Morocco

We’ve just returned from a most amazing trip to Morocco.  Rory booked the trip last month and a few weeks ago I googled “taking kids to Morocco” to see what advice people had for families.  Big mistake.  Most of the internet suggestions were not suggestions at all…they were warnings listing all of the different reasons why one should not take children to Morocco.  I read through them and most seemed a little paranoid, so we ignored most of them and instead asked friends who had been for advice.  

We set out from the airport in Girona on Saturday morning with our friends and their daughter.  We had a slight hiccup at immigration.  We have hired an immigration attorney and we are in the midst of getting my papers sorted, but the officials warned us that we could have problems coming back to Girona since we did not have proof of our marriage with us (I am allowed to leave the EU with Rory and his papers, but we were unaware we needed proof of our marriage).  I decided not to worry and we left the country.

The flight to Marrakech was just over two hours and we landed in the bright sun.  Phillippe, the manager of the riad, met us with a driver and a large van.  We loaded everything and everyone and set out for the center of the city, just a few kilometers away.  The drive there took only 10 minutes, but the roads were overwhelmingly full…buses, bikes, cars, taxis, donkeys, horses…wow.  The roads in the city were in good condition and we arrived at the wall of the medina in no time.

 A man with a luggage cart met us at the taxi.  Phillippe had hired him to carry our luggage to the riad.  Walking through the plazas and the medina can be overwhelming, so I was grateful to avoid dragging luggage through it all.  He even loaded the kids, which delighted them to no end.  We wove in and out of people and arrived at the door to our riad, deep in the medina, a few minutes later.

 The riad was amazing.  We let the kids explore while we set up shop and made arrangements with Phillippe.  Thankfully Rory speaks French, as Phillippe spoke no English or Spanish.  Everyone organized their things a bit and then we walked back into the crowds to explore the main plaza and have some lunch.  

 We settled on the rooftop deck of a local place and ordered some tangines.  Friends had warned us about salads and a few other things, so all of us stuck with the various types of tangines throughout the trip and we did not have any problems with illness.

 We all wandered around town and through the souks...

 After lunch we decided that the best way to get the lay of the land would be to take a horse drawn carriage ride.  We found a driver who spoke a bit of Spanish and English and he took us out for nearly an hour.  This was great as we were able to see a lot—Royal Palace, various gardens, neighborhoods, important buildings, etc—without having to make the kids walk for hours (that would come later in our trip).  It was a warm afternoon and we all enjoyed seeing a few sights in the carriage.  Our driver could not have been nicer and even made bathroom stops for the kids.

Fatima, the amazing chef at our riad, had dinner waiting for us when we returned.  The smells were amazing and we were all hungry.  It was so much fun to sit in a beautiful riad and enjoy the company of family and friends.  The kids played while we enjoyed a lovely dinner.

We woke up to clouds on Sunday, which is not common in Marrakech.  We wanted to see the tanneries located in the northern part of the medina. It is not a long walk, but it is a little tricky.  Actually, many people stopped us along the way because they assumed we were lost and trying to find the main plaza.  We kept insisting we were looking for the tanneries and they would point the way. 

 We finally met a guy who walked us to a strange alley where there was a man holding bushels of mint leaves.  We were a little unsure about the situation…odd alley, we can’t see where it leads…what should we do?  The man with the mint spoke some Spanish and insisted he was a tannery guide, so we accepted the mint leaves and followed him down the alley.  Sure enough, we waked around a little corner and we were in the tanneries!  Our “guide” explained everything to us and it was super interesting to see the various hides soaking in different colors.  They use only natural things for dye—plants, oils from plants, etc.  The funniest thing for Eston…the white “dye” is actually pigeon poop.  Yes, they soak the hides in pigeon poop to turn it a white color.  Think about that the next time you purchase a light colored leather!  Eston found this hilarious.  The weather was cold, so the smells were very minimal (that is what the mint is for).  We had a really nice tour and of course they dropped us at the shop on our way out.  Rory is an expert bargainer and we purchased a couple of fun things.

 Both Eston and Marta had camels on their list.  We walked through the medina to a taxi area and found a van and a driver.  We negotiated the fee (no meters around here) and he took us to the area where the kids could ride camels.  He offered to wait and take us back to the medina, which was good because the camels were not in a tourist area.

