After the United States, India, Greece and even the United States, my fifth trip of 2012 has taken place in Morocco , while Ramadan was in full swing and the August sun promised a tan "cramée toast" to all brave or foolhardy who do not fear quite like that. And as usual, I give you this travelogue to help you if you plan to go, or do you travel without travel otherwise.

I really wanted to enjoy this holiday to spend my first diving experience, although Morocco is not necessarily the top-rated destination for it, since I had already done 9 dives during my past trips, never m ' stop long enough to get my level 1.

So I chose a city on the Atlantic coast (I do not want to go in the Mediterranean), which has a dive and not too far from some interesting that I can visit once my past level places.

My choice fell on Agadir, well served in terms of airlines, and not too far from interesting places like Essaouira, Casablanca and Marrakech particularly, and I am therefore went with my girlfriend for two weeks.

Agadir

Let's be clear right away, Agadir, it's ugly. The city was completely destroyed in 1960 by an earthquake, and everything has been rebuilt in the "utility" style suburban 60s.

By against Agadir is 340 days of sunshine a year and a proximity to the Atlantic Ocean that ensures cool in summer and softness in winter , and a beautiful bay. The modern 5-star hotels at very affordable prices out of season, they are gorgeous, stunning palaces with all the amenities that will make you take it for a Sultan during a few nights.

The beautiful bay of Agadir

This is a beautiful seaside city of Agadir perfect place to rest between a swim in the pool and a Moroccan massage with argan oil, but disappointing if you want to finger the heart of Morocco. Luckily, I mainly "idleness" in this city, and especially spent my first diving experience, which is why I am stayed a week, much longer than what is recommended (great three days maximum).

My main activity in Agadir. 5 dives in 3 days, it wears!

I must be one of the few French to have passed my level 1 in Agadir, because the Atlantic Ocean because of its strong currents is not the brightest who are or warmer waters. But it allowed me to meet some lovely members ASAN . If you want to dive in Agadir or hiking or caving, I highly recommend them, they are super cool and will bend over backwards to make you happy.

I enjoyed my stay in the city to meet one of my staff, Younes, who lives there and that moderates and conducts reviews of my training, and manages some of the VAS. It was a pleasure to meet him in the flesh after months of collaboration, if you work for a long time with someone via the Internet and you go in the corner, do not miss this opportunity , the actual meetings are part of the human adventure and have a charm that can never replace the virtual.

With my collaborator Younes

From my level of diving past - which allows me to dive anywhere in the world 12 meters alone, and up to 20 meters supervised by a diving supervisor - I rushed with my girlfriend on Essaouira, truly typical first city of our trip.

Essaouira

The road from Agadir to Essaouira is quite pretty, and she even tends to mimic the famous Road One which connects Los Angeles and San Francisco when the mountain meets the sea and the fog is involved.

As an air of One Road between LA and San Francisco ... But we are in Morocco!

We meet, in addition to green oasis in a fairly rocky areas, fish vendors who offer us their whole fresh peach ... directly on the road, and argan oil sellers lazing in the shade of an argan which seem so alone in the middle of nowhere they seem emerged from a hiding place underground where they return after dark.

A pit of argan oil sellers found on the road

Once in Essaouira, we leave the car in a car park at the entrance, as well as Rhodes , the old city is surrounded by a wall and winding medieval streets are closed to cars.

As soon as we enter we are struck by the atmosphere there , very different from Agadir (this is an understatement). Tourists make their somehow a path between mopeds, bicycles, carriages, dogs, cats and overflowing stalls of traders on the dirt road, it honks, it argues, it rattle in a joyful and bustling brothel. At first it reminds me of the streets of Old Delhi in India !

The streets of the Medina of Essaouira, a great show!

One of the many merchants "on the floor" of Essaouira

Another similarity with Rhodes cats have the same occupations! 

We quickly go out of the main streets to engulf us in the narrow alleys which actually have nothing to envy the medieval streets of Rhodes, in search of our riad. Moroccan traditional habitat and heir straight Roman villas, riads are multi-storey houses arranged around a central open courtyard, which generally does not outwardly open windows (to keep cool), and a roof terrace ideal for taking her little dej 'in the morning.

