I'm so over Marrakech

I’m ready to leave Marrakech. I’ve really tried to love it, but it makes it so hard. OK, so some of the blame can go to the tourists. They’re everywhere. In droves. Who wouldn’t try to take advantage of all those pockets filled w/Dirhams? But come on, please start the taxi meter and please don’t pull on my arm to try to get me into your shop or pull on my sleeve to beg for a dirham and please don’t push that menu in my face as I walk by or shove the card for a hotel at me as I pass by. Aggression is not marketing. We’ve created a monster, fed on tourism, that knows no shame. Ugh. Get me outta here.

OK, I realize I’m feeling the effects of being away from “home” for almost 2 weeks, living out of a suitcase, bored after seeing all the sights, traversing the Ville Nouvelle, anyplace else to visit requires a taxi and I’m boycotting them. Good news, I travel today. Never been so happy to travel. It’s off to Azilal for the PST workshops-training for the new SBD group. Hamdullah.

So since I’m on a ranting and raving kick, I’ll get a couple additional annoyances off my chest:
Those who call your phone and hang up after the first ring, so you’ll call them back. This means you pay for the call (receiving is free) and they’re the one who wants to talk to you.
Waiting to answer the cell phone in one’s hand until the stupid ring tone music has played at least one full minute. What? Too busy? Right! You’re just sitting there staring at your phone! Answer it already.
Trash and the lack of pick up. Just unwrap stuff and drop the wrapping on the ground. There’s gotta be a way....
Public transit (taxi, bus) that stops on the side of the road for the men to get out and pee. While the women wait inside.
No one has change. How do you get change if no one has any? Seems they always manage to find it when push comes to shove.
Who do you trust? Guy in taxi takes us the wrong direction, apologizes and turns off meter, then gets us to our destination (bus station) and tries to get us to pay 4x the correct price. Hshuma. Then as we’re waiting for the bus, a guy insists that the bus is on the other side of the building. Right, just trying to scam more passengers off the CTM bus onto theirs, yak? Turns out he’s right and was trying to help us, but our cynicism prevailed and assumed there was a rip-off in the works. Yikes. Have to be able to trust.

Thanks for that-feel much better now.

OK, so I'll throw Marrakech a bone. Great dried apricots. Zwin cyber w/fast connection, clean and a/c. Simple hotel w/great staff for only $12/night. Great harsha at bakery. Beautiful gardens. Mundub willing to work with us on another craft fair. Earth Cafe. Putting up w/all the tourists.

Safi? Baraka.