If a city has a heart…
…then the Plaza Djemma el-Fna is Marrakech’s.
(The crowds and night lights of the Plaza)
The Plaza is a huge open space in the otherwise cramped Medina (old town)…an irregularly shaped square where everyone in the city comes together for a bit of the action. There is activity all day!
Early in the morning, the orange juice stalls begein to set up. There are about 50 stalls, lined-uped in rows, competing for your attention. The workers have a little wave that is completely disarming. I don’t know how they still manage to get my attention every time, but they do. They call, ‘Hello’, ‘Bonjour’, ‘Hola’, and so forth, wave, and point towards their stall, inviting you to enjoy a glass of their freshly squeezed juice. I’m an equal oppurtunity girl, so I try a different one each day. Some add sugar, some water down the juice, some are glasses are freezing cold, others lukewarm. You get a giant glass for just 3dirham (about 40cents)…and if you want a little more, no problem…it’s free. Chalk up another addiction to the list I’m amassing on the road…a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice in the morning gets my day going right!
The Plaza is the gateway to the souks….some of the wares spilling out into the Plaza…mostly herbs and medicines, some Western goods, like hats to shade your head from the blazing sun and sandals to keep your feet cool.
It’s also home to the monkey handlers and snake charmers…who’s songs are inescapable.
Cheap and tasty cafes line the sides of the Plaza too…many with rooftop terraces where you can eat or sip tea.
(Me on a roof-top terrace…why am I always wearing the same shirt when I get my picture taken?!)
The REAL activity starts at sunset though…that’s when things get really busy…
(Sunset over Djemma el-Fna)
At dusk the food stalls open, taking over half the Plaza. There are foods of all sorts…from lentil soup, to chicken brochettes, to fried fish and chips…to sheep’s heads!
Smoke fills the air, coming off the grills of the multitude of stands, making the air thick with mingling smells.
My very first day I ended up at one of the many stalls, #34. The workers here are cheerful and hyper, calling out greetings in as many languages as they can think of. (I taught them Konichiwa!…which I heard them yelling the next day! 🙂
I’ve tried some other places, but #34 is definitely my favorite. I’ve become a bit of a regular now, and they give me free mint tea and sometimes knock a bit off the bill.
(The guys from stall #34, hamming it up for the camera)
Finally there are the performers…musicias and storytellers, acrobats and comedians…
The music ebbs and flows, one group competing against the next.
My favorite so far though was the comedian we watched the first night with Zak and Abdul…he was quite a character…
(The Comedian…also hamming it up for the camera)
Okay…I’ve been here way too long…it’s bound to be cooler outside now and I must run.
I hope you’ve all gotten a taste of why I’ve fallen in love with the city…
Back to the craziness that is Marrakech…
Tags: Morocco
LizG
I’m terribly jealous, I was in Marrakech about a year ago and have been missing it. I hope he’s still there, but look for a guy in the Djema near the opening to the souk in the evening with lots of spices spread out around him. He’s got a kerosene flame as a lamp, sits on the ground. He’s about the coolest guy I’ve ever met, and very cool to talk to. Also, if you feel sick, he’ll hook you up with a great herbal remedy. He fixed my cold instantly.
Enjoy your trip!
Wonderful photos liz, i suspect that you’ve got bit of an eye for good pics. keep them coming