Our riad in Essaouira

Abandoned today by a majority of Moroccans for more modern homes, many riads are hotels designed to accommodate tourists, for a change of scenery. Indeed architecture promises a radical change from your typical, although the lack of windows in the rooms, the equipment of the bathroom and sound insulation relative can often confusing at first.

A Moroccan breakfast, it's not really compatible with the teachings of Will we be immortal? , but it's damn good and it's a pleasure to be enjoyed on a sunny terrace

So we explored Essaouira for 3 days, and it is a treat for all the senses . The busy streets is a sight in itself, as it is fascinating to walk through the maze of merchants, craftsmen, restorers, dealers, artists, beggars, tourists, demonstrators of all stripes, reinforced during the show call the prayer that ends the Ramadan fast and sees the empty streets in a wink. Then once everyone has eaten, the show again for all the beginning of the night.

If one day you are looking for natural remedies ...

An interesting fact is that Essaouira has long been a city Jewish majority fully integrated with the Moroccan company , with 17,000 Jewish inhabitants to 10,000 Muslims. However, almost all Jewish families have moved to Israel after the Six Day War, and the old Jewish quarter is a fascinating spectacle of ruined buildings along the sea.

The ruins of the Jewish quarter of Essaouira, a symbol ...

An old synagogue in the Jewish quarter of Essaouira disused

Essaouira is also famous for its annual festival of Gnawa music . Gnawa music is a music of African origin, with very different sounds of traditional Moroccan music, which is played by the descendants of black slaves who lived in Morocco. Unfortunately we arrived well after the festival and we did not take advantage, but we were able to listen to this music at a special evening, it's not too hard to find a restaurant that organizes.This is a very upbeat and very catchy music.

Gnawa music is very catchy and it is very easy to give in to dance to it 

Overall I loved this city, the medina is beautiful and once again the spectacle of the streets alone is worth a visit. This is definitely a city not to be missed if you go to the south of Morocco, and just 2:30 of Agadir car along a beautiful road it would be a shame to miss.

We then went directly to Marrakech, but before addressing this mythical city, let me talk about some of the cultural specificities of Morocco, and answer the question that some of you are probably asking: can we go to Morocco during Ramadan?

Cultural traits

Can we go to Morocco during Ramadan?

Before leaving I asked some knowledge Moroccan advice on what to do in Morocco and one of them advised me to go during Ramadan, arguing that many restaurants are closed during the day and that we would look at me strangely in the street if I drank water.

A quick internet search showed that opinions were divided on the issue. Finally, as I had done for my reluctance to go to Greece with the economic crisis there, I just dismissed out of hand, saying "who cares". And as for Greece, although I did well.

Indeed, Ramadan did nothing bothered our vacation : no restaurant where we wanted to go for lunch was closed, no one looked at us strangely when we drank the water - well, we did not yelled "umm, water is good!" putting ourselves naked in the middle of a street - and it has proved rather a fascinating sight to see an entire population and to comply with a rite well known in France, but is obviously much quieter here.

It is true that we went in very frequented by tourists, where the Moroccans are used to seeing people eat during Ramadan places - that's what we told the staff in the restaurants for lunch . I do not know if in less rural tourism it is more difficult to be a tourist who does not Ramadan, but in any case it is far from Saudi Arabia threatens to expel foreigners who do not respect Ramadan in public .

In Essaouira, it was fascinating to see the bustling streets emptied in a wink during the call to evening prayer that marks the breaking the fast, and to see people gradually return once satisfied. In Marrakech on Jamaa El Fna, the displacement was less obvious since the call to prayer is the installation of restaurateurs night in the square, but you could see them start drinking water with a relief clearly visible - is that it's hot in August in this city!

In short, if you ever ask the question "do I go to Morocco during Ramadan?", My answer is "go ahead" !!!

Jet lag

It's simple, Morocco is GMT, so during the summer time in France, the time difference is less than 2 hours.

