| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 04/09/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 56 |
| Copyright: Other |
Marrakesh
In the market for some really serious shopping?
Mel Rule refuses to let an incident with a snake stop her from engaging in some retail therapy in the famous Jemaa-el-Fna square
Finding myself face to face with a hissing snake was not the best start to my brief stay in Marrakesh.I’m not usually scared of animals that are only 12-inches long but snakes are my phobia and I was not willing to have this creature wrapped around my neck for the sake of a photo.
Luckily, a swift ‘no’ from our tour guide sent the grinning market trader off towards another unsuspecting soul. Thankfully, for me, the hundreds of other traders on the famous Jemaa-el-Fna Square had a tamer variety of wares for sale.
The sheer volume of noise that greets you as you enter this square in the heart of Marrakesh is overwhelming. Jemaa-el-Fna is buzzing from dawn until the late hours of the night and is where a vast amount of Moroccans come to ply their trade every day, be it jewellery, clothing or spices.
The whole place is thick with the smell of traditional fare such as cous cous and meat and vegetable stews. Tempting as it smelt, though, the food is only recommended for Moroccan stomachs and not suited to the more delicate European constitution. However, you can’t really go wrong trying the freshly squeezed orange juice. For a few pence, a trader will sell you a large glass filled to the brim with lots of ice.
There is enough in Jemaa-el -Fna and its surrounding streets to keep you amused for several hours. Even after dark, when the traders have all but gone, locals gather to socialise and entertainers sustain the carnival atmosphere to amuse any remaining tourists.
Serious shoppers should head towards the undercover souk, a maze of market traders and craftsmen who barter for business under cover from the blistering midday sun.
As we gradually crossed the square to its northern-most edge where the maze-like souk begins, the need for our tour guide became more apparent. It costs about £5 to hire a legitimate guide, recognised by his brown monk-like outfit and identity card, and for half a day it is well worth the cost.
The inside of the souks emit a real flavour of true Morocco. Here you can find arts and crafts from around the country. They tend to be grouped together by trade but weavers, tailors, carpenters and metal workers can all be found.
We browsed through the local spice stalls, where goods can be bought for a fraction of the price back home, then moved on through a section of cloth merchants selling silk, carpets and, of course, the traditional fez hat.
Only when we stopped at their stalls did the traders try to lure us into haggling for their goods. No-one hassled us otherwise and the only danger we came across was moped drivers using the narrow aisles as city short cuts.
A visit to the souks is not for the fainthearted and is probably best done in the morning before the heat becomes unbearable.
Three hours later we emerged back into the bright daylight, exhausted, broke and miles from where we first started.
But our guide soon secured us transport, a donkey and cart, and whisked us back to the Jemaa-el-Fna for some well deserved lunch.
factfile
Marrakesh
Sample product: seven nights at Club Med Marrakesh costs from £524 including return flights, transfers andfull-board accommodation, departing September.
Constant activity: there’s always something going on at Jemaa el Fna square
Watch it: a snake man tries to charm the tourists