Memories of Marrakech: Getting around.

05Sep
by Oh, the Places We See
Old meets new as a man in traditional Moroccan dress chats with a friend in motorcycle attire.

Old meets new as a man in traditional Moroccan dress chats with a friend in motorcycle attire.

We’re people watchers (especially when we travel), fascinated by how people work, worship, and live in countries other than our own.  And in Marrakech, how people move from one place to another was in stark contrast to how we get around in the U.S.  Rarely did we see cars in lanes (lines on the street were merely a suggestion in some places), and ingenuity ruled the day as far as transportation went.  People got around any way they could — from carts to motorcycles to bikes to skate boards.  Here are a few glimpses of transportation, Marrakech style.

Horse-drawn carriages

Not just for tourists in Jemaa el-Fnaa.  Locals hopped on, too.

Mostly it's tourists who ride in horse-drawn carriages, but locals use them as well, especially in Jemaa el-Fnaa.

Donkeys with carts

Piled high and to the breaking point.

Donkeys pulling carts were the norm for those who needed help with deliveries.

Donkeys alone

Waiting to deliver the goods, a donkey stands tethered in a Marrakech marketplace.

Waiting to deliver the goods, a donkey stands tethered in a Marrakech marketplace.

Carts piled high

Adding a third wheel actually doubles what you can haul!

Adding a third wheel means you can add a cart to a cycle -- double duty, double efficiency.

Carts piled low

Have flatbed, will deliver — open and airy transportation, for sure.

Give me a flatbed, and I'll deliver you some produce -- open and airy transportation, for sure.

And carts filled to overflowing!

No comment needed.  We have no idea how people negotiate mile-high loads!

Walking gets you there. 

Ladies at Koutoubia Mosque get around by foot — possibly the most expedient way in crowded tourist areas.

Ladies at Koutoubia Mosque: Walking won out as most common way of getting around, especially in the areas where tourists want to see the sites.

And so does riding.

A cyclist whizzing by?  Not following the lanes?  Just another day in the streets of the medina.

A motorcyclist speeds through the crowds of the Marrakech medina -- and no one seems fazed at all!

But at the end of the day, a cart can be anything you want it to be.

For more of Marvelous Morocco, check it out here!

11 thoughts on “Memories of Marrakech: Getting around.”

  1. jrdobbin

    A whole new world. It`s amazing that in North America we wouldn`t dream anymore of loading up a cart by hand and pulling it ourselves into town to then unload by hand. You guys take such good pictures.

    Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much for the compliment, but the photos are just real life as we see it. Morocco is full of sites and scenes that we might consider “old world.” But the work gets done, no matter how. And we love the ingenuity of so many people around the world. Best wishes for a great new year and the chance to see many new places.

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks! I’m sure you’ve seen a lot of transportation in the countries you’ve visited. People whizzing by aren’t unique — it’s just that many people are more creative than I am when it comes to getting by.

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks, Jeanne. Marrakech is a busy place, and sometimes I couldn’t get my camera in time to snap someone or something rushing past. Michael would have a ball here — so many pictures every where we looked!

      Reply

    1. Oh, the Places We See

      Thanks so much, Joanne. I’m sure you have memories of more transportation methods than the ones I showed. In fact, I loved our van that took us from Jnane Tamsna to downtown the best!!! Hope all is well with you.

      Reply

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