Life in the Medina (by Caleb)

I wish I could include everything I love about life in Marrakech in one blog post, but unfortunately, I’m loving it a little too much here, and should probably try to get some more sleep tonight! So instead I’ll tell you just a little bit about my life in the medina.

On the way to school each day, I make my way through a maze of streets to get to Jemaa al-Fna, where I’m (usually) able to catch a “petit taxi” to the CLC. It’s fairly quiet in the morning as all the businesses and stores are just setting up for the day. But when I return home in the evening, it’s a completely different city. The later it gets, the more crowded Jemaa al-Fna becomes, and it feels like every night is a big celebration here. I’m convinced that no matter how many times I walk through the medina, I’ll always find something interesting. There are monkeys, snake charmers, dancers, magicians, and storytellers, but observing the tourists from all over the world can be equally if not more entertaining. And everything from ostrich eggs to human teeth to traditional medicines can be found in the square or the souks, if you’re up for bargaining with the crafty shopkeepers. One thing I love about walking home through the square everyday is the fresh orange juice sold in the stands, with one glass costing only 4 dirhams. And after dark, food stalls open and fill the square with smoke and delicious smells. Walking back home at night through the very crowded medina streets is honestly a bit frustrating, but only because I know where I want to go and cannot get there fast enough. Anyone visiting Marrakech really ought to wander through those little streets though to get a real sense of Moroccan life. Despite the speeding mopeds and potential pickpockets of the streets of the medina, the friendliness of Moroccans is surprising everywhere. They are eager to help foreigners and love using their French and English to greet us. And despite the madness of the medina outside, my house is so quiet and peaceful inside. I’ve only been here for two and a half weeks, but I already feel at home.