Marrakech, Morocco - Day 6

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

I woke up this morning feeling like I got hit by a truck. I’ve been fighting a cold for a week now, but last night was the worst of it. I coughed all night long and got zero sleep. Thanks to me, poor Andi didn’t sleep a wink either.

Andi got up with Tory and Aden this morning. He ordered coffee and pastries from Starbucks on the Marrakech food delivery app called Glovo. Tory was happy as a clam starting her day with a frappuchino.

Today we promised to take the kids to the mall in Marrakech for an activity of their choosing. This is a reward for bravely riding dromedaries (one-humped camels) in the Sahara Desert — an activity that neither of the kids wanted to do, but Andi and I really did. When traveling as a family, I think it’s important to be team players. Very rarely do all four of us want to do the same thing, but that doesn’t mean we all can’t participate. Staying in the Medina of Marrakech last week was intense! Andi and I loved every minute of the cultural experience, but it was definitely outside Tory and Aden’s comfort zones. They were such good sports about it though, being open to trying new foods and learning about a different way of life. Now today, it’s all about the kids. They’ve talked non-stop about the kids activities they saw at the Marrakech Mall last week and have chosen to spend the day at an arcade and a climbing gym.

Andi offered to take Tory and Aden to the mall by himself so that I could stay back at the airbnb to rest. Normally, I would have bawked at the idea of missing out on a family activity, but today it felt necessary. Andi, Tory, and Aden left the apartment complex around 10:00am, walking a couple blocks away to a busier street with taxis. Once they located one, they hopped in a taxi to go to the Menara Mall.

Fifteen minutes later, the taxi dropped Andi and the kids off at Menara Gardens. Andi didn’t think this looked right, but didn’t realize it until the taxi had dropped them off and pulled away. He and the kids had to walk a few blocks again until they found another taxi to take them to the correct place.

In the end, the climbing gym happened to be at a different mall than Andi thought anyway. He got a quick haircut at the Menara Mall, and then the three of them hopped in another taxi to get to Al Mazar Mall where the climbing gym was located. This entire area of Marrakech was very nice and modern, Andi said, with lots of up-scale houses, apartments, and shopping. And, the climbing gym was top-notch!

Inside Atlas Elevation, Tory and Aden got suited up with climbing harnesses and shoes. The instructors were easy-going with the kids and spoke perfect English which made the whole experience convenient. Tory and Aden started out on the small climbing wall, but quickly advanced to the larger climbing area.

They both loved the experience, and said they conquered all six of the different climbing rock colors. Andi was really impressed with their abilities.

Andi took the kids to eat lunch at the mall food court. Aden picked Burger King for his meal, Tory ate Pizza Hut, and Andi ordered a shwarma from a greek restaurant.

Then, Andi took the kids to the arcade in the mall. This experience wasn’t as thrilled as the climbing gym had been. The go-carts were slow moving, and the games were “extremely dull” the kids said.

Meanwhile back at the airbnb, I finished washing and drying our laundry. There is only a washer in this apartment, but the dry air of Marrakech dried our clothes quickly in the sun. When we’re traveling, I strategically pack all dark-colored clothing so that we can wash everything together.

Andi, Tory, and Aden returned to the apartment around 3:00pm. As much as I didn’t feel like it, we needed to do some school work. It’s been an adjustment doing school in the afternoons on this trip. 3:00pm in Morocco is 9:00am back home in the USA, and that’s when Andi typically starts working. So, it only makes sense that we’d adventure during our morning hours and do school while Andi works in the afternoon/evenings. Unfortunately, that’s not the time of day the kids are freshest, so it’s been a rough go for all of us adjusting to this schedule.

Andi finished work around 9:00pm, and ordered take-out from Glovo again. This time, he ordered a chicken teriyaki bowl for me, a poke bowl for himself, and hamburgers and chicken tenders for the kids. He even got a brownie, ice cream, and a slice of cake for dessert! You can truly order any food to be delivered on that app.

Tomorrow, we say good-bye to Morocco. I can hardly believe it. Our time here in this country has been everything I imagined and so much more. I’m sad to see it ending, but looking forward to more adventures in Europe. Next stop: the Spanish Canary Islands.