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Morocco notes, 3/2004
Just back from 8 days in Morocco. Here are a couple of things that I
did not gather from reading other posts so maybe they will be useful to someone: Faux guides: A mixed picture as of 3/04. In Marrakech, they are GONE. Only a couple of whispered solicitations and they seemed jumpy and afraid of their own shadows. Easy to ignore. People in stores call but do not follow, and everyone takes no for an answer. Fes is a different matter entirely. Possibly it is better than before, indeed there is no solicitation activity around Bab El-Djid, but once you are inside (or even outside but away from the Bab area) there are a number of very persistent people. We got solicited from the moment we got off the taxi and were walking to our hotel, and some of them don't quit easily. They seemed to have a memorized pitch, which even they don't seem to believe and so recite listlessly: "I am not guide, I am student, there are three trillion lanes and four billion mosques here, you will get lost, what you are looking for, I get you good price, what means 'la', 'la' means nothing to me, you do not like Maroccan peoples?" etc. We were followed for half a mile by one irritating kid. The standard advice on dealing with these guys is effective, although many westerners must find it hard. IGNORE UNSOLICITED APPROACHES. You are not required to acknowledge anything said to you by anyone. To do so is like carrying a sign that says "I am a sucker". You are not required to give them the benefit of the doubt; if they talk to you, they are faux guides or aggressive salespeople. You are not required to tell them where you are from, what you are looking for, or to shake hands. Do not interact, but maintain a pleasant expression, do not get mad. They will not physically attack you. And ultimately they will give up. The current prison sentences for faux guides are 3 months the first time, 9 months the second, 15 months the third. On the other hand, the store commission or a guide (real or faux) is 40%. It seems to me that instead of (or in parallel with) the jail sentences, what is needed is to make store commissions illegal. Finding your way without a guide What's the big deal? Marrakech is trivial, Fes is not too bad. Suggesting that you will get lost is just the start of a scam. You will not get seriously lost. If you do, ask someone YOU SELECT, like someone in a store. The locals are courteous, gracious, friendly people who are embarrassed by their city's reputation. Just don't ask directions from anyone who approaches you. I had a number of pleasant conversations with storekeepers who were grateful to talk. Remember, these guys are bored out of their minds sitting on stools outside their stores, and many of them are quite well educated. It is not a big risk to talk to a store owner; they cannot leave their stores and follow you. Other notes Whatever people may say, Meknes is not worth a visit. It is a drab, sorry little medina, talked up by people who are tired of Fes and Marrakech and want to say they've been somewhere you haven't been. Marrakech has a pleasant souk with wide streets. It is like markets all over the east, except with more stuff to buy. At least in March, it has 10 tourists (mostly uncouth French tourists in groups) to each 1 in Fes. But Fes is unique in my experience, except maybe for Jerusalem. It is a trip to the middle ages; you will later have dreams about it, probably involving the word "balek". Nothing I said above about faux guides should dissuade you from going to Fes. Here's a tip on food on the Jma el-Fna square in Marrakech. The stalls with the wide variety of colorful piles of food, the ones that will sell you couscous or brochettes or calamari or whatever you want, the ones where the tourists are eating, DO NOT have the good food. They are tourist traps. The good food is in the stalls that sell one thing only, like bowls of soup or large chunks of fish that must be eaten with one's fingers. For the latter go to stall 98, which has been around for fifteen years (they say). That fish (20Dh for about a pound, and 5Dh for an astonishing mashed eggplant) will restore your faith in Allah. It is true that you don't need reservations in 1st class, but having reservations for window seats allows you to get window seats,even if other people are sitting in them when you board. I recommend reserving when possible. Women Until this trip the most 'advanced' Muslim country I had been to is Turkey. But relations between men and women are stiff and stilted in Turkey compared to Morocco, where women (some in astonishingly skin-tight clothing, some in jalaba and covered hair, some in astonishingly skin-tight clothing but covered hair) go everywhere, do everything, work, ride scooters with aplomb, talk freely to men including tourists, and generally appear to live relatively free lives. Of course, I didn't see the ones that weren't free to go out on the streets, but there were a lot of women on the street. So what if some had their heads wrapped? The head covering is a symptom, not the problem. And in Morocco, it doesn't seem to be a symptom of anything. By making it illegal in France, they are making it a rallying issue. The west should should just accept it as a cultural thing, like turbans on Sikhs, and focus on the important things like jobs and rights and legal protections. Of course tourists have no idea how to dress. Thy see these stylishly clothed Moroccans and assume all western clothing is OK. In Marrakech I saw women in shorts and halter-top. Folks, this is not OK. The difference is simple enough. You can wear what you like, but don't show skin except face and arms. That's all. Thank you for reading this far. |
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Morocco notes, 3/2004
Chuckles wrote:
Just back from 8 days in Morocco. Here are a couple of things that I did not gather from reading other posts so maybe they will be useful to someone: snipt great post Thanks for that. Will be in Morocco in May. Lotsa handy info. Cheers Greg |
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Morocco notes, 3/2004
Thank you for reading this far.
Thx for your notes, Chuckles. I visited both Marrakech and Fes in dec2003/jan2004 and enjoyed very much ! You can take a look to the pictures I took here : www.corradobina.it/marocco/marocco.html Corrado :-) ------------------------------------------ Travelogs & pictures http://www.corradobina.it ------------------------------------------ |
#4
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Morocco notes, 3/2004
"Chuckles" wrote in message om... Just back from 8 days in Morocco. Here are a couple of things that I did not gather from reading other posts so maybe they will be useful to someone: snip a very informative post Great post, I stayed in Morocco for 4 months in1966 and it seems the women have been greatly liberated, good for them. Your comments of the dress standards of the tourists, is very pertinent. Cheers Richard |
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