The Marrakech-Menara Airport

The airport in Marrakech is small, with plenty of parking. It is located right within the city, making it easily accessible by bus or taxi.  Although there is a project underway to add a second terminal building, for now it is just the one terminal.

The Marrakech-Menara Airport is small, with ample parking, and is traveller-friendly

Flights from here go everywhere--within Morocco and internationally, but the airport is rarely crowded and usually the airline counter check-in is the only line that may take more than a few minutes to get through.

One day I was actually able to go from airline counter check-in, exchange my currency, and pass through security all in less than 20 minutes.

The airport has only 8 gates, so that a gate change for a flight simply means moving from one end to the other of what amounts to just a large room.  It is the  only waiting area for outgoing flights.

When it's time to board your flight, you walk outside, cross the tarmac, and climb a set of narrow, metal, portable stairs to get into the plane.  Strictly old-school.

All airports should be this easy to navigate.







 

 

 

 

 

 

Casablanca to Rabat, Part 1

Rabat is just an hour away from Casablanca.  In theory.  Our trip started, of course, with leaving the house.  The house in Casablanca was on an inlet by the ocean.   Getting from the house to the main street to catch a taxi is about  mile walk.  There were 5 of us, counting an infant, and the small taxis in the area are only licensed to carry 3 people.  We had to split up and get 2 cabs. Given the traveller's law, which I just made up,  only one group got a taxi  immediately. It took a while to regroup at the bus station downtown.

Pleasantly, the bus ride to Rabat really did take only about an hour.  Outside the bus station, there was a long line of taxis.  Small taxis.  So we went down the block, around the corner, and to the end of that block where there was a group of large taxis.  Large  taxi's typically carry however many they can squeeze in. 

Ours took the 5 of us plus a man and another woman.  The baby, 3 women and the guy were in back.  Two of us shared the one seat in the front.  I have to give the driver credit:  he was able to shift gears the whole way without touching me, although I was practically on top of the gear box.


Then we came to an unexpected stop on the side of the road.  The driver got out to look at his engine.  The man in the back got out and flagged down another taxi.  Fortunately, we were back on the road in short order.  We even managed to pass the taxi carrying  the deserter-- the former male passenger from our cab.  Our driver yelled out to him and the man replied, both laughing as we sped by.

I thought we had reached our destination,  butwe got out of the taxi and just stood on the sidewalk for a minute.  It turned out, we had not actually reached our  destination at all.  We crossed the street and got into a horse-drawn carriage.  We clomped along in  the surrey with the fringe on top  for a few blocks and got out.  No, this stop wasn't it either.  But we were close. 


After going to a store to pick up a couple of things, we walked a few more blocks and, voila, we had finally arrived.  Our one hour trip had taken about three hours.  But we were feted guests, plied with food and tea and more food throughout our visit.

Postscript:  A daughter in Casablanca had no key and was going to be locked out of the house when she got off from work.  Two of us (one being me, of course) had to get back to Casablanca and were unable to spend the night.  So we reversed the process. With good connections we managed the trip in 2 hours, well in time to meet the daughter whose waitressing shift ended at midnight. Although sadly,  in our haste, we didn't get to ride in a horse-drawn carriage on the way back.

 

Taxis in Morocco

There are 2 types of cab in Morocco.  One is the Big Taxi (teksi kabeer).
It takes assorted individuals going in roughly the same direction and charges them all separately, all the same price. There is no meter.  You will not be dropped at the door.  You will be let off on the corner, around the block from, or a block away from your destination, so that the cab driver can take the best route for the next passenger.  

If  you are travelling as one large group or need to carry large items or luggage, you can be sure to get some deluxe (high) price that you will have to agree to at the outset. You may be able to negotiate a bit, but you are at a disadvantage.  You need to get somewhere, the driver doesn't.

The big taxis are usually some version of Mercedes Benz, or they are occasionally a variety of very small minivan.  The Mercedes drivers take that whole "6 passenger"  idea to heart, as they firmly believe they can fit in 6 passengers, not including the driver.  So 2 passengers  get to sit on one seat in front next to the gear shift box, and 4 more are squished into the back.

At the Big Taxi stands, you may find guys who work as cab fillers.  I don't know what they're called, but when you approach the stand, they will ask where you're going and direct you to whichever cab at the stand is headed in your direction.  You then get to sit and wait till the cab fills (and you're squished) before leaving.

If for some reason your taxi is not full at the start of the trip, don't worry.  The cabbie is always on the lookout for people along the way going his direction.  He will pick them up, so you can get squished then.

You  may think, "well, at least it's a Mercedes". Think again.  The window in the back may or may not open.  There is no air conditioning, or heat for that matter.  Get the picture?

The other type of cab is the small taxi (teksi sa-reer),  These have meters.  They will drop you at the door --that usually costs more--or take you to the nearest taxi stand and you can walk from there.  The small taxi's have a strict 3-passenger limit.  Babies and small children are counted, even if you keep them on your lap.

Families or friends often have to split up, flag down 2 taxis, and regroup at their destination. Of course, finding 2 taxis when you need them means it may take a while for all of you to get where you're going.  And, yes, if there are only one or two of you in the cab, the driver will stop for additional passenger(s) along the way.

There is no central company office that will dispatch a cab to your house when you call.  I had one driver tell me that he would come when I call, but he would immediately start the meter when I called him.

I live about a mile from the closest taxi stand.
  
