Web Resources

Page 1 | 2 | 3

MORE FOOD
To get to the first night�s dinner my party walked through the club Pacha. It�s the largest nightclub in North Africa, but there was no one inside (it was early). If this place is anything like its mother club in Ibiza, Spain � it goes off! The massive complex has two adjoining restaurants. I ate at Jana, which features Moroccan cuisine. Its two floors are designed around a covered patio, with a motionless lap pool -size fountain in the middle. This is where the fez cap-wearing band members sat and played their instruments quietly. The low lighting and candles create a romantic ambiance. The food just kept coming out: first some delicious tapas, then a chicken- and cinnamon-filled pastry (oh my, was it good). The entr�e was fish, but I had beef, and could barely move. Jana has great atmosphere, architecture and food, so I couldn�t understand why it was empty. My host said it was because it was only 8:45 pm. In Morocco most people eat out around 9. Sure enough, a few minutes later it seemed like bus after bus was dropping guests off. The place quickly got packed and really loud; then the band members stood up and started banging their drums harder. For the grand finale (over tea), out came a beautiful belly dancer who dragged my two left feet onto the dance floor. Jana is now in my top 10 favorite restaurants. Jana, (212) 24-38-84-80.

LE COMPTOIR DARNA
Another fantastic restaurant is Le Comptoir Darna. The red carpet entrance was like a scene out of a movie. Two men straight out of Lawrence of Arabia were saddled on top of their equally outfitted horses. The dark interior had attractive waitresses. A band played quietly alongside the staircase. A belly dancer popped out midway through the evening. I almost choked on my spring roll when I saw how beautiful she was. The food is good, expensive and elegantly presented. It was only fitting that in this Hollywood-feeling restaurant, Susan Sarandon sat at the table next to mine. Le Comptoir Darna, Av Echchouada � Hivernage; tel.: 212 (0) 24-43-77-02.

FILM FESTIVAL PARTY
Susan Sarandon and Laurence Fishburne were both in town for the annual Marrakech Film Festival (so was Martin Sheen, but I didn�t see him). After dinner I went with a bunch of new friends to an opening festival party. It was at the monster private home of property developer Jaouad Kadiri and his Indian mogul wife Preeti Paul. The over-the-top opulent home was packed with Hollywood actors and Moroccan elite. The only things that kept me from thinking I was in L.A. were the army of Moroccan fez-wearing staff and the fact that everyone was smoking -- inside. I�m surprised the fire alarm never went off.

MORNING PRAYER
The smoke at the party was so bad I couldn�t take it any longer � even with all beautiful single women. I went to bed around 3 a.m., and woke around 6 to some crazy Arabic voice over a loudspeaker miles away. I lay on my back with my eyes wide open, trying to figure out what the heck it was. At first I thought the city was being raided, and I tried to figure out my best options for getting out of Dodge. But then -- silly me -- realized I was in a Muslim country, and it was just the call to morning prayer from the nearby Koutoubia Mosque. I reached over the night stand and cracked opened the sliding glass door so I could listen, then fell back into bed, pulling the comforter over my shoulders to keep warm from the cold morning air.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

JARDIN MAJORELLE & MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART
Just five minutes from the hotel are the gardens of the French painter Jacques Majorelle. Yves Saint Laurent now owns and maintains them. Majorelle built them in 1931. He opened the colorful property to the public in 1947, because at the time it was considered one of the most important plant collections around. The gardens, boasting plants from five continents, are open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (7 p.m. in summer); entrance is only 30 MAD ($3.50). For an extra 15 MAD ($1.75) you can see Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berg�s Islamic art collection in a small two-room museum across the pond. What�s interesting about Islamic art is that there are no references to humans or animals. Those living things are believed to compete with God. That�s the same reason they all purposely have imperfections. Jardin Majorelle, Marrakech; tel.: (00212) 024-30-18.

PALAIS EL BAHIA
Just a short ride from the hotel is the Palais El Bahia (Bahia Palace). It was originally built in 1314 (that�s the Islamic calendar; using the Gregorian calendar, it was 1897). The palace was built for Si Moussa, a former slave who rose himself up to become Moulay Hassan�s grand vizier. The 16-acre property is beautiful and well worth seeing, especially because it recently underwent an extensive restoration overseen by Faisal Cherradi, the inspector of historical monuments and delegate of the Ministry of Culture in Marrakech. The entrance is lined with rosemary bushes, and orange and palm trees. It�s named Bahia not after the religion, but rather the king�s favorite wife. (He had four, as well as two dozen concubines.) Bahia was his favorite because she was the first to produce a son. Every room in the palace has wood ceilings. The stucco and Lebanese cedar wood is beautifully carved. Natural dyes were used for color: mint for green, poppies for red, indigo for blue, and saffron for yellow. Palais El Bahia; open daily, 9 a.m. -3 p.m. 10 MAD ($1.16).

SAADIAN TOMBS
For more history, check out the Saadian tombs. They date from 1578, during the reign of the great sultan Ahmad I al-Mansur. In 1917 they were discovered and restored, and have since become a major attraction. There are two main mausoleums (men and women are buried separately). Ahmad I al-Mansur and his family are buried here, along with the remains of 60 or so members of the Saadi Dynasty. The saddest part about visiting this place is seeing all the stray cats. Many are malnourished, and all have cataracts. Someone needs to send a vet ASAP. Open daily, 8:30-11:45 a.m., and 2:30-5:45 p.m. Cost: 10 MAD ($1.16).

THE MENARA GARDENS
The Menara Gardens are actually large irrigation channels dating back to the 12th century. They look like a pond built around a pavilion, where visitors love to stroll and street hawkers love to hawk. At the far end and down the stairs, you will find orchards and olive groves. The gardens are free, and open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

CAMEL RIDES
The highlight of the Menara Gardens is seeing camels grazing out in the fields. They are available for rides, or just getting on for a two-minute photo op (20 MAD = $2.33).

PRICE OF GAS: 10 MAD ($1.16) for a liter (4 liters to a gallon).

1 | 2 | LAST PAGE >>





Copyright 2007 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.