A Sultan's life

I don't mind telling you I could get used to this life. Tonight I am reflecting on my incredible life at the edge of my riad's garden in Marrakech. A lovely Moroccoan wine in hand, of course. 

This morning after a quick coffee and some bread and jam in Fes I was off to the train station. The station was modern and nice and the train was comfortable - it was the old style of a series of cabins and the corridor along one side. 

(Did I mention Zoohair - nice guy that he is - bought my ticket for the wrong day?)

The route took us to Rabat on the coast and then down to Casablanca before heading back inland to Marrakech. There is tremendous poverty visible outside the bigger cities and lots of industry and smog. And as we began to move south the farmland disappeared and the ground  turned drier and redder. The small villages outside Marrakech resembled something much more like Indiana Jones with the square adobe type buildings painted a darker red. 

Sadly the train had no dining car, just a trolley so it was a long, hot, boring ride. 

After a short delay I was once again whisked off in an SUV. This time we arrive at Jemma el Fna which is the large square just outside the medina and the souk. A young man from the hotel met me with a cart to head to the hotel. It's not far off the square and once again down a series of small alleyways which opens to a long passageway and the garden courtyard. 

I am met by one of the owners Bjorne and Akmed who is appropriately attired in a gold tunic. Akmed is pretty stoic and he kind of gave the orientation and tour in a rout monotone way - until I asked about breakfast - without breaking pace he said it began and 4 and was served until 6AM.  (That Akmed such a kidder)

This place is much larger with three large courtyards including the garden where dinner is served and a massive series of interconnected rooftop terraces. There are small fountains in each so the sound if running water is everywhere. My room is on a second level of a courtyard that much resembles the dar in Fes. It is. Big long room with a canopied bed and an enormous bathroom and a completely open shower. 

It has been a very long day so I am eating at the hotel and will probably turn in early. I have one full day before departing for the two night desert trip and then back to another Marrakech riad for two nights before heading to the coast. 

[red wine, spicy purée of cauliflower soup, a spicy steamed Moroccoan spinach served room temperature as a salad, tangine beef in a tomato base with green beans and cilantro, creme custard/flan, coffee, evening prayer and I am done]