The new city of Marrakesh is filled with palm-lined streets, with the Atlas mountains in the background.  The old city, or Medina, like other medinas we have seen, is filled with sweet mint tea, narrow alleyways, and souks.  Marrakesh is unlike the others though – it feels as though it is a medina on steroids!  Amidst the mass swarms of tourists are snake charmers, magicians and drummers and beautiful, old Islamic architecture. The main square, Jemaa el Fna, is a must.

During the day, we sauntered through the medina, getting ourselves lost.  We stopped in Cafe des Espices for lunch and some people watching, and then visited the Musee de Marrakesh, Ali Ben Yousseff Medersa and La Qoubba Almoravid.  While the exhibits are interesting, the visit is well worth it just to see the architecture/structures themselves.

For the evening, we decided to do the local thing and spend it in Jemaa El Fna.

There are many different options for NYE:

• You can go to a big nightclub, such as Pasha.  It is catered to foreigners, so for NYE, expect to pay 500 Dirham.
• You can go for dinner and cocktails to a place like Comptoir.  Also, expect to pay a premium for everything.  Most dinners will cost about 1000-1500 Dirham on this night
• You can visit Jamaa El Fna Square where locals and tourists alike will be wandering about.  There is a night market filled with kebabs, stewed sheep heads, orange juice, sausages and more, as well as street games and drummers.
• Fireworks can be seen from Jamaa El Fna Square, if you visit one of the restaurants roof terraces, but for the best views, watch these from the New City.

Photo: Myra, the manager, & I at Al Fassia