That Crazy Intense Square!
15 July 2006 — Hi everyone, sorry been a bit lazy since I got back to Hua Hin. Partly ‘cos I’m oredi facing the comp the whole day at work, so the last thing I want to be doing after work is stare at it somemore. But definitely the bigger reason is the unbearable slow internet connection that pervades the whole of HH, and may I be so bold as to say the whole of Thailand?!? So yes, I’ve been particularly motivated today, got off my butt, so as promised, we’re back to Djemma el Fna. So why crazy and intense? Erm, perhaps a pictorial explanation might explain this a little better. So here it is by day…
Lots of carts peddling their wares…
People going about their ways…
For some strange reason, there are tons of orange juice stands around the square. One refreshing glass for 3 dirham.
Acrobats in the act
Trainers with their monkeys. Apparently this is one tourist trap, ‘cos what happens when you go near these guys is that they’ll just throw their monkeys on you (if you happen to be terrified of monkeys, well, too bad) and demand you pay them. So we made sure to stay far far away. This picture was only made possible with our super zoom lens.
Another tourist trap: water-bearers. In the past, as their name might suggest they used to serve a purpose. These days, again they just hang around the square, luring tourists into taking photos with them, and then demanding you pay them for it.
Love this picture that Billie took of a little girl getting a henna tattoo. Sama sama like those National Geographic ones right?
So how many Marrakechians does it take to repair a bike?
Wonder what’s happening here? Probably a story-teller spinning his tale…
So remember that as mentioned in my previous blog, this is when it’s all nice and tame and “quiet”… You get the general picture, lots of people just hanging about this big plot of land in the middle of town… there’s some activity, but everything’s kinda sluggish, people aren’t really in much of a hurry, happy to just mill over their mint tea in whatever shade they can find… the scorching heat probably has something to do with it.
…but come sundown, come sundown… Well, that’s a different story… Here we go! Here we go! Hurry or we’ll lose you in the crowd!
…getting warmer…
…warmer still… see those lights and smoke in the distance…
…just on the border now…
…and finally, we have arrived! Yep, this is what it’s all about! On a nightly basis, hoards of people, locals and tourists alike, from all over Marrakesh congregate here in the heart of the Medina to eat, drink and make merry! The result is a dizzying array of bright lights, grilled meats, smokey pits and lots and lots of incessant drumming. Really, it feels like New Year’s Eve here every single night! Festivity is the key!
And when you can’t beat them, what do you do? Join them!
Hmm… making up your mind is not as simple though… especially when you’re feeling extremely hurried… all that drumming doesn’t help… especially when you have no idea what you’re ordering?!?
Yep, finally managed to get some decent food on the table. More of that round bread of course, won’t leave home without it…
Remember how I said Marrakechians seem to like being photographed? This stall-owner voluntarily posed for the camera…
And see, this waiter as well. He simply came up to us and asked for his picture to be taken with me?!? Sure, why not?! Not a bad-looker too actually.
As much an eye-opener as it is, and whilst we actually have to pass by the Medina to get back to our hotel every day, Wil and I ended up only having dinner in the square that one time. Again, it was too tiresome an activity, too much “jostling around”, getting hasseled and harrassed by every single store owner. And truly, they do try to take you for a ride as and when they can — the prices they charge are kind of random, nothing really tallies, which is kind of expected. As commonfare as it is to the locals, it is a bit of a tourist trap for us foreigners. I guess I didn’t mind it that much, but Billie made sure to steer clear of the place after that one experience. Haha, age must be catching up with him, you can see his brows getting increasingly furrowed the nearer we got to el Fna each time. And gawd forbid I take one step beyond the imaginary line that separates us from “the craziness out there”, he’d be sure to pull me straight back in!
Still, at the end of the day, take my word for it, you HAVE to come to Djemma el Fna at least once in your life and just soak it up, soak it all up! You just have to!