The Marrakesh Express

So two and a half days definitely isn't enough to lose yourself in Marrakesh and really get a knack for the place, but it is enough to go full throttle for the entirety of your trip, completely exhaust yourself, and limp back to the UK feeling totally reinvigorated. I don't really know how to sum up the trip, except that Abby was a fantastic partner for an Amazing Race style vacation and coped really well with my exhaustion on the first day, caffeine migraines on the second day, and impulsive decisions to go to a hammam and take us down very random paths through the souqs on the third day. And because we both went with the flow so well, I think we got a good blend of shopping and wandering, eating until we almost threw up, and sightseeing things that looked fairly cool, which is really all you can ask for during a quick-and-dirty two and a half days in Marrakesh.


Here's the minaret of the Koutoubia at sunset, from the Djemma el-Fna.

I'm eating head meat from a sheep in this picture. Basically, you eat everything but the eyes, and they were nice enough to put it in a bowl for me instead of making me eat it from a skull.

It's the Djemma el-Fna at night!

A fountain at the Jardin Majorelle (which is half-owned by Yves St. Laurent, which is sort of fabulous).

The Kasbah Mosque!

Here, I'm rockin' the kasbah. The captions write themselves.

A shot of an archway at the Saadian Tombs.

A row of stalls outside the Palais El-Badi selling metalwork.

The sunken orange groves at the Palais El-Badi.

The Palais El-Badi looking sort of imperial and imposing.

Tombs, where Abby and I got lost because they apparently just let you wander around down there.

And a view from the roof of the palace, where you can see the skyline of Marrakesh and tons of storks working their magic.

Shopping in the souqs, where we picked up pottery, boxes, jewelry, and a teapot.

The massive piece hanging from the courtyard of the Musee de Marrakech

The courtyard at the Ali ben Youssef Medersa, which was gorgeous.

And our last night in the medina, where everyone decided to start calling me Skinny, except for the guy who called me Tom Cruise and actually offended me. The guy who guessed that Abby and I were Greek was also kind of off-base, since I don't typically see a blond guy and a redheaded woman and think, "yep. Definitely Greek."