Having upgraded from SPF 15 sunscreen to SPF 50, I feel like I am handling Marrakesh well. Today, I went exploring in Gueliz: the more modern part of the city west of the Djemma El Fna. The contrast between the two is considerable, in terms of architecture and layout. The identical sorts of vehicles moving through each – taxis, horse drawn carriages, and lethal mopeds – remind you just how close together they really are.
Between the old and new cities, there is an Ensemble Artisanal that is well worth a look. It is government run, so the goods are of a consistent quality and the prices initially quoted are reasonably similar to those ultimately paid. All kinds of goods are available in wood, brass, and leather. There is also artwork, jewelery, and textiles. Unlike most places where such things are for sale, there is very little pressure applied to shoppers. As was the case in a similar complex we saw in Essaouira, there is plenty of opportunity to see the goods being made – the big carpet looms being perhaps the most interesting to observe.
PS. Almost as annoying as the Arabic keyboards here is the way Windows XP jumps unpredictably between applications when pages load. It is very annoying to puzzle your way through a complex password on an unfamiliar keyboard only to look up and see that you have typed half of it into Google.
Unusual bit of information: high strength sunscreen glows under fluorescent lights. I think it is because of how the mercury in the tube is actually producing UV light.