Marrakech

 Finally I flew in this hot and pink city Marrakech in Morocco. I paid 100 MAD ($11, cheaper than paying 10€, which is used widely due to the amount of European tourists) to get a 10Gb 30 day local SIM card so I can use google map to find L20 bus which only cost 4 MAD (44 cent, rather than 30 MAD airport bus lines or god know how much taxi) to ride 5 km into downtown, and checked in my hostel. I feel this city is rather small and the street vendors are less aggressive than Egyptians. I feel only comfortable to ask fellow travelers (but not locals) to take photos for me who were not available later in the day.

Marrakech is the third largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca and Fez, and lies near the foothills of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains. I walked around its Medina that is full of intertwining narrow passageways to shop for food and tours. The tour prices very widely among carriers depending on my negotiation skills.

I walked around Koutoubia Mosque, right besides Djemaa El-Fna, which is to Marrakech as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. As with most mosques in Morocco, non-Muslims are not allowed inside. The square of Djemaa El-Fna is the highlight of any Marrakech night. Scores of stalls sell a wide array of Moroccan fare. I also walked via several Souks (markets) where you can buy almost anything, from spices to shoes, jellabas to kaftans, tea pots to tagines and much, much more. 

I stayed in kasbah red castle hostel which is not busy now. I shared a chicken bean dish, bread, and mints tea with the staff, but did not talk with other travelers yet. The staff was friendly, caring, and honest (unusual quality in Moroccan hospitality).