Marvel at Marrakesh (Marrakesh)

Member Name: christinemc

Product:	Marrakesh
Date:	06/07/00 (143 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Interesting, friendly, cheap

Disadvantages: Having to barter

Marrakesh was the wonderful start to our honeymoon in 1994. We only had a few days there, but could easily have stretched it to a few weeks. In particular, we could have spent so much more time exploring the huge souk. As it is we went back twice. It is a total culture shock for someone like me who is used to holidaying in the UK or France. I didn't like having to barter for everything, however some cultural differences worked to my advantage - I soon found that if someone tried to get me to buy something, I could tell them to talk to my husband and they would immediately leave me alone and pester him! They seemed to accept that my husband would make my decisions - and that suited me well at times!

We found the people on the whole very friendly and welcoming. Even when they knew we would not be able to afford to buy anything, they would still welcome us into their shops, sit us down with some Morrocan tea and spend hours telling us all about their product and how it was made. It was certainly an education. You do have to be wary of beggars, there are quite a few. Learn a couple of arabic swear words (or French ones, they speak French too) and you should manage ok.

All in all, this is a wonderous city to visit, totally different from anywhere I'd been before. It is advisable to take a guide in the souk - it's too easy to get lost.

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