0904 Easy day in Marrakech

Musicians in Djemaa el-Fna


I apologise for all the sideways photos - I don't have the time to turn them around so you'll just have to get a stiff neck. Last night we ate Tride which is a dish local to Marrakech only. It was a pancake type of thing with organic chicken and vegies and spices on top, cooked in a tagine. We ate on the terrace of the restaurant overlooking La Koutoubia tower while the sun set behind the eucalypt trees and the muezzin called the faithful to prayer. We then went to the Place Djemaa El-Fna to see the frenetic night time activities. There were huge numbers of food stalls doing a roaring trade and musicians, story tellers, a talisman man??, henna artists, acrobats and, sadly, motor bikes roaring across the square in all directions. It was good to see and did bring back fond memories.
Today we just hung around the hotel while I caught up with blogging and uploading photos. Wandered down to Rue Mohammed V and had a look at the Oxford Street type shops that are now available in Marrakech. Apparently the government is offering businesses a tax free environment to encourage them to set up in Morocco and to enable prices to be cheaper than Spain, etc so tourists will come to buy the high fashion items. It's a modern development with malls surrounding a roundabout in the main street. Not my ideal vision for Marrakech but then there is no stopping progress.