Yes, except that recently Morocco adopted DST (with start and end of different from ours) so you just subtract one hour in August.

Yes, except during Ramadan, Morocco back to GMT, even if it's summer. So if you go on holiday in the summer in Morocco in 2013, beware, if during Ramadan you have least 2 hours ahead and not an hour.

You follow? At first it's a little hard, but eventually got used to it quickly. It is especially important to note the date of end of Ramadan to shift its watches an hour and do not miss your flight if you take it right after!

Languages

It's not complicated, in all the cities we visited most of the population speak French well enough to never have to use English, and when it happens to fall on Moroccans who do not speak the French, it is never difficult to find one that just speaks next and who can act as interpreters.

However, there is a big difference of course between Moroccans who have lived in France (often for purposes of study) and who are bilingual, and those who have never left the country and who speak it as a foreign language, often with putting more emphasis and stumbling over words.

But one can only admire when we know that many are of Berber mother tongue and learned Arabic, then French AND English at school! In any case if you are not fluent in English and you stay in the tourist areas, you will have no problem making yourself understood.

Kindness, tolerance and hospitality

Moroccans are known for their kindness and tolerance and I have not seen anything that contradicts this striking reputation. Just like the Greeks Moroccans broad smile and are very helpful, and as for Greece the significant impact of tourism in the economy there is probably no coincidence.

In any case I was struck by the openness of Moroccans towards religions : not only have we never had to wipe comments or glances moved because we did not follow Ramadan, but I heard several times Moroccans boast the importance of the Jewish community in the past and tell with some regret how she had brought to Morocco, before a good portion of it does leave Israel after Six-Day War.

Food

Tagines, couscous, kebabs, salads, very sweet cakes ... We know the Moroccan food in France as she entered our culture, so the scenery here focuses on how often you eat it: almost all the time! The only way to vary a little pleasure is to specifically choose a restaurant that serves international food.

Few Moroccan restaurants, upscale for the most part, however will innovate by offering unique variations, but always on the same basis.

Alcohol is easily found in restaurants in tourist areas, but not always, we sometimes had some surprises!

Nothing beats a good anyway Moroccan mint tea to conclude a good meal! But a council, ask the sugarless or sugar aside, because it often excessive fishing on this side here ...

This is also a general remark about Moroccan food: it's just too sweet and far too systematic. I have not studied the issue, but given all the studies that are pointing the negative consequences of excess sugar for health, it seems clear that this should pose enormous global health issues to the public while the majority of Moroccans did probably not aware of.

Sellers, harassment and haggling

I had heard some pretty negative stories about the tendency of sellers Moroccans in haste to harass you, and vendors stalls to charge very high prices that we should not hesitate to divide by ten.

It turns out that the vendors of all stripes are not nearly as painful as in India , and this has a lot amazed me that the majority did not insist and goes away as soon as the first " No "was pronounced. This makes the tour of Morocco nice, as it is sometimes annoying to have to say no 10 times to a seller flashing neon gadgets particular emphasis. According to the guide book, it is only a few years that this is the case, through the establishment of a tourist police keeping watch.

As against all the rumors about high prices especially for tourists are true: the difference between what pays the locals and foreign visitors is huge, and the techniques used by vendors graze too often the scam.

For example when I arrived in Agadir I went to buy a swimsuit in a corner shop. The salesman took me several jerseys used bath (there were not any other available) and asked me 300 dirhams, or 27 euros! I found it expensive, indicating a swimsuit was € 15 at most at home, and after much negotiation I managed to lower the price to 230 dirhams, or 20 euros.

Among the arguments put forward by the seller: This is a jersey of Spain is quality, you'll keep with you for a long time (true), I have purchased 200 dirhams.

Just back to the hotel I realize that there is a label on the shirt reads "€ 10" ... or 110 dirhams. This is the price of new jersey. Lol! I take my first lesson in haggling in Morocco: I probably would have bought this jersey 30 or 50 dirhams, and that's the price it was worth. Fortunately, I got a little better then, in particular by leading me in the souks of Marrakech (see below).

