Day 2

I wake up before 5 AM and shower and re-pack. I am paid-up and ready for the 5:30 shuttle to Casablanca airport for my flight to Marrakech. It feels cool outside, but not cold this morning. The shuttle drops me in front of the terminal building; a line forms outside the building. Actually, it would be more accurate to say a "bunch of people" all shuffle to the entrance with people at the end of the hoard spilling forward to push in at the front - I realize that people don't queue here for anything. I reach the doors and realize the reason for the delay. Our bags are x-rayed upon entry to the terminal building - there is no other scanning once inside. Pretty rudimentary - no concern about liquids being in separate plastic zip top bags, no conveyor belts moving forward and backward as the scanner tries to figure out what is inside - but I am happy to be on the inside and on my way again.

I enter the large waiting hall. My first introduction to Moroccan architecture. There is a high ceilinged central court, the columns are an array of colourful tiles, there's a mosaic fountain at one end. On either side of the fountain are intricately carved cedar (the ubiquitous natural wood) doors with their curved shaped tops. And of course, high on the wall is a picture of King Hassan II. The flight to Marrakech is nearly empty; it's winter and low season in Moroc. Outside the Marrakech Airport, I am swarmed and directed toward the taxis. Head taxi director says 200 dh, I say no 100. Too late, my bag is in the front seat and I am being whisked away. While I know the rate should be more in line of 70 - 100 dh, the cost is still less than a slow bus from LAX to downtown Los Angeles so I chalk this up to the cost of international travel and no more than I would have paid for service in a large North American city. The driver drops me at Place des Ferbianders. The driver points me in the direction of Rue Riad Zitoun El Kedim. I walk up the narrow street (maybe 6 metres between buildings), the vendors' displays spill out into the street leaving about a 3 m (10 ft) wide clear space in the middle for pedestrians, scooters and carts.

It is not far to Riad Moulay (a riad is a Moroccan house built around a courtyard with plants and a fountain). This is large for a raid. I am shown into room #165. It is a good sized room, has a large double bed and a narrow bathroom at the back. The room looks like it has been decorated with the left over and remanant supply of mosaic tiles usually found at the back of home builder's liquidation stores at home. One type of tile is used for the floor, another type for the base boards, more tiles on the walls to chest height and finished with an elaborately carved plaster band around the room. Above that, the walls are sponged a red colour (which I will learn is the colour of the Medina - old town). The ceiling has elaborate plaster work as well. I drop my stuff and set off to explore the souks.

A souk is literally the commercial quarter of Moroccan towns. The souks of Marrakech are situated in the confusing maze of lanes of the medieval city. I stop and take a picture of sacks of colourful flower buds in burlap sacks. I am soon the guest of a salesman who explains the purpose of each sack; there's a high slimy pile of savon noir (the black soap used in the steambaths). He explains each is natural and has a specific purpose; he shows me spices - cumin for chicken and fixing diarrhea; teas for digestion. Deeper into the shop he points to a sign for a shoulder massage - only 10 dh ($1.39 CAD). I leave saying maybe later. The souks are divided by purpose. This store is in the spice souk. Elsewhere, I wander the passages of leathers. There are rows and rows of babouches (leather slippers) in bright yellow, purple, turquoise, blue, pink; next are purses, wallets, book covers of every colour. Goods hang like stalactites from above. I bob and weave my way along. Pretty soon I am lost in the confusing turnings and twisted route I have taken. I step aside for the woman pushing the cart selling the flat bread baked here (1 - 2 dh each depending on size).

I return to my room, our group is to meet in the lobby at 6 PM and I want to leave some things behind at the Riad, so I don't have to lug all my clothes and such (needed for later in the trip) out on our excursion east of Marrakech. Our tour leader is Brahim, he says he will only allow us to call him Brian until breakfast tomorrow. He is humorous and fun. He's got a big white smile. Brahim is a Berber from the High Atlas Mountains, his family still lives there in a remote village. He learned Berber at home (reading and writing) learned proper Arabic with the start of school and the reading of the Koran; French was introduced starting at 4th grade and in highschool he began to learn English. His English is near flawless. He has his university degree in Economics (his brother is a lawyer - the first in their valley of Berbers). His first tours for "On the Go" were in French. His first English tour was with an Australian driver who kept saying "no worries mate". Brahim tells that he finally asked the driver if he spoke a second language to which the driver replies no. Brahim explains that all night he had looked trough his French/English dictionary looking for the word "noworriesmate" to see what it meant, but couldn't find the word. We laugh at his self-depricating humor. We know we are going to have a good GREAT time!

Brahim has arranged a good meal for us upstairs at the Riad later. So we continue with introductions all around. We have the pleasure of meeting (and the benefits of traveling with Team Kevan). Team Kevan consist of a couple from Abbottsford, BC (Canada) named Katie and Evan. They won a contest with On the Go Tours for 6 months of escorted travel! The details of which can be found on their site at www.getridofme.com . Our meal starts with vegetable (pureed squash) soup, followed by platters of vegtables and chicken. For dessert, fresh mandarine oranges complete with leaves attached; they are much sweeter than those we get at home. Brahim holds up 2 oranges and points to their discrepency in size, shape and colour - these are unacceptable to export to other countries which expect a uniform shape size and colour, thus in order to produce the perfect oranges for export hyrids are grown so some of the natural tase is lost . We fill our pockets with these sweet delicious orbs for tomorrow's trip. We finish our meal with "Berber Whiskey" - a blend of green tea and mint tea. Brahim pours the tea from ahigh into glasses and these are passed around. The tea is almost like syrup it has so much sugar in it. We raise our glasses and learn our first Berber word Buzahar - Cheers!