Taxi! Yo, taxi!

A Bus to Casablanca

There was a 5:30 a.m. taxi ride to the bus which was parked outside of the  bus driver's house.  As his first customers, the family and I had our pick of seats and sat right up front.  It turns out the driver is a friend of the brother-in-law of a daughter-in-law of the family.  Isn't it always not what you know, but who you know?

After 30 minutes and 2 more customers, we left.  For the downtown bus terminal.  Another 45 minutes passed as we waited for the bus to fill.  And those prime front seats we had?  We were told apologetically to move back 4 rows.  The impenetrable Arabic explanation left the reason why a mystery to me.  In any case, the bus to Casablanca finally got underway.

In the Morrocan Arabic dialect, there are at least a couple of words for bus.  The please-get-me-to-work-on-time bus is called a toe-bis (not making this up).  The city-to-city variety is called a car (still not making this up).  I guess it's the same in America, where the lowly form of  bus transportation tries to elevate itself by use of the word "coach".

If you travel by style in a car, make sure you take a look to see if there are windows all around the back of it.  Know what that means?  No bathroom. Very common. On the 3 hour trip to Casablanca, it's a good time to heed mom's advice, "You should of gone before you went".

A Tantrum Put to Good Use

Who knew a 2 year old could be so useful at passport control?  I was waiting in a line to get my passport stamped and re-enter Morocco when I heard something that sounded like a wild animal, but which turned out to be a little girl. Her dad periodically picked her up, moved up in line, then put her back on the floor. Her mom and dad were in the short line designated for diplomats.

While this was going on, I noticed two things.  First, my line was moving slower than all the rest.  Of course. The woman checking passports in the line I was in managed to find some problem with every single entry form presented to her. Really?  Every single one?  Cue 2 year old with a new round of screams.

The second thing I noticed was a Moroccan official on the phone. His job was to check the passport stamps before allowing travelers out of the area and into the airport proper. He got off the phone and left his post.  You know where this is going, right?  He got the girl's mom and dad out of line. 

The dad took the little girl through the door and into the baggage claim area. Where he put her back on the floor. The mom waited for a couple of minutes as the official got their passports stamped.  Now, yes, it could be this had something to do with their diplomatic connection, but everyone is chuckling (and relieved) at this little scene.

Meanwhile, I was still stuck in the slow line, wondering if anyone else had a two year old that I could borrow for a few minutes.

More on Busses

When you want to get on a bus in Marrakech, you can use a couple of techniques that are socially acceptable and may get you on a crowded bus and possibly a seat. I have seen or used them  myself numerous times.

People often crowd the doors instead of lining up and boarding single file. For this situation, you need a defensive move.  As soon as you are close enough, feel free to use what I call the "door block techique"  where you reach past  as many people as you can who are boarding the bus ahead of you. With an arm now extended to either or both doors, you can block people from getting ahead of you from the sides (this is my favorite).

Sometimes the bus is so crowded that people are standing on the front steps.  Don't despair of getting to your destination.  You can reach on and pay the driver at the front of the bus and then climb aboard through the back door.  Of course, the back is probably equally crowded, so feel free to Twister your way on board.

Once your on board, if you're a woman of a certain age, a man of advanced age, enormously pregnant, holding a small child, or have an obvious physical disability, then you are entitled to go on the offense.  You can ask a someone to relinquish their seat to you.  Most people will.

On the Street Where You Live

Behind any given street in Marrakech, where you might expect to find back doors and alleyways, you may find instead a warren of homes and walkways.  I'm not sure how these off-street streets are designated for, say, the post office. 

Their existence does explain why taxi drivers navigate by landmarks rather than by addresses.  Of course, the foreigner who, proudly showing off her faux-Arabic with a freshly memorized destination, may be suddenly at a total loss when it comes to knowing what is considered a landmark in the area. Not that that has ever happened to me.

Nat King Cole, probably best known now for his song "Unforgettable",  might never have recorded this other classic tune had  Lerner and Loewe  lived in Marrakech.  "On the street where...behind the other street...where you make that left...."  It just doesn't sound the same.

Marrakech City Bus Etiquette

If you are going to venture forth on a city bus in Marrakech, you have to be prepared.   I was surprised the first time I paid 3.50 dirhams, got a receipt and went through a turnstile inside the bus. The reason for this bit of formality is that inspectors randomly board busses and check every passenger receipt.  (They do occasionally catch people who have sneaked aboard through a backdoor, window, or the push of the crowd.)

Don't have a seat? You can sit on the steps, on the side, or even in the aisle.  You can lean on the doors.  You can put your arm out of the window.

If you get a seat and an older person asks you for it,  you are generally expected to give it to him or her.

Just so you know--the city busses, as opposed to tour or some of intercity busses, are not air-conditioned in summer or heated in winter.

The Noble Steed of Morocco

If you were expecting a horse, you are going to be disappointed.  The noble steed and workhorse, if you will, is none other than the donkey.  Donkeys are quite common on the streets of Marrakech.  Vendors use donkey carts to carry the fruits and vegetables that they sell on the streets to passersby.  Donkey carts make deliveries of produce to the suqs, the open-air markets located throughout the city.

And don't be surprised if a store owner calls one of them to bring newly purchase items such as furniture and appliances to your house.  If you ask nicely, you might be able to ride along.  I have.  The cart owner probably went home to tell his family about the crazy Americans, but the ride was fun nonetheless.