Traffic and gendarmes

If traffic is much more dangerous and anarchic than France, however, it remains much more "civilized" in India, which currently still has for me the prize of the most dangerous I've ever seen conditions.

One factor undoubtedly leads Moroccans to civilize a little bit, it is the number very, very high gendarmes that control the speed and ensure that there is not (too) to Code the road, which we sometimes feel like they are at every roundabout as they seem ubiquitous.

Besides, my girlfriend had the misfortune to overtake a truck at 70 km / h instead of 60 and is stopped by a policeman for speeding. It was originally called him 300 dirhams fine (about 27 €) but learned that it was his first time in Morocco, he has made 200 before putting the remaining 100 bill in his pocket while saying be careful next time! We appreciated the gesture even though it's probably also a way for the policeman to make a small addition to significant revenue ...

Marrakech

We arrive in Marrakech when evening falls, and we hurry to leave our stuff in the riad that we booked in the Medina, to soar immediately to the famous Jamaa El Fna.

And what a show! Musicians, storytellers, snake charmers, henna tattoo artists, monkey trainers, "showmen" offering games of skill, a living whole and noisy world reveals itself as we move into this space ultrawide . Moroccans and tourists mingle happily, and if the former are regularly collared, merchants are generally not insist too much, making the discovery of all this very pleasant life.

Musicians on the Jamaa El Fna. All those who listen will be asked to give a little money, especially if you sit on the benches they brought!

Ten small street restaurants buzzing center of the square, offering to eat on the spot of traditional Moroccan food for ridiculous prices. If you agree you will see that restaurants are particularly motivated to make you stay with them since competition is very tough and prices and a restaurant menu are identical to another ...

Street light their grill restaurants as the sun goes down and all players in the incredible scene of Jamaa El Fna begin to take place

To distinguish some do not hesitate to create false recommendations here as the "Rotard Guide," a program!

We'll eat and enjoy some of that incredible atmosphere. I regret not speak Arabic or Berber, which prevents me from enjoying the stories of the storytellers who seem captivate Moroccans evidence that all this activity does not only aim to please the tourists. I understand that this place is recorded in the oral World Heritage by UNESCO, there really is something inimitable thing I have not seen anywhere else, not even on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi.

The souks of Marrakech

The next day we swallowed up in the souks and it's a new opportunity to discover a side of Moroccan culture. The streets are narrow, sometimes protected from the sun by corrugated iron roofs, and the shops are succeeding with their colors and smells, while one sneaks between tourists, residents, mopeds, bicycles, donkeys and cats.

The souks of Marrakech, a world of its own

How to negotiate in the souks

Enter a shop and negotiate an object is a special school to learn to negotiate . After several attempts, I have developed a method to divide the price by 2-3 almost every time. Here it is:

• When an object you most interested seem just a little concerned, and ask casually, for curiosity, "is how much?"
• When the merchant answers, answer something like "this item is not bad but it's too expensive", shaking his head.
• Usually the merchant will ask you what price you can get. If it does not, just make mine stand the object and go (very important, otherwise the dealer think you'll love another object). At that time it will ask you what price you want to.
• Give a price two to three times lower than the original price (nothing prevents you to lower the price even more).
• The dealer will usually laugh, but that at least you made a proposal, then it goes into a remake.
• Please do not fall into the trap of bargaining: when it offers a new price (just a bit less than the original price), say no by saying it is too expensive.
• The merchant will drop a little price. Continue to say no.
• The dealer is going to look annoyed and offer you an even lower price. Say "no no, thank you" with a smile and made to leave.
• The dealer will catch you and give you agree to the price you set, seeing that he does not give it loses the sale anyway.

Whenever me or my girlfriend have used this method it has always been successful, and has the merit to take only a short time.

Some say that we can divide the price by ten, but I hesitated to go further than divide the price by 3 because in fact it is difficult to know the real price of goods sold and I did not want the printing prices from falling too.

Anyway the souks of Marrakech is full of beautiful pieces made ​​by artisans and you can really acquire beautiful objects so do not hesitate to try this method and tell me in the comments how you managed to bring down price .

