Saturday, July 2, 2011

23.06.2011 Marrakesh by night and burnt corn

or how we are discovering the dark charm of the city...


In the evening Marrakesh becomes a crowded, loud and colourful mix of tastes, sounds and images. The main square is full of small bars, snake whisperers, monkey trainers, women designing beautiful henna patterns and many vendors trying to sell anything to the crowds of tourists and locals. The best view on the night life offer cafe terraces (e.g. Cafe France), where the atmosphere is much peaceful and wonderful sunsets paint the city in orange to let it plunge in the darkness again. The city reveals its second face.

Outside the center and tourist attractions life looks quite different. The locals go out of their houses and spent time along the streets, where many benches are placed. Some vendors try to sell their snacks from wooden trolleys and this time their main customers are the locals. We bought some corn cobs from one of them and I could watch how it is prepared. The man put the cobs directly on the coal and was waving with a piece of cardboard just above it. When he decided that the corn is ready, he put it to the plastic bottle with salty water and placed it on corn leaves. Voila! Ready. The cobs where always at least half-burnt, but it doesn't really matter. It's not burnt it's just a dark colour – told me a local Moroccan man. But the dark colour was not tasty at all. At least the half was quite edible.




We left Marrakesh in the morning and came to Essauira. The climate here is different here, with lower temperatures and cool wind from the ocean. Gnawa music festival starts today and we are going to the center to see the concerts as soon as the lazy siesta is over. We are staying here in another house of Yassine's parents, which is actually in Essauira El Jadida, about 10 minutes by taxi form the old town of Essaouira.

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