This morning we have a quick breakfast, pack-up the campsite and we are on the road by 8:20 AM on our way to Marrakech. Today is the day we start to take our malaria pills (Malaria Monday, for those of us on the weekly pills). We are taking Lariam, which has a mixed reputation. It can have some bad side effects (nightmares, paranoia, hallucinations, etc), but it is the only one that is really effective against most types of malaria. We keep our fingers crossed that we will not have any side effects.
We have a wonderful drive through the Atlas mountains, heading through Tizi n'Tichka valley. While it is only about 180 kms, it takes us over 4 hours to drive there as the road is very windy and goes up and down the hill sides. The roads are narrow, curvy and with no side rails, so we are glad that we are driving slowly and safely. We get to Marrakech at around 12:45 PM, arriving at the Hotel Ali, where we will be staying for the next three nights. We will have two-and-half days here. The hotel is right in the medina (the old city) and on the famous and busy Place Djemaa el-Fna. After getting our rooms, we decide to have lunch in the hotel. After lunch, we take some time to sort through and re-organise our bags.
We then head into the souks to explore and maybe do some shopping. We decide to focus on buying some jellabas, the full length cotton garments with hoods. After some looking around, we find some that we like. Jacqui does some great negotiating (which includes leaving the shop a few times, seeing the shop keeper in the streets, and big smiles). We each get one at a very good price, and Jacqui makes friends in the process as she bargains so well.
We return to the hotel to take our showers and relax a bit and work on our journals. We the have dinner on the roof-top terrace in the hotel. It is a great spot that over looks the bustling Place. We have a buffet dinner. After dinner, we decide to go for a walk in the Place. They have a number foodstalls, snake charmers, boxers, musicians, story tellers, spice and medicine sellers, etc. It is quite an interesting place.