Into the Souks

Narrow, thatch-covered streets wound into the Souks (shops) of the Medina (central city - old walled portion) of Marrakesh just blocks from our Riad. The souks as we entered sold mostly fresh produce, meats and one lone portable gas pump for the mopeds and small motorcycles allowed into the packed streets.

This is how some of the items for sale enter the labyrinth of the souks.

Donna would later regret her love of animals.

Even though the area was very confusing Frank found his bearings as soon as we located one of the few restaurants in the market to offer a glass of spirits. We all marked that location! However, there were many offers of assistance from "expert guides".

Certain areas of the souks were dedicated to specific goods. To name a few: fabrics, rugs, copper, jewellery, leather, baskets. Jon and I were interested in looking for rugs and fabrics for the new house so we started there. And, pretty much spent our whole day learning about the carpets woven in the Atlas Mountains and kilim rugs that are reversible - fuzzy side for winter, smooth side for summer.

We started in a smaller rug shop than this. But this is a most amazing place. Rooms behind each of the arches led to more rugs piled from floor to ceiling in some places.

We bought the blue rug hanging here and one other from this man. I was amazed that he allowed us to take this photo because it was still Ramadan and men are not allowed to touch women during that time. (I'm not sure if that is a sunrise to sunset kind of thing or 24/7. Either way he was generous to allow us this photo.)

We bought the kilim below

from a young man Frank and Donna have purchased other rugs from in the past. It is from the Atlas Mountains, was sold to us as 70 years old and will be used in our bath at home.

What fun!

And, they met Frank's three criteria for any purchase:
Do I like it?
Is the price right?
Can I get it home?

The final question was the one we were most concerned about. But, since we were working with Karim, Frank's friend, we figured it would be OK. Ultimately, it was. But we had a bit of a scare when the charge on our VISA card was denied and I had to back track through every source I could think of to correct the situation. Thanks go to Jennifer Segura at SC Fuels for getting word to the right people and making the delivery happen.

So, I mentioned lunch with a libation . . . and here we are overlooking the alleyways of the Souk. The awnings and misters were key to keeping cool even though being up out of the alleys gave us a bit of a breeze.

More shopping for poufs and miracle anti-aging oil for me then back to the riad for a nap before a lovely dinner in the hotel.

Istanbul to Marrakesh

Morning came pretty early the next day as we began the trip to Marrakesh. First up was the flight from Istanbul to Casablanca. We traveled on Turkish Air and I can't say enough nice things about that airline. Actual chefs prepare the food on board their 777 planes complete with reclining seats for sleeping, your own personal TV and service above the norm.

The VIP lounge in the Istanbul airport is nothing short of amazing. There are 8 to 10 food stations with delicious food made while you wait. There is a pool table in a library like setting, a driving range, an arcade, a computer/business center and sleeping rooms. (We took advantage of the sleeping rooms on our return trip.)

At the airport in Casablanca we boarded a train that took us into the city to catch the Marrakesh Express. Being of the generation in which the song is well remembered, we felt it important to experience this for ourselves. Unfortunately the train from the airport was the closest we would get to train travel that day. The train station was bedlam. People were traveling to Marrakesh to celebrate the end of Ramadan and there was no space for us or our luggage on the train.

We assumed that the train to Marrakesh would look about like this one from the airport. However, we found it to be packed from floor to ceiling with people and luggage and over 40 minutes late.

So, how were we to get to Marrakesh? It turns out we hired two old Mercedes cabs to drive us.

We stopped to let the police department know that they were taking us across the desert to Marrakesh and pick up some water for the trip. (Turned out to be a good thing we bought the water.)

Here's the scene from the cab at our stop. Note the donkey cart.

About half way to Marrakesh, the car Jon and I were riding in overheated. We coasted to a stop under an overpass and watched as the drivers opened the steaming hood. Probably the reason the car overheated was because there was no radiator cap. It certainly wasn't because of the air conditioner working. The windows wouldn't even go down in the back windows.

Everyone kept a positive attitude as all the water we had with us was poured into the radiator. Our only hope was that we would reach Marrakesh before we needed more water. We were unsure if the plastic water bottle that now served as a radiator cab would be sufficient.

After we got going again, I noticed that the ring Jon had given me for our 40th anniversary was missing. I was sure it was in the sand at the side of the road because I had moved it to my little finger in the heat of the car as my fingers swelled. I searched through my purse and the car but couldn't find it. It was a very sad moment for me but we decided the chance of me finding the right overpass to look under was very slim so we carried on.

