Day 21: Follow

Day 21

My plane landed in Morocco a few hours before the group tour began. I wanted to explore Marrakesh but I was reluctant to leave the hotel as I did not know where to go.  Rather than giving into my fearful side, I left the hotel and started walking. One of the biggest tourist attractions in Marrakesh are the souks or the markets where you can buy anything. A seasoned traveler travels in the opposite direction of the tourist horde. Being on my first solo trip, I followed the tourists. Luckily, I picked the correct direction and ended up at the markets.

Morocco, Day 1

After walking around for a bit, I looked for lunch. The food places near the markets are pricey and cater towards tourists. For example, many places served shawarma which is a Levantine food and is not Moroccan.  I wandered away from the markets and walked around until a random person gestured me into his place. He could probably tell I was about to expire from heat stroke. Living in San Francisco, I am unaccustomed to heat. Also, I was covered from wrists to ankles in observance of local customs. I learned later that I didn't need to cover up as much as I did because Marrakesh is very touristy. It is more important to cover up in rural Morocco. At a minimum women need to cover up from shoulders to knees.

In American slang, the place was a hole-in-the-wall. Small, dingy, and patronized by locals, it was the exact type of place I was looking for. My first meal in Morocco was a bowl of lentils with bread. It was filling and cost a tenth of what was being charged in the markets. When you have no plans, follow the crowd until you figure out what you want to do on your own.

Morocco, day 1 lunch

What was your favorite hole-in-the-wall discovery?