Travel Diary #44 : My last days in Morocco 🇲🇦
Hi there!
This is my last blog post about the country of 🐫…
I couldn't have guessed half of what happened to me when I took a last minute plane to Agadir on the day the borders closed, 3 months ago. I didn’t think I would be that sad about leaving this place (even if I’m sure it’s just a “see you soon”). I even tried to extend my visa to be able to have an additional month here but the moroccan authorities refused my request. Well...it's probably a sign that I spent enough time here and it’s time to move on. My visa expires in 3 days, I leave the country in 2 days.
Stay tuned to know what is my next destination ! I can only tell you that I'm going there for a very special reason and I’m very excited about it.
But before that, here are some photos of the last weeks. My plan changed and I spent most of February in Marrakech. I had things to organize, things to work on and I didn't want to rush to visit everything I had left on my list. It's funny how my way of traveling has changed. A few years ago, I probably would have spent entire nights finishing my work to have time to go to all the places I had planned to go at the beginning. I would have been stressed out and wouldn't have taken the time to enjoy each moment. I’m much more confortable with this decision and at least, I leave Morocco well rested. The Sahara desert will be for next time!
Spending more time in Marrakech allowed me to understand the place better. I began to appreciate this city which had disappointed me the first time. Walking through the alleys of the souk at night, I felt like I was living in The Tales of the Arabian Nights (Les comptes des milles et unes nuits, in french) ✨
I spent a lot of time walking around, drinking mint tea and eating my favorite Moroccan dish: Pastilla, a chicken and cinnamon pie.
2 weeks ago, a local friend takes me to what will become my favorite place Marrakech : the art gallery of Hassan Hajjaj.
I mean… how could I not like this place?
When I arrive at the gallery, I am very surprised to discover a temporary exhibition of the photographer Ismail Zaidy. Wait… I know this guy ! 🤔
Ismail Zaidy aka @latiste is a young Moroccan photographer whose work I've admired for years. I even interviewed him when I was working for Fubiz ! (Fubiz is a french media about art and pop culture). If you want to know more about Ismail, my 2019 article is here (also available in french). What a coincidence !
The place is incredibly inspiring and it's a real pleasure for the eyes. I loved it !
In addition to being full of talent, Ismail gives a lesson to all creative people out there : You don't need any equipment to create ! He took most of his best pictures with his phone and now, his work is displayed in several exhibition in Morocco and in Europe ! Inspiring.
I had to stop for a cup of mint tea…
End of a good day !
I was lucky enough to stay in a great hostel where I spent a lot of time with the locals. The opportunity to cook several Tajine! This time, I photographed each step of the process so I could remember the recipe. I share it with you below! ⤵️
I love spending time in the parks in Marrakech to escape from the noisy city center. One of my favorite is the Arsat Moulay Abdeslam Cyber Park, a free garden perfect to unwind for a few hours.
Last time, I brought with me the the book "L'amour fait loi". This collection of texts by Moroccan and French authors (you might know Leïla Slimani) is committed to the LGBTQI+ community in Morocco, especially after the wave of hate from which they have suffered during the lockdown.
I learned that law 489 of the moroccan penal code still criminalizes homosexuality. This makes me realize that this kind of books are more than necessary in a country where the government turn a blind eye to the reality…
Despite my great experience in Morocco, I recognize that it is a country with many contradictions. I leave with a full heart but also lot of questions in my head…
The only desert I was able to see 😅⤵️
The map of my trip :
I have started this blog when I first travelled solo in South East Asia more than 2 years ago. The passion hasn’t faded and I’m still really excited to share photos and stories with you here. If you like the content I post every week and want to support the blog, you can buy me a coffee here ☕️ (A big thanks a lot to the people who supported me already, it means a lot 🙏🏻) or simply leave a comment :)
