from the old ways and sights of the medina. The new city’s architecture is very cosmopolitan but in a Moroccan way. Buildings are designed in pure Moroccan design and construction, indigenous materials were used and the uniformed terracotta color scheme adapted by every building in town represents a true Moroccan jive. Before we had our Spa at Club Med we hired this horse drawn carriage (after a long price nego haha) to tou...

Here in the picture you can see women conservatively dressed in niqabs. I did not take this shot to take pictures of the women. I took this shot to take a picture of the name of the main street (Avenue Prince Moulay Rachid) that leads to Djemma el Fna (spelled as Jemma el Fna as well). Black is very popular in Marrakech but we saw many women, especially the younger ones who are sporting bright colours. We have also seen many women wearing the high secured burkas and the semi-burkas called niqab. Unlike a burka (or burqa) wherein the woman is totally covered like a walking tent, the niqab have a slit opening for the eyes. One time while getting ready for our Ourika Valley excursion, Blondine decided that she will wear shorts. I told her it is not a good idea. Anyway, she insisted thinking it will be alright but by the time we emerged out of the alleyways into the main streets of the medina, we were followed by harsh stares... then catcalls... then more harsh stares. We squirreled back t...

Here is a photo blog of the local cuisine we sighted in Marrakesh: When you say Moroccan food it right away translates to Tajine. This one is a Chicken Tajine in prunes and onions with a sliced of boiled egg on top and the other one is a Vegetarian Tajine (mine). Tajine dishes (those that do not have couscous in it) are eaten with Moroccan bread, and traditionally by hand. The best tajine we had was the one prepared at our riad. It cost 100 Dirhams which is twice the price of the commercialized tajines on Djemma el Fna that go at 45 to 60 Dirham tajines. But it was worth every Dirham though. Tajines cooked the traditional way. We are having Moroccan mint tea here on a terrace on the top floor of a building. They love their tea with LOTS of sugar. A local street snack - deep fried fish and I think they are sardines. I was not adventurous enough to try them. Well, I had just eaten. Moroccan sweets: nougat and glazed nuts and honey. Moroccan sweets predominantly uses a lot of honey, dried...

We had hammam in Club Med which is located right inside the Medina and just a stone's throw away from the Koutobia Minaret. After the hamman we lounged a bit at the pool with our cocktail drinks in hand when we heard the minaret calling again its devotees to pray. Seriously, in Morocco there is noise pollution but people accept it as a way and part of life. It is religion. It is culture. One must respect it, even us. Video taken in Club Med Marrakech here: A 1-minute footage of us lazing in the pool of Club Med in the heart of Marrakech Medina with the Koutobia Minaret calling its devoted followers to pray. It was quite a surreal experience really with all the European ladies clad in bikinis while some even went topless? Oh dear. Topless in a Muslim country. How is that? And to hear the screeching call to prayers in the background... um, if it was me I would feel awkward doing the topless thing. It just does not fit. Well at least, all this happened inside the Club Med resort. Here...

Souqs are all over Marrakech (or spelled as Marrakesh). The biggest one is located at the back of the Djemma el Fna square. It is enormous, it’s like a universe in there and you can quickly get lost if you do not pay any attention. Our trick was to memorise our turns and to take note of easy landmarks, for example a special shop or a doorway arch. Herbs, spices and minerals. Blondine and I at the ceramic shop where she bought her tajine crock. I must say though that it is quite thrilling to get lost in the souqs. That’s the adventurous me speaking there, haha. Blondine hates getting lost though, she gets terrified at the thought of it. In fact, we got lost but we have a map and it was short lived as well. We found quickly our way back to the main streets. The main streets of the souqs are easy to distinguish (and find) because they are a chaos—the rush and hush of people and vendors touting their wares and foods on the narrow streets. Although there are many quiet alleyways in the souq...