Return to Marrakesh

Slept ok. No call to prayer to wake me up. Mind you two nights in mergouza I didn’t hear that either.

Breakfast was a bit poor. No fruit to choose unless you wanted tomato and Olives. I went with the flat pancake with jam and some orange juice.

Poor old Richard told of waking up with blood on his neck and pillow having been bitten by something in the night.

We set off at 0800. Our first stop was at a fort built in the 1700’s. We walked around the outside to get to the top rather than climbing up all the steps. Apparently it had been used in films like Laurence of Arabia.

We stopped for a coffee in a small cafe. I used their toilet. Another choice between squat or bowl without a seat. Then it wouldn’t flush!

Two coffees with milk cost 20 dirham. After we walked back to the bus and met up with the others. Bonnie had been talking to the guy who painted with green tea and other things. Then when held over heat the colours came out. Richard bought saffron for 80dirhams.

Certainly cooler now. When we stopped for a photo in the mountain it was 5.5degree. I didn’t take any photos as I took plenty on the way over.

Rob feeling hungry and wasn’t getting much variety in the way of protein. I think he will be sick of eggs by the time we get home.

Stopped for lunch at the same place we did on the first full day. Rob had veggie cous cous and I had lemon chicken. Very nice. Rob went off for a walk with the others whilst I sat and drank a coffee.

Our next stop was down into the valley. There was a question over whether the bus could get down very far so we went as far as Osama was prepared to go and then walked down to the valley bottom. Osama obviously reccied it before driving down and meeting us at the bottom thus saving us a haul back up.

We did get followed by a group of young kids. I overheard one saying “prenez le Bon-Bon’s” and seeing as I had sweets in the outside pocket of my backpack, I then moved the backpack to my front. I watched the kids as we moved along stopping to look for the birds. At one point one in a green jumper tried to unzip Robs rucksack. I sternly told him no. Rob muttered about throwing them into the “fucking river” so I told Rob to look at the birds and I would look after his back. As we walked a bit further the same kid was talking to his mate and eyeing up Susanna’s bag. At which point I told him not to even think about it. They backed off then. One of them tried to engage me in conversation. I told him that if he wanted us to think of them as good kids they needed to not attempt to take things from peoples bags. I gave the lad who tried it on a long stare on occasions and he didn’t like it.

We eventually made it back to the bus and John remarked on how the kids were not too bad. So I told him what I had observed. Bonnie called me the rear guard. She gave the kids her dates as she was now fed up with them.

We moved on in the van and stopped at where we had made our first ever stop for the holiday. My ears were playing up so I went into the cafe and got a coffee.

The journey from there to Marrakesh was uneventful. We were glad to see the Della Rosa again. This time we were in a different part on the 5th floor. Felt crap with my ears so just had a rest, shower and then we both went looking for the cashpoint. At first we went the wrong way - walked past a fish restaurant (we think). So we asked at reception and got directed the other way, past the supermarket next door and then beyond.

Evening meal much better choice. Had couscous with chicken and beef along with dates and figs. Didn’t have pudding as was quite full. Stuck to having sparkling water. I came to bed early as not feeling great. Rob went off to do the list.