Morocco Day 9

A 4:30 start left us all very sleepy and grumpy, as we all met in the hotel lobby for our final optional part of the tour; a hot air balloon ride over Marrakech. Hicham was kind enough to be up at that time and make sure we made it to the bus, but he did not join us in the tour. I don’t blame him, he was already so tired as a guide on this trip, and then considering he had been fasting for Ramadan as well just adds a whole new element. 8 of us from the tour climbed into a van and took about a 30-40 minute drive to just outside of Marrakech. As we left our hotel, we saw some of the horses and carriages from the market in the street. The carriages were covered in a tarps and the horses were standing still attached to the carts. It made me sad to think they had been standing there all night. It goes to show that you can’t always trust those kind of experiences, and you have no idea just how the animal is treated or exploited. 

When we arrived to the launch point a choice of mint tea or coffee greeted us, and we were directed to a tent for the balloon, Schroeder. Our pilot, Denis from Poland, greeted us, gave some papers to fill out, then directed a safety briefing. Afterward we sat by the fire for a little bit before walking over to our balloon. He had about 10 young men helping him fill the balloon and prepare it for us. The balloon held 20 people, and there were about 6 balloons. He had us hop in and take a seat. Very soon we quietly lifted off the ground and drifted up into….. clouds. Lots and lots of clouds. We found a pocket between a top layer and the layer we came through, but we didn’t see the Atlas Mountains or much of Marrakech.

So happy to be awake

Starting to get ready

The fir

 The farmland was pretty and so was the sun in the clouds. The other ballon’s appearing and disappearing into the mist was also peaceful and spooky at the same time. It was a magical experience.

Selfie!

We were not sure what to expect for the landings but Denis had a hard time finding where to land. On the roads below we could see the crew find a spot and get prepared to catch us, then run back to their trailer to drive and find a better spot. We passed over goats and chickens in smaller houses. They seemed so scared of the balloon, probably due to size and the sound of the fire blasting. Denis finally found a spot and had us brace for landing. The basket bounced 3 times before finally stopping. One young man who was apart of the crew was having a particularly great time with his job, as he meet us with a huge grin after they caught us. It was cute seeing how much they seemed to enjoy catching a basket full of tourists. We ere lucky to see another balloon land not too far away from us, and I got a video of them doing it. We snapped a few more photos before clambering back into the van and stopping at the main base camp for a quick breakfast and certifications from the company. 

The van trying to stay ahead

some panicked sheep

another Mosque

large beds for the baskets

above yellow fields

the crew deflaiting the balloon. 

The basked with scrape marks from our landing. 

In the end we arrived back at our hotel around 9:00. We showered and packed before leaving to walk to our last hotel in Marrakech. About 30 minutes away the walk wasn’t too bad. It was cool enough so we didn’t get overheated. Our last stay was at a Riad. They are in the Medina, and are known for the unassuming exterior and the stunning interior. This one lived up to expectations, but we couldn’t check in just yet. Dropping off our backpacks, we headed back for the sooks for a more leisurely experience, beat some of the crowds, and hopefully get those bracelets! It was our first stop, and really didn’t take that long. Stacy and I got the same words, yalah habibi, in Arabic. It means ‘let’s go baby’, and something Hicham said a lot. Tracey got ‘couscous head’ on hers, also a term Hicham coined. He uses it when his thoughts are jumbled or he misspeaks, something he does so much apparently that some people just call him couscous. 

We wondered through some of the same areas, staying near places where I felt confident in getting us out. Brendan bough a few things and I got some keychains, but all of our luggage was a bit full at that point to add much more. We stopped for a rushed lunch in a rooftop restaurant of a riad, so of course it was absolutely beautiful. We were rushed because we had made a late choice to all get a tattoo! Brendan really liked some of the tiles in Fez, and us girls all wanted a symbol from the Berber culture. We hurried over after lunch and made it to our appointment just in time. The artist was very quick, so I hope they all age well. 

My tattoo, symbol of the moon and stars. It also happens to look a hot air balloon

After our appointment we walked to our hotel to get into our room and enjoy the roof top for a bit. The receptionist made us some mint tea to enjoy and we ate some snacks and enjoyed the last bit of warm sun, soaking it all in. We finished our late afternoon with some last minute souvenir shopping’s opting for more of an European experience rather than the busy bustling and confusing streets of the Medina. The next step was to find some food. One Thai restaurant turned us away as it was reservation only. Another place didn’t have any vegetarian options, and other places would be closing the kitchen for a bit to break fast. We walked back past the Thai place, and the host saw us looking pitiful and pathetic, and told us to make a reservation for tomorrow. He would change it in his system to then make it for today. Tracey made the reservation, he disappeared into the restaurant for a seconds then came back to seat us. We were so happy, as we had seen the restaurant earlier and all agreed we wanted to eat there. Just another example of the kindness we have received on this trip.

a fountain from the Medina

Our Riad receptionist serving us tea. If you do not accept the tea, it can bes considered rude.  

The street our hotel was on

Last minute gift shopping. 

 The food was very good, and with our bellies full we headed back down the street to our Riad. Some heavy reorganizing and I was able to fit all I brought in my bag, minus two pairs of old socks. Brendan and I finished the night with an argon oil massage before tucking into bed for a 5:30 wake us call. Everyone said to be at the airport early, 3 hours at least. Marrakech doesn’t have electronic tickets just yet, so you still need the physical ticket to board the plane. We had also been warned that security and immigration would take a while, and to be prepared for long wait times. Of course, we got through everything in about 30-40 minutes. I think all those experiences must have some truth to them, but having a flight at 9 on a Sunday did not cause a flood of people to crowd the airport. Everything went smoothly. For our flights homes we first had a 3 hour ride to Geneva, then we caught a short flight to Prague.

 I recommend Morocco to anyone who is considering it as a destination, and maybe to put it on the radar to those who never have. I recommend booking with G Adventures. It is a beautiful warm country, with rich diversity in people, landscape and culture. People are so hospitable and kind, I never want to hear others to speak badly about this place. Our guide Hicham made it a great experience of course, and thanks to him I feel more confident in traveling here on my own if I ever wanted too. 

Wishing for the best on your adventures, 

Cienna