a night at the souk
• 11 comments •
They say that you haven't really experienced Marrakesh until you get lost in Jamaa el Fna (the souk). There are rows and rows of stands in the main square: freshly squeezed orange juice, nut and date, olives, tea and cake... I could go on for a long time. The rows of stands for the same product are nearly indistinguishable. Once you wander further into the market, the little "shops" that sell scarves, tea pots, clay tajine bowls, leather shoes, and so many other trinkets also start to look the same. It really does feel like a maze. I'm directionally impaired and have been known to get lost in malls, so luckily I had Alex with me who has been great at navigation during our travels. But, on this evening, we allowed ourselves to get lost. We exited the souk with two pairs of, probably fake, leather slippers ($5 each!), and ended up somewhere pretty far from our apartment. We had a map and the long walk back was nice. Sometimes during our "around the world" honeymoon, when we were getting a little stressed out, we'd tell the other person to relax because "we've got nowhere to be". This night reminded me of those times. That feeling, of having no place in particular to be, is one of my favourite things in the world.
11 comments
How lovely! This reminds me of my days living in Abu Dhabi...filled with many souk adventures! Beautiful pictures too!
ReplyDeleteLiesl :)
When I was living in Delhi I fell in love with wandering the markets...getting lost and discovering wonderful little stalls and trinkets. I'm adding this souk to my list of ones to get lost in :)
ReplyDeleteAnd as usual....you're photos are divine.
That first photo of Alex is amazing! Did you use a tripod for all of these, or is your hand just that steady??
ReplyDeleteHope you have nice holidays but be careful.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys!
ReplyDeleteCamels & Chocolate - No tripod, that would be such a pain to lug around. I already feel like I'm drawing too much attention to myself with the camera.
Maciek - We appreciate your concern. :) I actually felt more safe in Marrakesh than I do in Montreal at night.
Love the slippers! It's probably wrong but sometimes I most look forward to traveling for the shopping.
ReplyDeleteAmaaaaaaazing! And no tripod? WOW!!! I have said for years and years the only way to truly experience Marrakech is to get lost in souk.
ReplyDeleteFantastic! I love the shot of the slippers, and the shopkeeper. How long does it take you to process/edit an average photo?
ReplyDeletePatricia GW - It depends on the photo, but not too long. I didn't do very much to these ones.
ReplyDeleteThis post just transported me back to my time in Marakesh in 2010. Oh the Souk...I like to think of it as maze of wonder. I got lost in the souk on a stupid hot afternoon, and came back out with a gorgeous leather jacket, and other great finds. I have to go back, and give this city and the rest of Morocco more of my time.
ReplyDeletesuch beautiful pictures! i used to have a necklace w/ that upside down hand-looking pendant. my dad brought it home from his travels in Morocco. was neat to see it in your picture!
ReplyDelete