Jet Lagged and bleary we set off to drive from Casablanca. The Moroccan countryside is lovely. We passed fields of produce and orchards full of olives and citrus as we headed inland. The climate and scenery really do resemble Southern California. As the result of the current King’s push for modernity a network of highways connecting the principal cities is under construction seemingly everywhere along with lots of housing.
Marrakesh is uphill from the Atlantic. As we moved inland and upward the gradual change in the countryside accelerated. The fields became rockier and the irrigation more sporadic. The dense spacing in the orchards widened and olives trees and rock farms preeminent. We began to see lots of donkey carts and the farming equipment was very old and well used. We crested a long uphill and as we came around the corner were greeted with a stunning view of the “High Atlas” and Marrakesh.
We drove through the modern suburban outskirts into the old city center or “Medina”. It was a dramatic contrast to the developing parts we had just passed through. I will post some pictures but it is difficult to convey in a snapshot the age and accumulation that tens of hundreds of years bring. Maybe it was because we had been chatting about the Star Wars movies but I kept thinking of the city scenes in the original movie. It is pretty clear where Lucas got the inspiration for the sets. The band in the Cantina Scene must be attributable to the hash. Add to this the ever present smell and smoke of wood fires, dust, grime and a sense of despair. That was just on the five minute walk from the van to our hotel.