Marrakesh

Well, we made it to Casablanca this time around!  It was our first time here, and I was signed up to do a short tour of the city, but then by some oversight we ended up with the whole day off, so I took advantage of probably the only time I could go on one of the really long tours - so I went to Marrakesh.  It was a 13 hour tour because Marrakesh is about a 3 hour drive from Casablanca.   The only tour that didn't already have an escort was one in Spanish (luck me!) which was actually a lot of fun.  The guide was fantastic and so were the guests.  I understood most of what was going on...ha ha.  I am so glad I speak Spanish!!!  My teachers would be so proud of me - article gender mistakes notwithstanding.  I found the drive to Marrekesh really fascinating.  As soon as we left the city we were definitely in a different world.  Outside the city are farmers and shepherds, who ride carts pulled by donkeys and horses.  Not a car in sight.  Goats and sheep everywhere.  Red clay buildings that blend into the red dirt of the land and hillsides.  Women in scarves and long dresses.  Even men in robes with pointy hoods.  It was something else.   It was definitely a new experience for me.  The best memory of the day happened in an open square - we walked by some men snake-charming (cobras!!) in order to charge tourists who want pictures.  I gave a man a dollar so I wouldn't feel guilty taking pictures and a video, and he put a snake around me neck, took my camera from me, took a couple pictures, and then told me I owed him ten dollars.  He kept insisting, all the while leaving the snake around my neck and I was kind of in a predicament.  He finally gave up on me and took his snake back.  Then a boy tried to get me to pay again, and I wasn't having it.  At which moment he pointed to my tour escort button and said, "At least let me have that.....a present for me? Please? Please???"  Well, I have like five of them anyway, so (looking around to make sure there weren't any shorex staff watching) I gave it to him.  He was ecstatic.  He held it in his mouth and played his tambourine for me.  I have pictures.  :-)