Jamaa el Fna by day - Marrakesh

Yesterday's post about our experience of Marrakesh was really hard to publish.

But this blog is my travel scrapbook and my experiences so I just have to be honest.

Today, I'll tell you a little more about why I felt we had a negative experience of the city.

First, I don't think we saw enough of it.  It's probably not that we didn't enjoy the city,

but that we didn't like the main square of Marrakesh where we spent a majority of our time.

Second, while our hotel was nice, I think our experience would have been much different

had we stayed in a Riad, a traditional Moroccan house.

The fact that it was the end of an 11 day tour and we were pretty exhausted also likely played a part.

The main square Jamaa el Fna by day is certainly fascinating with a lot to see and photograph.

But, it didn't feel like a very friendly place.  I knew that I had to be careful with the photos.

I tried to be very respectful and discreet.  I intended to pay any of the performers that I photographed.

It's overwhelming but a great place to people watch.  It's surrounded by restaurants.

So we spent a bit of time up on a balcony just watching everything that was happening below.

I wanted to take some photos so walked up to these men.  I made eye contact with one and tapped my camera to let them know that I'd be taking photographs. I took this one photo before the man rushed right up to me demanding payment.  I gave him a few coins and he immediately started yelling for more. I just walked away with him still yelling.   After being fussed at several times even when I did pay, I just changed to the zoom lens and gave the camera to Matt.  This was way too stressful. I told him to get some shots if he could.

I completely agree with what Matt said yesterday about not supporting the animal handlers.

We gave them all a very wide berth as we walked around the square.   We often saw then walk up behind unsuspecting people to perch an animal on a shoulder.   If you're planning a trip to Morocco please take a moment to read more about this topic at IPPL's Advice for Travelers to Marrakech.  

 At one point, we were on a guided tour by a local who stopped at this table of teeth.

The gentleman at the table was smiling at the group and several took photographs with no problem.

As the group was walking away, I took a photo and he started right up with the screaming.

I apologized and put the camera away.  But,check it out... teeth!  I have no idea what they're for.

I was dying to get a henna tattoo while we were in Morocco.  I had been holding out the entire trip for Marrakesh.  That was where I wanted to get my tattoo. I had pulled my hand away from many eager henna ladies throughout my trip.  From a bit of research I knew about how much to expect to pay and to avoid the "black" henna tattoos.

There are dozens of women in the square offering tattoos, so I selected one and sat down to negotiate.  She grabbed my hand started doing the tattoo and said 350 (£26).  I pulled my hand away and said "100" (£8).  She started fussing, grabbed my hand and wiped it off.  The lady sitting next to her started fussing back at her and said to me "150" (£11) so I agreed.  She did a lovely job and even sprinkled on some glitter.  It took her all of 8 minutes and I paid her 200 Dirham (£15).

The paste starts to dry out and eventually crumbles off to leave the tattoo.

My hand started to itch so I brushed most of it off early which is why the tattoo is more orange than brown.

It lasted for a week or two and was a nice reminder our our time in Morocco. Both the good and the bad.

I didn't much enjoy our time at Jamaa el Fna.  It was big and crowded.

Intense and loud.  We repeatedly  got the very aggressive sell.  We got some really harsh looks.

I got yelled at more than once.  Even if they weren't yelling in anger they were yelling at us to buy something.

There also seemed to be an an underlying dislike for us as tourists.

Often, that dislike wasn't masked at all but very blatant.  I got the distinct impression that

they weren't happy that we were there but as long as we were they were going to get

as much of our money as possible.

I understand that people need to make a living.  I understand that tourists often exhibit some pretty boorish behaviour. But, this just felt different and uncomfortable.  I didn't feel this way at all in any of the other places we visited in Morocco.

Obviously, not every encounter in Marrakesh left me feeling that way.

I know plenty of people that absolutely love Marrakesh and Jamaa el Fna.

So I promise that any future post of Marrakesh will only include those positive experiences.

What are your feelings about Jamaa el Fna?
If you had a better experience than us, feel free to leave your thoughts and links. 

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