Marrakech

I got into Marrakech late on the eve of Eid ul-Adha. This would be the holiday where Muslims, if they can afford it, sacrifice a sheep or goat to commemorate the saving of Ishmael. The streets are quiet and after negotiating with the cab driver get to my hostel. Finally, I am back in backpacker mode. I get in to a Brit and Kiwi smoking sheesha and drinking vodka. They are cousins who have been working at a slaughterhouse in Iceland together. They are excited to witness the mutton massacre. I need some sleep, as I am getting a little sick.

The next morning I wake up and we go to get some food. These guys have been here for a while and know the locals. One of them takes us to his house where his brother and father are skinning a sheep. Its pretty gruesome and I’m glad I missed the actual killing. All around town there are children carrying around sheep parts and men use flamethrowers to burn off the hair from sheep heads. This is all before breakfast.

This place is like Arab Disney World. It’s much cleaner than the rest of the country and highly geared to tourists. They have snake charmers and monkeys on leashes. I had kids doing cartwheels in front of me for the love of god. This all comes at a price. The vendors here are ruthless and every picture you take involves someone asking you for money. Some people literally just ask you for money, not for doing anything, just because you are a foreigner.

I was hoping to see people in their own places, but I find myself disliking Arab culture more than before. They are all very nice and friendly on the surface, but it feels like everyone is trying to get something from you. It doesn’t feel very genuine. I definitely spent one lunch trying to convince a Slovakian girl not to date a Moroccan. Also, you always have to be on guard to being ripped off. I can’t wait to head back to Europe.