Morraco, Marrakech - Day 2 Morning
This was going to be a full day as we had two excursions planned. Our first outing was into the Souks for some touring and shopping. These alley like streets have hundreds (maybe thousands) of shops and everything you ever wanted or needed is there. We were so glad we hired a private guide so we could meander and just do our thing. There were tour groups also doing the same but a group of 20+ people in an already over crowded area didn't sound like fun.
We started at the olive court. Look closely, those are huge bowls full of olives ready to eat. The tall pillars are jars of marinated lemons and other fruits. The olives are all light yello when they come off the tree. As they age, they turn green, then red. Once they are red, they dry them, turning them black, and then mix them with olive oil to store. The black olives will last several years, while the others will only last several months to a year. They were delicious and they came with every meal we had, either as a side dish, or as part of the prepared dish.
This was one of my favorites, a fabric shop and yes, I bought several yards. You can see the beautiful yellow and purple fabric laying on the counter. Cost was $1.00 US a yard.
Does this remind you of anything…. “It's not about the nail" …. we both laughed.
This woman was waiting for her bread. They put the dough together at home, pressing them into small round loaves, the size of your hand. You can see them on sheets on the floor in the shop. They they take them to the local baker to be baked. It's faster and more efficient than trying to cook them in their homes. You can see the finished product in the boxes in front of her.
For all the knitters out there, this is yarn shop, just hanging from the ceiling in the alley. All hand died and ready to cut.
This area was the mechanics and machinests. These were very small spaces and they were fixing just about anything, including vehicles, scooters, etc. It only looks like junk, but it is valuable parts for someone.
We spent over three hours touring the Souks and learned so much. But we had to grab some lunch and head out for our afternoon excersion. Our guide has been doing this for over ten years and he was so very good.
