Reflections: Confluence of the Exotic
From the Southern tip of Africa, we journey to its most Northwestern corner and find Morocco – the other African nation that appears on many an American and European bucket list. For oft, Morocco in all its exotic texture has long been an intersection of worlds – of the African, on which it sits; of the Islamic, for which it worships and writes; and of the French, from which it was long colonized and still speaks and eats.
This confluence of culture provides a certain accessibility to the exotic that neither feels too Middle Eastern or African altogether, but just about the right amount of both. For that very reason, Morocco stands largely on its own. The Arabic they speak is hardly understood by someone from Arabia, the French food they concoct has been peppered with so many aromatic spices that it hardly feels European.
Morocco is intoxicating, and we know it will be long before we arrive. It's part of the lure. The colorful tile work is mesmerizing, the labyrinthine streets intriguing, the silhouettes and fashion, seductive. I often advise travellers to bring an extra suitcase or two – as the shopping is just too tempting. Rarely does anyone actually listen, and it never fails that they end up buying a suitcase on site for their wares…unable to escape the temptation themselves. It’s a big country – from Tangier to Rabat to Fes to Casablanca and Marrakech – the famous starter destinations – into the high Atlas Mountains, and to the coastal villages, and down south to the semi-independent nation of Western Sahara if you count that as an extension of Morocco as almost all Western maps do.
In this destination feature, we introduce you to a few of our favorite spots, including a full list of our recommendations in the ever-popular Fes. We recount our recent weekend visit to Marrakech, and review its best spa, cafe, hotel, and the riad concept. If you’re landing in Casablanca, even for a moment, bypass Rick’s American Bar from the namesake film for the breathtaking mosque. Morocco is big, and we certainly can’t do it justice in one issue – we’ll certainly return again and again, for exploration beckons from this corner of the Atlantic and Sahara.
Morocco is a kaleidoscope on Earth if there ever was one. A land of flavors and beauty unlike any other. And markets-a-plenty. I dare you to visit without an empty suitcase. I really do.
Photo Credit: Syllogi
