“The country of cool” When first hitting the freeway from Casablanca headed to Marrakech, you would swear that your driving along Interstate 5 somewhere within the confines of Central California, passing mile after mile of small towns surrounded by productive farmland. Plenty of sun, row after row, section after section of croplands, freeways and overpasses, gas stations with quicky marts. Then you notice that the towns are becoming centuries old walled villages with mosques at the center of town, donkeys and camels are fairly abundant in your surroundings, the gas stations are Afrique brand, another I couldn't hope to pronounce, and the country is awash in satellite dishes. And all of a sudden you realize that you're in Morocco. With Casablanca as a jumping off point, (a bussleing city of almost four million), I stopped to wonder if it's really as exotic a country as I first believed. It's more first world than third world, and it seems that there are McDonalds every where you look. Nice houses, high rises, lots of retail stores, beautiful beaches along the coast , and everyone seems to be driving. A constantly moving populace with an economy that appears to be booming. While the city was constructed in the same fashion as Paris with traffic circles and a street grid emanating from thereof, (after all, it was a French colony till the 60's), the ease of navigation is negated by the squawler of the traffic congestion. The cars seemed mostly of the newer years, and the occasional donkey and cart was noticed intermixed with the traffic. A fun driving scenario to say the least, and could provide many adventurous stories to add to you're driving resume. While not looking for the allure of yet another big city no matter how interesting, it was off down the road toward the Atlas Mountain range and the ancient city of Marrakech. I first became interested in Morocco and Marrakech when I met a waiter who was working in a restaurant in Washington DC. He was Moroccan, and told me over the course of the evenings business dinner that if I really wanted to experience Morocco, I had to go to Marrakech to see what the real Morocco was like. The sights, the sounds, the souk, the history. The true Morocco it was told to me. So Marrakech, it was destined to be, and we headed off after the landing in Casablanca forsaking Rick's Cafe Americana, and a beach that looked pretty darned inviting. About 4 hours drive southeast of Casablanca, (the freeways are excellent by the way), lies the ancient city of Marrakech at the base of the Atlas Mountains. The pink city. It's a local ordnance that all of the buildings must adhere to the ancient colors from centuries ago, no matter how big, or how modern, to maintain the look, culture, and ambiance of the old city. It's become a very popular city for travelers from Europe, and the condominium business from the other side of the Med is booming, but with all of the new growth Marrakech remains a magical city, and appears probably as it mostly did centuries ago. Many of the local citizenry wear the traditional dress while others have adopted a more western look, but with the variance of dress and peoples from many countries here, everyone seems appropriately adorned. Everything is for sale in Morocco, and leather goods, silks, spices, and Berber rugs appear to be at the forefront. Everyone is in the sales business it seems, and veiled locals sell everything from silver trinkets and traditional Berber daggers, to pictures of you with the monkey, snake, or donkey they're cruising around the souk with. Many items are at incredibly reasonable prices, and shopping and bargaining is nothing short of an adventure. Bargaining is expected, and prices typically decrease 30 to 50 percent during the bargaining process. Bargaining is not an insult, it's part of the culture and expected. The Moroccan Birham is the local currency, and currently is about 9 Birhams to the USD. The Euro is widely excepted, and the exchange for the Euro is about 11 to one. While the USD is accepted in limited fashion, many establishments will not except it for payment of goods nor services same as in the most of Europe. The medina and the Djemaa el Fna souk remain at the heart of the city and probably appear very similar to the way they did when the Moors ran amuck through Europe, other than the dress and the preponderance of scooters everywhere you look. Moroccan spices are for sale around the souk and the scent seems to prevail wherever you wonder in this vast marketplace. Olives, open air kitchens, leather shops, tourist shops, even the occasional snake charmer.....you can find it all at Djemma el Fna, the legendary market place that could just as easily be a movie set for an Indiana Jones movie. The food at the local establishments is served family style, and you'll find eating utensils only at the more western type restaurants, hotels, and such. You eat with your right hand by the way. Very important! I found the food to be quite good, the spicing incredible, and the fruit, (which is usually served for desert), quite fresh. Morocco is for the most part a dry country being though secular, a predominately Muslim country. While alcohol can be had at the more western venues and tourist beach destinations, in the traditional spots, it can't. I really enjoyed my time in Morocco, and found the only part I didn't enjoy, was I didn't spend enough time