So yesterday was supposed to be a day where I actually got some things done and saw some sights but that didn't happen. It was another day of wandering through the souqs and trying to stay out of the sun as muc has possible. I met up with Liz for lunch and we continued on wandering and taking lots of pictures. I got some good video of story telling in the square and then I picked up a new hat at a stall and got to try my bargaining skills. I figure since i'm a bill collector I should have an upperhand in getting the right price. The opening price on the hat was 80DH, I immediately showed my distaste and cut the price down to 20DH. (remember to convert DH you really can just drop the 0 and that is about how much it is so $8 to start so I brought it down to $2. He laughed, I told him the hat isn't worth much but it will protect me from the sun. He said 75DH and I told him there is no way, so I asked 40DH he said 60DH last price. So I said, well i'll give you 50DH or i'm leaving at which time he shook my hand and took the money. So about $5 and some change and I got another hat. I really didn't need the hat since I brought one but I really wanted to bargain for something. I am considering trying to buy flip flops since I have a pair here and they are getting dirty from walking around all day. I want something to bum around my hotel in after a shower.

Around dinner time we decided to eat and then find a place to relax and people watch so we picked out a cafe on one of the side streets that had a lot of people. In Morocco the beautiful people come out at night. The younger group just like the night before. We wanted to sit back and just watch. As kids walked by they begged for money, cigarettes or a sip of our mint tea. We tried to spot out the best looking girl and boy (respectively) I found that while Morocco doesn't have the abundance of beautiful women that Spain had the women that did look attractive were stunning. Morrocan men and women have really deep eyes. The women who are wearing vails always interest me because all you can see are their eyes and they usually have expressions on their face that hide their feelings. I am having a difficult time meeting and talking to Moroccan girls. Not for any reason other than just wanting to chat. Me and Liz decided that for the rest of the night we are going to walk around and meet people and be as Morrocans rather than tourist.

We went back to the hotel and dropped our bags off. We hit the streets and immediately started eyeing down Morrocans looking for a change at conversation. I didn't care if it was guys or girls at this point, just to converse about Morocco, America, or anything would be nice. First person we came in contact with was a Berber named Yousef (we basically had the same name) He talked with us for a good 30 minutes about Marrakesh and about us wanting to know more about Florida and New York. He wanted to show us around and go t a cafe with us to have tea but we had just done that for 2 hours and wanted to walk around more. We arranged to meet at 6pm the next day. (today)

We continued to stroll down one of the side streets and came across 2 guys who seemed to be doing the same thing. There was a kitten who was crying on the side of the road who seemed injured so the 4 of us were drawn to it at which time conversation started up. One of the guys names was Zachary who is a Moroccan fluent in Arabic, French, English and Spanish. The other guy is Abdul who is Berber and is fluent in Arabic, French, Spanish, and Italian but not English. Liz speaks Spanish so she was able to translate so I could understand what Abdul was saying. The only problem was, while walking around I got stuck talking to Abdul for a good 5 minutes and he would speak Italian, French and Spanish and was very loud and animated and excited and happy and all of that. I just looked and smiled and said "yes" or laughed when I thought it might have been appropriate. He didn't care that I didn't understand him and I certainly didn't care. I have held worse conversations with people I actually understand.

The night started to get interesting. The square was winding down it was about midnight but Zachary said we should watch some of the story tellers and musicians and get into it. They spoke Arabic so they kind of helped us not feel like tourists. There were really no westerners still on the street. We listened to some Berber musicians. The great thing about Marrakesh is that all the Moroccans hang around in circles and it seems like they enjoy it so much. The traditional music really has a strong hold on the younger generation and it is their past time. We danced, clapped, and sang. I tipped them for taking video as well.

Then Zachary said we should watch a comedian story teller so we went over to a man who seemed like he was already packing up. There was no one around him but the comedian pulled out some cardboard boxes for us to sit on and began playing his instrument. More Berber music. He would play for a moment then stop talk directly at me. People started gathering around. It was almost like he was prepping the crowd while more people showed up, then the show began. He would play a little and then talk again the crowd would laugh and even though I didn't understand him I followed. I clapped when everyone else clapped and I laughed when everyone else laughed. I realized at this point we were completely surrounded by Moroccans who came from all over the town to enjoy a good story. It was late so again, there weren't any tourists on the street so we were getting a special treatment.

The comedian performed a few tricks with a cigarette including one I have already seen but I acted like I was amazed. After a few tricks he would go back into story telling and then back into music making the crowd clap and laugh, and clap... this went on for 30 minutes or so and eventually we split away.

We went back and listened to more music and started talking about plans for tomorrow. Abdul invited us to have couscous at his home tomorrow for lunch that his family would prepare. We took them up on the offer. I actually have to get back to my hotel and shower since I have 2 hours to meet them.

Earlier when we had been walking I asked Zachary about Morrocan women and if westerner's ever approac them for conversation. I feel like there is a wall between tourists and the women because they are kept in such mystery in their own culture I often wondered if they would even care to speak to a foreigner. He said just try saying hello or hi and if they speak English there is a good chance they'll want to speak to you and if they don't speak English just walk away and try again. He kind of gave me the "number game" advice, the more you try to talk to the more likely you are to meet one.

After today the posting should slow down. I am becoming more busy with things to do and tomorrow I should be heading into the High Atlas Mountains and on to the Sahara so I will probably be back to writing in my paper journal and will be out of communication for a few days.