If you’ve ever ridden a horse, you’ll be right at home on a camel. Camels are taller, smell worse, walk slower, and are more stubborn. But other than that, it’s the exact same as riding a horse. While I’ve avoided, for the most part, doing the clichéd things on my trips, I have definitely done some. I took cooking classes in Italy, I did the “I’m holding up the leaning tower” pose in Pisa, and I rode in long boats in Cambodia. So it wasn’t too much of a stretch for me to decide to ride a camel in Morocco.
Category: Morocco
Marrakesh Part 2
More photos from my trip to Marrakesh. Part 1 is here. You don’t need to read that one before this one, but it’s got some good photos, so check it out. And now, more pictures!
Marrakesh
I’ve been fortunate enough to have been able to travel quite a bit, from Kansas City to Venice, and from Austin to Saigon. Some cities were more foreign than others, some were easy to figure out and others took time to get used to. But Marrakesh is nothing like anywhere else I’ve been. You’ve probably seen Morocco represented in movies, but the thought in the back of your head is always, “That’s what it used to look like 100 years ago” or “That has to be exaggerated. It can’t be like that.” The reality is just as exotic as you’d hope and then some.
The Moroccan Hammam
The hammam is a traditional Moroccan public bath, whose roots started with the Roman baths of 2000 years ago. Back when people didn’t have private showers in their homes but cleanliness was still a desirable state, public bath houses became the norm, as a place to both get clean as well as to meet friends and socialize. While most houses in Morocco now have indoor plumbing and hot water heaters, the hammam is still a traditional experience that’s generally high on the internet’s “must do while in Morocco” lists. So, with some hesitation, I decided to give it a shot. The last time I bathed in front of other guys was after gym class in high school. Presumably this would be less awkward.