During the day the main plaza is full of carts selling various trinkets, snake charmers, monkeys, etc.  At about 5pm they all disappear.  Suddenly you are surrounded by donkeys pulling carts and pieces of metal.  People unload the carts and put together these food stands.  This happens each night and the smells are amazing.  Each stand is numbered and it is a sight to see.

 Phillippe had arranged for us to have a guide take us to the Atlas Mountains on Monday.  We met our guide in the main plaza and he had a nice and new van.  It was raining a bit as we left town and he explained how rare this was.  We drove about 45 minutes and arrived in one of the Berber villages.  Of course, this tiny villages do not have paved roads or anything and they are built into the mountainside.  So…it was like a large mud slide.  Our guide gave us the option to opt out and just look from the car, but we did not go all the way to Morocco to look from the van.  Mud is just mud and we all set out up the hill to see the village.  I was carrying Aurelia in the Ergo and our guide basically dragged me up the hill.  He even rolled up my pants so I would not be incredibly muddy, hah!  We were all laughing at what a sight we must be…dragging our children through the mud.  Actually, the kids thought it was great.

 A couple of Berber families have realized that tourists are interested in their history and culture and have allowed guides to bring small groups to see parts of their homes and town.  So, we were able to see the stables and part of the kitchen and dining area of one particular home.  The woman who lived there, Zera, cooked us the traditional bread and we enjoyed freshly made butter, honey and olive oil.  We learned about how they make each and their methods were amazing.  The butter was out of this world and my son ate about a kilo of it.

 The Moroccans make a fabulous mint tea.  They have a traditional way of making it, which we learned, and the tea is delicious!

 We left the small village and continued up the mountain road in the van. Here the road became a little trickier…mostly dirt and gravel, very narrow, rain…it was quite the experience for all of us.  We drove to another small village and enjoyed a great lunch.  The Atlas Mountains are stunning, though it was “Colorado cold” when we stopped for lunch.  The kids were thrilled to see snow on the nearby peaks.  We took a short walk after lunch to explore a bit and our guide drove all of us back to Marrakech.  Nearly everyone slept on the return trip, but it was a great day. 

 The kids enjoyed lollipops after lunch and they would not take them out for a photo, hah!  Candy is a rare treat for both of them!

We spent Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning exploring the souks and various markets.  

Now, for some Morocco tips.  First of all, don’t listen to half of what you read.  We found the Moroccan people to be friendly and respectful.  They adore children and seemed very pleased that we had our children with us.  People would comment on how beautiful they were and gently pat their hair, but never did I feel threatened or like we were in danger at any point.  Some of the shop keepers would give high-fives to the kids, but it was very friendly.  I walked around alone when Rory was inside shops and such and I never felt unsafe at any point in time.  The people were welcoming and we really enjoyed our trip.

Some tips suggested using a harness for children under the age of 5.  No offense, but leashes are for pets, not children.  I carried Aurelia in an Ergo pack.  Don’t bring a stroller (we brought ours, but we knew we would not use it in the city-only the airports).  Eston and Marta walked with us and when it got overly crowded, we held their hands.  No biggie.  Never did anyone try to separate us from our children or try to lure them away.  Ever.  When we were in the souks they wandered around near us.  Did we pay extra attention?  Absolutely.  However, I only paid extra attention because donkeys, carriages, motor bikes, and cars are everywhere.  I was concerned about those things, but never the people.

Food and water...  I gave probiotics to the kids a couple of days before we left and thoughout the trip and this seemed to help.  Water from the tap is not fit to drink, but bottled water is cheap and available just about everywhere.  We ate tangines, couscous, and the food that the chef served us.  We avoided salads and fruit without a peel.  Nobody felt deprived and nobody got sick.  Morocco has delicious pastries and nuts and we tried them all without problem.  I would suggest bringing your own diapers, as I did not see any for sale inside the medina.  There is a larger grocery outside the medina and I am sure they would sell them.

We had a fantastic journey.  The city of Marrakech was incredible to see, but I would one day like to explore more areas of the mountains and coastal areas of Morocco.

If you are ever have the chance to go to Morocco, you should.  If you find yourself in Europe and have a few extra few days...head to Morocco.  It is not expensive and you will never regret the experience!