Our hotel was La Maison Arabe a Riad-Hotel in the center of Marrakesh. It is possibly the most beautiful and interesting hotel we've ever stayed in. A Riad Hotel is a hotel that was created by combining several residences. This riad had 28 rooms on multiple levels. I counted the stairs from the front desk to our room as 46. Given that I was four weeks post knee surgery, I took them one at a time with my left leg and looked like a geriatric patient practically crawling up the steep steps. Here are some photos of our room which included a sitting area as well as a private patio overlooking the pool and dining area.

We dined in the hotel by the pool and spent the evening laughing and going over our day.

Istanbul the final night

Our final night in Istanbul we cabbed across the Galata Bridge to Istakalal Street - Independence Street on the Golden Horn. Istakalal Street is a pedestrian mall flanked by restaurants and stores of all kinds. Since it was Ramadan, the streets were filled with people who were breaking their fast and socializing.

Dinner that night was at a supper club called 360. As you might expect, the club was on the top floor of a building that had a 360 degree view of Istakalal Street, a beautiful Catholic chapel and the surrounding area.

Frank and Donna had a guest with them that night, a young man they met in previous trips who coveted an American baseball. They called him Los Vegas because his life long goal is to visit there and they brought him a baseball.

There was entertainment from a variety of entertainers one of whom was an American woman who played an electric violin with backup from a recording. She played one of our favorite songs so we snuck into the back of the room to dance. When she saw us, she circled around to herd us into the spotlight.  At the finish Jon took me into a dip and the crowd erupted into applause. I'm not sure if it was the great dancing or the energetic performance by Giselle but it was sure fun.

Finally we walked down Istakalal Street to Takim Square where we have seen protests over the years.

Istanbul Tour Day Installment #3

TOKAPI PALACE

Above is the entrance to the Tokapi Palace. In its hay day, 10,000 people lived within the walls. The grounds were used as the local bazaar before the Grand Bazaar was built. There was also water available on the grounds. The sultan owned all the water. So, he gave it back to the community through the wells here and elsewhere around the city.

Part of the interior grounds complete with mounted security.
The following photos show some of the interior of the palace.

The harem was secluded from the rest of the palace. Only the women of the harem, the Sultan, and the eunuchs who served the harem were allowed in this area. Our guide described the harem as a training ground for the most beautiful girls in the city and those slaves who had been taken during the wars. They were trained much like ancient Geisha; dance, conversation, music, embroidery, etc. The sultan had first choice as his personal concubines. But many were given to governors of outlying areas for wives.

As can be seen from these photos, there were no windows to the outside world from the harem. However, it was well lit with sky lights and the women there had access to a swimming pool and many other amenities that were not common to other people at the time.

The harem courtyard.

Sky lights.

Interior.

In front of a 600 year old tree. Here I might add that the day was so hot that my mascara melted and my eye lashes stuck together.

Jon and I on the sultan's patio overlooking Asia across the Bosporus.

The treasury in the palace has examples of the most extraordinary jewels collected by the sultans over the years. Probably the most impressive was the 65 carat diamond.

BASILICA CISTERN

In 1989 the owner of a property just two blocks from the Hippodrome decided to renovate his building. When construction started, they found the Basilica Cistern. Built in the sixth century, it is about 450 feet by 200 feet with 336 marble columns of Ionic, Corinthian and Doric construction. . .except for two.

Both heads are of Minerva, one on the side and one on the top of her head. The best the archeologists can come up with is that they were two columns shy of a load and added these two edifices of Minerva to get the correct height to hold up the top of the cistern.

This is the best photo we got in the low light levels. However, imagine a dimly lit space a football field and a half by a football field and a half wide, with huge columns raising from the water in the floor (only a few inches now, but capable of huge quantities to sustain the population) and the dripping from the water seeping in from above. Pretty amazing.

Istanbul Tour Day Continued

HAGIA SOPHIA

Seen through the domes of the Turkish Bath, the Hagia Sophia looks more like a mosque with its four minarets than the Greek Orthodox Church built in 537 AD. It was converted to a mosque in1455 after the Ottoman invasion of 1453.

All Christian iconography was covered with plaster at the time and Islamic symbols replaced them. The good news is that the plaster is removable and the original frescoes can be revealed as the museum it has now become restores the church to its original state. It is the fifth largest church in the world.

The Hagia Sophia is now a museum and both religious influences can be seen. The stair way on the right leads to the seat used by the Iman during Islamic ceremonies. To the left is the Christian altar.

Note the Islamic symbols along side the Christian.

This image of Jesus is being restored. You can see the plaster at the bottom. This particular image is famous for the eyes of Jesus following you where ever you are when you look at him. Disquieting, but true.

Going to post in shorter blasts so I don't loose this stuff.