October 22, 2021

Morocco, Marrakech and Atlas Mountains. (Oct 21)

I woke to witness the most astonishing display of stars at 03:30, just ahead of a three hour ascent to the summit of mount Toubkal, north Africa’s highest peak.

Only a handful of others were on the mountain at this time, all with the same thought in mind, to witness the spectacular sunrise over the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco.
At 4167 metres (13671 feet) the oxygen level at the summit is quite rare, being around 40% less than at sea level, so the timing needed to be good in order to spend no longer than the recommended 45 minutes on the peak – else it would have been quite literally “breathtaking” too!
It was everything I had hoped for and more and the main reason I travelled to Marrakesh – totally mesmerising. Rewarding and exhausting at the same time!

I had met my mountain guide Abdul the day before, when we set off from the village of Imlil for the half days trek to the refuge, located at the base of the mountain “proper”.
We did the trek “old school” style carrying our rucksacks the whole way rather than taking advantage of the mule train on offer. After checking into the mountain refuge we tucked into a hearty meal. It is the only place to stay on the mountain as no wild camping is permitted anywhere near this peak.
The refuge was occupied by likeminded people and it wasn’t long before I became involved in a conversation between Tom, Karin and Oskar. All had the most amazing backstories, were travelling alone, and drawn together by the promise of adventure.

Sporting long green dreadlocks, Tom is a mobile home & bell tent owning, festival goer from England. It became obvious very quickly that we viewed the world similarly but with Tom “walking the talk” more than me, being way more politically active. As we exchanged stories we quickly realised we’ve also seen the same bands at the same venues over the years. Tom has amazing zest for life, not letting anything get in the way of adventure, not even his busted up hip which is long overdue a replacement.
Oskar came to Morocco from his native Poland just for a “long weekend” three months ago, he is still here and no sign of him leaving anytime soon. He has had some amazing adventures along the way (definitely not for this page), and appears to have spent most of his life simply working-to-travel. Resembling “Jesus” he has a natural look of a sixties hippy and fits in here like a well worn pair of shoes. He’s also a gold mine of information about Morocco and its hidden (and darker) treasures.

Karin, is about as far from the stereotypical New Yorker than you can get. Originally from Sweden is absolutely buzzing about Marrakech, loves it, and was in the middle of a four day solo trek across the Atlas Mountains. Another person with itchy feet and thirst for travel, trying to squeeze every once of adventure out of what life has to offer.
The four of us would have talked all through the night if it wasn’t for the early start by head torch the next day.
Abdul is an amazing guide who, like most people here speaks several languages, and like most people I’ve met we’ve shared telephone numbers too, so when I return to Morocco with Emma we can cut out the commissioning earning middle men – IF we want to. Life must have been so bloody hard here under covid with none of the safety nets we have in the UK! However, it is for that reason I’m kind of happy to fork out on commission and have got completely used to being hassled and harassed – it comes with the Marrakech experience. I’ve a stock of standard responses now and so long as you smile and remember this is the only way these guys get to feed themselves it is all largely fine. I personally get upset at “some” affluent European and American’s dismissive and rude responses to what is effectively the only way the locals survive. It costs nothing to be polite.

I’ve only been successfully “marked” once – being drawn into what I refer to as the Tannery scam hook line and sinker – but it turns out Karin was also caught the same way, so I don’t feel so bad. I’m usually quite street wise and have my radar out for these things… but hey ho, this one caught me by surprise! It didn’t break the bank and I’m still smiling and kind of impressed by the slickness of it.
The Riad I’m staying in is just beautiful and brand spanking new. It opened smack bang in the middle of the pandemic and the staff are keen as mustard to please. It is on four floors including the terrace roof and comes with all the usual features of a traditional Moroccan Riad with a stunning central courtyard. It’s only a few meters from the main Jemaa el-Fna square which comes truly alive at night, buzzing with trade, food stalls and people.
The sensory explosion of sights, sounds and aromatic smells of this old walled citadel are an experience to behold. It’s worth seeking out the more remote “local” markets in the quiet corners of the Medina as well as the traditional spice and fabric souks.
The whole place feels incredibly safe, even though mopeds, donkey carts, bicycles and hand carts whiz past you at every moment both in the incredibly narrow streets and wide open squares. I’ve somehow managed to hitch a ride on a few mopeds during the week, occasionally but not always attached to a small fee. They are a scary but exhilarating experience, but I’ve no idea how the place isn’t littered with broken bodies and bent metal.
With nowhere to go and no time to be there I spent days just soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying a little bit of what is starting to feel like normal. Tourists and travellers are starting to return!

Sunday evening brought an evening visit to Cafe Arabe, with its amazing west facing roof terrace and a mini reunion of three of the four “mount Toubkal hikers” from earlier in the week. Unfortunately Tom couldn’t make it as he was stuck somewhere between the the Atlas Mountains and Marrakesh getting back too late to join us. Wine and beer were on the menu at this cafe – so like kids in a sweet shop we ordered far too much and soon got talking to two other travellers Rebecca and Ryan. Our two tables quickly became one and like earlier in the week the conversation started with incredible intensity and depth. Both Ryan and Rebecca work in the music & entertainment industry and have been hit so incredibly hard by Covid and much like the locals, you could sense their relief to see the world in start-up mode again. As we watched the incredible sunset the discussion flowed much like the wine, and we shared stories and secrets like we’ve known each other for ever!

I’ve avoided the numerous excursions to the neighbouring sights surrounding Marrakesh on the basis that I don’t want to sit in a taxi for hours on end, day after day. Just happy being here in Marrakech enjoying the vibe, sun, 33 degree heat and meeting new people. However, after a few lazy days I succumbed to a final day trip to Essaouira, the nearest fishing port a few hundred km south of Casablanca. Thankfully the temperature was a little cooler with a sea mist hugging the coast. This made the four or five hour exploration of its nooks and crannies much more comfortable and without the usual river of sweat running down my back. Essaouira is a very old, heavily fortified trading port and has a completely different look and feel to Marrakech, much calmer and with light sandstone coloured architecture. Fresh fish had to be on the menu today, and from the street market behind the port. Yes more street food. Imodium at the ready!
I’m guessing Morroco is a little like marmite, you’ll either love it or hate it. You can guess from this post how I feel about this place and the people. Loving every single moment. Can’t wait to return – next time with Emma ❤️ and I sincerely hope I bump into the wonderful people I met on my travels again one day somewhere on this amazing planet!