@flapiz 5 September 2022

Things to Do in Marrakech Part 1 Two years ago, just before covid conquered the world, I made a spontaneous and brave decision to travel to Marrakech, Morocco on my own. I was recently heart broken then and let's just say I had a momentary loss of sanity and just went for it.

Why Marrakech you might ask? Well a simple answer would be because Morocco is one of those countries who welcome a Filipino passport without a lot of frets. Also, because I saw a university batch-mate posting about her recent travels there. Anyhow, my reason was pretty shallow but I figured Morocco, sounds exotic! Why not?! Down below I listed some fun things you can do if you ever feel like grabbing a passport and whisking away to Morocco.

***1. Get a Henna Tattoo*** Moroccans and other Berbers believe that henna tattoo are a sign of good luck so you will see a lot of henna tattoo places in Morocco. Getting a henna tattoo makes you feel like you are immersing into the Moroccan culture. Plus watching it get done in person is pretty mesmerising. Con: you may end up sitting there for a long time depending on the design you choose. A place I would recommend to get henna there is "Henna Cafe" which is known for its livelihood initiative for women in the community.

***2. Shop and Get Lost At Souks*** Souks are basically Arab markets or bazaars. If you love shopping and you know how to haggle you would love this place. Although it can be quite tricky to navigate. I had to use the app called "Here We Go" to get around it as unfortunately google maps does not work well in the Souks. Pro-tip avoid eye contact as every merchant will be fawning over you and will be persistently friendly in order to get your business. Another pro-tip, research the prices of the products you want to buy first as sometimes these sellers tend to overprice since they are used to people haggling. I bought my souvenirs at the souk. Their leather products are pretty impressive.

3. ***Visit Agafay Desert and Ride a Camel*** I'm not going to lie, this was the highlight of my entire trip. I actually went out of my way to rent a whole van for myself to get to the Agafay desert as I was a solo traveler. I remembered saying to myself, "I must ride a camel, no matter what". It was a long drive to Agafay but it was well worth it when I saw the camels. They even give you traditional desert costume to go along with your ride. I was very scared as the camel stood up. I have never been on one before and it was absolutely towering I felt like I was going to fall. I had a guide to accompany me on my camel ride but he does not speak english. He did offer to take a photo for me using gestures. To conclude my Agafay desert trip we were offered a meal in the desert with a campfire and a lamp it was quite an unforgettable experience.

I think this is getting a bit too lengthy now, so please expect for a part 2. I got lost a lot while travelling to Morocco, but in the end, I ended up finding myself and becoming whole again. It is amazing what an act of bravery can do to a person. That's all for now I hope you enjoyed this read and I hope it inspired you to travel and be brave.