Visit to Marrakech

[TooCool4]

layering a Cobra around your neck for the pic

Talking about hanging cobra around your neck, they did that to me.

I was hanging around on the outskirts of the snake chamars just taking pics, before I knew it I was dragged in under protest and snake put round my neck. I have a deep fear of snakes, one of them stood with me while his friend had my camera to take pics of me with the snake. The guy taking the picture called to his friend to come and have a look at my camera which was a Canon EOS 1V, before I knew it I was on my own with a large snake round my neck. You should have seen me, for a black guy I was as white as a sheet and I looked frightened to death in the picture.
And to top it all they charged me after they gave me the fright of my life.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

Talking about hanging cobra around your neck, they did that to me.

I was hanging around on the outskirts of the snake chamars just taking pics, before I knew it I was dragged in under protest and snake put round my neck. I have a deep fear of snakes, one of them stood with me while his friend had my camera to take pics of me with the snake. The guy taking the picture called to his friend to come and have a look at my camera which was a Canon EOS 1V, before I knew it I was on my own with a large snake round my neck. You should have seen me, for a black guy I was as white as a sheet and I looked frightened to death in the picture.
And to top it all they charged me after they gave me the fright of my life.

No pic, didn't happen

 

[TooCool4]

No pic, didn't happen

Even if I did dig out the negatives, no way am I going to post a picture of me looking scared half to death and as white as a sheet.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Palais Ronsard Hotel

 

[Ron Resnick]

The lobby and the bar

 

[Ron Resnick]

This hotel is, I think, very French colonial. Each room makes the guests feel like nobility.

The rooms have about 20 foot high ceilings.

 

[spiritofmusic]

How's that cobra checking out?

 

[Ron Resnick]

How's that cobra checking out?

I am afraid I do not understand.

 

[Ron Resnick]

For some reason I can only post photos by using the "Attach Files" function.

The icons at the top of the message window no longer are active for me. I cannot simply tap the image icon at the top of the posting window and directly imbed into the post a photo I select.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[spiritofmusic]

I am afraid I do not understand.

Check post #21...

 

[andromedaaudio]

Colleagues of mine have been multiple times to morocco for work/ holiday , its just about the most modern/ liberal place in north africa.
I heard its great with friendly people good atmosphere , although havent been myself .
I ll be staying the next couple weeks in Algeria Oran / Bejaia for work.
If you go by the news everywhere its dangerous , 90 % of the time highly exaggerated/ armchair logic
Exceptions are Nigeria / Pakistan not safe

Last time i was in algeria i visited Djanet / southern sahara .
Also supposedly red on the dutch country list , but in real life completely safe , actually it was full of tourists guided by touareg

 

[Ron Resnick]

No, Marc, we are not going near snakes.

 

[Ron Resnick]

The pool . . .

 

[PeterA]

Looks crowded.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

i have 2 long term (15+ years) Sales Managers from Morocco, who both just got back from extended vacations back there. one owns an apartment in Marrakesh and was there 2 weeks ago.

i showed him your pictures; he mentioned that Hotel is in the very upscale part of Marrakesh, a very safe and nice place. you choose well. he loves that city.

 

[dbeau]

Looks crowded.

My thought too Do you have the place to yourselves?
It is outstanding and elegant - ENJOY

 

[gfroman]

This was our room in while in Fez.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Palais Ronsard Hotel

Wow spectacular.

 

[Ron Resnick]

It turns out that Marrakesh is completely amazing. Wherever we go (including Venice, Shanghai, Miami) Tinka likes us to see, explore and attempt to understand the city by enrolling us in a food tour. A food tour not only takes you to restaurants with good food but, also, invariably, exposes you and teaches you a lot about the city from the point of view of a local who lives there.

Today we took a food tour with a university graduate Millennial who grew up in Marrakesh. He spoke perfect English, as did almost everyone we encountered in every situation.

Yes, of course, the whole city rises and falls with the tourist and hospitality industry, but random people on the streets seem significantly happier than we observed in Manila or Shanghai or almost any other city we have visited. Locals seem genuinely happy and proud to live in Marrakesh.

We saw briefly the souk (market) that all the tourists go to. But then our tour guide took us to see some very cool stuff we never, ever would have seen without him.

Apparently, for hundreds of years, families bring their dough to a central, community baker who bakes the dough and then waits for a member of each family to retrieve the baked bread. The tray identifies which bread belongs to which family. Our tour guide's father performed this role for many years for their community.

The baker works many steps down below street level in a fire breathing lair -- the underground place where the oven is located and he bakes the bread. The chimney of the oven is used to heat spa water in an above-ground hammam.

Because the baker meets many family members across the entire community, young men turn to him for advice on which women are single. "Like Match.com," our tour guide told us.

I function very poorly in hot weather. Today the outdoor climate was about 105°F, and more humid than usual. The baker works underground -- sitting or standing in front of a giant stone oven carved into the structure of the basement. It is literally hellishly hot work. He is there for many hours each and every day.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Outside of the standard tourist souvenir alleyway of the Medina, different sections of the Medina specialize in different industries. There is a spices market, a dried fruit market, a woodworking market, textile markets, clothing markets and a blacksmith market.