&
If you‘re tired of haggling over the price of hats (above), try the dentin Majorelle (below)
hosing down. while engaging in the latest gossip. And they‘ll get you clean alright. What I‘d assumed to be the start of a healthy tan turns out to be no more than dirt. | pop into the Hammam lil-Bacha. a fairly traditional affair. where there are separate times for boys and girls. l‘d expected to find myself in the middle of a social hub. but the place is almost deserted save for a man named Ahmed. who sits sucking on a cigarette while awaiting his next victim. The process goes something like this: I lie in a sauna until I‘m on the verge of passing out. Ahmed bends my limbs into a variety of painful positions in the name of massage. before scrubbing me with a cross between a glove and a scouring pad. Then comes the soap. It's like a particularly violent childhood bath time. but it works. To finish off.
Ahmed pours buckets of water over
my head. from tepid to ice cold. ‘Good'P’ he smiles. reassurineg. Despite what it sounds like. it is. I've rarely felt as fresh as when I walk out the door. past Ahmed sucking on another cigarette.
For evening entertainment. the usual place to head is the Djemaa el-Fna. the vast main square in the medina. As dusk falls the nightly
102 THE LIST 13-27 Apr 2006
TRAVEL
festivities begin. with. if possible. even more hard sell than in the market. Rows of food stalls compete to feed the hungry populace. while musicians. dancers and harmless freaks bid to lure in your cash with their lamplight routines. It's fine for a while. but it can get a bit overwhelming. and you may as well be wearing a hat marked ‘take my money‘ liar better to head for Avenue Mohammed V. in the Ville Nouvelle. where you can choose from one of the many cafes to indulge in a lazy and informal session of people watching. If you still need convincing. I ought to point out that this is one of the few places where alcoholic refreshments aren‘t so hard to come by. (‘afe Atlas and Bar l'liscale suit us just fine. fora pleasant and hazy evening where the hassle. hustle and verbal combat associated with Marrakesh seem a million miles away.
FACTF I LE
Getting there British Airways (0870 850 9850. britishainNayscom) flies from either Edinburgh or Glasgow. Via London, to Marrakesh from arOund C315. Alternatively, from July. Easyiet (easyietcom) will operate daily budget flights from Gatwrck. Accommodation The most
atmospheric place to stay is in the
medina. With a huge range of places to sun all budgets. from iii) 5‘ l()() a Illtjili.
Try the Jnane Mogador
(Jrianemogzidorconi), a traditionally decorated hotel With a roof terrace. Double rooms start at around 5‘90.
Activities Most of the famous sights.
including the sougs. are Within easy walking distance of the medina. lhe
Musee de Marrakesh (Place ben Youss 2f. mtiseerlemarrakech.ma) is Just north of
the sougs. l-lammam el Bacha (Hue
fatima Zohra. men only 4am noon and 7pm midnight; women only noon 7pm; is also nearby. lhe .lardin Maiorelle and Museum of Islamic Art (iardirirnaiorellecom)
is in the Ville Nouvelle.
WILDLIFE SPOTS IN
SOUTH AMERICA
WJHWick l ister Kay of Rolling (art/i frave/ shares his most incredible and iiiemoiable sightings of animals in the Wild.
I Humming birds in Ecuador We Visited this beautiful cloud forest called Mindo and our guide took us to a wooded glade where a local bird lover had set up a feeding station. lhere were literally hundreds of humming birds flitting back and forth to the feeders. the problem is that they fly so last you iust see this little green or blue streak and hear this distinctive hum. When they're still, you can watch them through your binoculars -- they're only a few feet away but they're so small you need these to recognise all the different species.
I Sea Lions on the Galapagos Islands One of the features of this extraordinary archipelago of 22 main islands and many smaller islands set right on the equator, is that the Wildlife IiVing here is completely fearless and very abundant. It's guaranteed nature-watching and you can get incredibly close to the animals. You're not supposed to approach or touch them. but sometimes the sea lions Will souffle up to you and nuzzle you. We followed a couple into the water and it's amazing to see how agile they become when submerged. They're very playful -- you feel as if you're being inVited to join in with them.
I Whales in Patagonia The southern right whales are known fOr their gentle nature and they're very curious. One came up and nudged Our boat. so you could feel the bulk and the power of it. but there was no sense that it was being aggressrve. With the group trips. I head for areas where Wildlife is almost guaranteed. but I've spent much more time looking for animals on my own. I waited for four or five days trying to see killer whales off the coast of Patagonia and eventually I did see them hunting sea lions iust off the shore. I rol/ingearthlravel.com (0845 430 95 76). See Around Town, Edinburgh for details of Warwick '3 talk on the Galapagos Islands.