The golden rule is certainly never buy anything at the original price , it is a fad to Morocco to always ask an exorbitant price to tourists.

In the souks do not miss the famous "Fnaque Berber"! There is a lovely cafe upstairs for a drink while gazing at the souks from above

Architecture

Beyond the bustling Marrakesh, you'll understand that life is a feast for the senses of visitors, the architecture of the city is pretty average except beautiful doors that can be seen here and there, especially mosques, and some often worthy Miles Nights monuments and palaces.

A door (here mosque) met at a street corner

In the beautiful Ben Youssef Madrasa, an Islamic school of the sixteenth century

Animals and traffic

The most confusing traffic still makes me think of a time in India, with its multiple vehicles, humans and animals that walk collide in a cheerful and still stressful concert of horns, especially at night after breaking the Ramadan fast. It is amusing to note that there are still very many taxis as carriages , which does not exist for tourists because many Moroccans use them day and night. This is the first city of any I've seen in the world where this mode of transport is really used by the local population.

The carriages are from the Jamaa El Fna

The city has drinkers everywhere to enable its many horses to drink

Although there are more vehicles than animals, they are still occasionally used as the days of our grandparents

My office in our Medina. As one of my fellow bloggers, "it sucks there is no beach!"

In a Berber village

After a few days to enjoy the atmosphere of Marrakech, we took the car during a trip to the Berber mountains, towards the village of Setti Fatma an hour and a half drive from Marrakech.

We took the opportunity to visit a museum in a Berber village, an opportunity for us to discover a little life in the Moroccan countryside.

I was surprised to see that all the streets were dirt, with open sewers in the form of a running stream in a channel in the center of each street. As to the city, the traditional architecture blends somehow with satellite antennas myriad.

Berber village we visited, mixing somehow traditional architecture and satellite dishes

All the streets are like this, unpaved and with open sewers

The museum was just a reconstruction of a traditional Berber home in the early 20th century, interesting, and an opportunity to discover the very symbolic art rugs, women use since prehistoric times to tell stories and express emotions, fears and desires related to their destiny women and childbirth.

... This is a musical instrument. If so. Genre castanets to beat the pace

This picturesque village was unfortunately also an opportunity for us to live a real harassment of some of its inhabitants experience. Indeed we were kindly greeted by children playing in the village and who left us when we entered the museum.

When we wanted to leave the village after visiting, we went back to them, and there it was the gold rush: they rushed to us asking "just one dirham, sir "We surrounding and harassing us until we reach the car. They are so rushed that they are a little hurt and a child even gave me a kick in wanting to give one to his friend!

Great atmosphere ... Meanwhile the few adults who watched the scene did not intervene. In short, an unpleasant experience obviously created by kids who do not realize what they are doing. If this happens do not give in , as rightly says the Rough Guide give them money is to encourage them to leave school and continue to harass tourists.

These children are cute but unfortunately at the end of the visit a number of them turned into harpies ...

But it notes a bit jarring does not scare you too much, the other inhabitants proved quite lovely .

Conclusion

I could see a small part of Morocco, including by leaving Northern cities, and spending a lot more time than it takes to Agadir for reasons of idleness and passage of the first diving level .

However, what little I could see gave me want to come back : the enormous cultural difference despite the distance so close to France that gives us so many opportunities to experience amazing things, the widespread use of French which is very nice, multiple sports or potential discovery, the cost if you travel in the off season, the kindness and openness of Moroccans, excellent food although a little tired at the end of a while, it is rich and deserves to be discovered if you havent yet been.

Next time I'll probably visit the cities further north.

If you have the opportunity to go there during Ramadan, do not let it cool you down: rather it is a very pleasant time to visit Morocco, especially if it's off-season . The Morocco will undoubtedly charm you anyway for a modest price, with virtually no jet lag and diffusion of French that allows even more daunting in English among us have a great time!

Olivier, early in his 3-month stay in Paris.

source: http://blogueur-pro.com/le-maroc