New York City vs. Marrakech

Marrakech did not need Sarah Jessica Parker and Sex and the City to make it more attractive but it certainly made it more popular and pretty much on everybody's lips for the past few weeks. So what is it about Marrakech that makes it so special that the director of the movie decided to trade in the cosmopolitan, always changing New York City ( and a very good fit for the plot of Sex and the City) for Marrakech as the set of this movie?
Until a couple of years ago all I knew about Marrakech was couscous, the Atlas Mountains and the multicultural people. However, since we get to visit all the cities and the locations that we include in our tours I was in for a very nice surprise. A new but at the same time very old world opened up to us: color, lots of color and scents, labyrinth-like alleyways, out-of-control donkey carts, trendy silver leather poufs and spices, lots and lots of spices. New York on the other side, has it's charm as well with the smell of bagels at every corner and the "out of control" cab drivers instead of donkey carts, the lights, the street life and the "j'ai ne sais quoi" that makes it the most thought after city in the United States. For the unique excitement seekers (and I am imagining the script writers were) Marrakech offers the equivalent of Times Square: Djemaa el Fna, the old city market place is the hot spot at night--"it's a maelstrom of snake charmers, musicians, the imam's lyrical call to prayer and heady scents from myriad food stalls. It's enough to make your head spin."

On our trip there we discovered a pretty cool spot: close enough to Marrakech to enjoy the city to the fullest, but far enough to be able to relax. About ten minutes from the medina, there is the Palmeraie--a grove of over 150,000 towering palm trees--that hosts the luxury villa Dar Liqama, also named the house of green mint. Consequently, since we liked it so much, we included in our tour.

So here it is, Marrakech--which while not New York City and by any means not competing with it--surprises the script writers, the actors and us, the travelers that love life, food and good times.

To Tour or Not to Travel

My thoughts for this first blog were for me to share my views as to why I think taking a tour when going to a foreign country is a better alternative than trying to plan it by yourself. Not that planning a trip by yourself does not have its advantages and disadvantages but you may miss on something like this:

...Imagine a leisurely stroll through an ancient village, the scent of lavender in the air - maybe holding hands with your husband or partner. Children play on the sidewalk. An old man with a row of medals on his chest, hands folded on a cane, is about to nod off in the warmth of the sun. You pass small shops with baskets of fruits on the sidewalk and cheeses and meats in the vitrine . . . You are in St. Paul de Vance, on the French Riviera; it's almost noon and you're looking forward to meeting up with the other three couples who are sharing this vacation experience with you. A terrace beckons, white tablecloth, crisps napkins, a bottle of wine being iced and glasses ready to be filled. The host chef is sharing his love for food and cooking with you: the avid chef that absolutely loves entertaining and always craved knowledge from the source.

Well, this is it. Your dream come true.

This is your vacation...

And this is the kind of experience planning a trip on your own would not give give you. Of course you would say, how about the flexibility to do different things than what's included in the cooking or wine tour? That is why tours usually allow for time to explore the city or the surroundings and spend your time as you wish. Traveling by yourself to a country with a language other than English has it's own challenges...sure it's a little funny and cute when you cannot read the signs or find your way around, but isn't that precious time you could spend with a local family being fully immersed in the culture and tasting the life just like they live it?