My 2 Cents' Worth

I found the people very friendly & helpful

I met a berber in the market in Agadir

We hired a car & he drove us around

Into the Sahara & his family house

We stayed the night & he refused

Any money, he even taught me to bargain

I bought a tea pot from him in 1987

And I still have it here with me now

Saha Hassan!

Well negative experiences of course do occur...we all have had them. But the bad memories fade and the many great experiences in Morocco remain forever. And I am surprised you found things so expensive...certainly costs have increased over the years (I usted to pay 10 dirhams for a taxi to the airport, now it is 50+), but Morocco is still one of the least expensive countries to visit. But thanks for posting your experiences. We all benefit from hearing about both the good and the bad ones.

I went to Morocco in the early 90s and it sounds like a lot has changed (understandably so!). When I was there, Morocco was really off the tourist map and everything was still very cheap. People also weren't used to tourists and the scam industry was not as highly developed. People not only helped us without expecting payment, but if we asked directions invariably someone would walk us several blocks to make sure we got where we wanted to go; one woman I met on a train, after I complimented her on her robe, offered to give it to me--right then and there. Another, older woman on a train spoke to a young man on our behalf and told him to leave us alone. After traveling through Europe, I was really struck by the kindness of the Moroccans.

On the other hand...

My friend and I, both female, were literally chased down the streets on 3 separate occasions: the first was when my friend didn't want to pay some exorbitant price for a restaurant meal that included "petit peas," which are apparently canned and imported from France; the second occurred when the owner of a hostel wanted to charge us for a room when we made it clear we were checking out and just wanted to store our backpacks till we caught the train (3 guys this time); and the last was when we got invited to dinner at the home of two young brothers we had met in the bazaar. It was all quite nice until one of them offered to take me on a tour of his neighborhood--I stupidly went--and ended up having to fight him off and get away, with him following me screaming in French. I ran back to his house and through the garden and, in the dark, went straight into a clothesline which ripped a hoop earring out of my ear. I finally found my friend and off we went, not even saying goodbye.

So, yeah, Morocco is not a hassle-free place by any stretch. But if you're lucky, it is a place from which you'll come back with a few stories...

Honestly, lesliemac, this is pretty thin stuff. Travellers have been visiting Morocco for centuries. Do you think no one had ever visited till a bunch of potheads turned up in the fifties? Anywhere you get trade and travellers, there are scams. You only have to read Mark Twain on Istanbul. From what I hear, things were worse in the nineties not better. (Yes, and I was there in the seventies. I have history.)

As for going off with some guy like that - I'm only surprised you've got the face to tell the story.

Welcome to Africa.

It's a game.

They know you can't play it.

Get out of London, get some fresh-air into those little Indian lungs darling,

Well, come to Africa...

As for the part about Morocco being expensive, unfortunately, it's only getting worse. Even soda prices just (genuinely) went up! I hate having to shell out that extra dirham.

But seriously, as for the hassle - first of all, Marrakech and Fez are the two worst cities when it comes to hassle - I'm just sorry you didn't get to visit anywhere more calm. And I'm honestly shocked about the racism, but I'm sorry that happened.

Still, you really ought to mention the name of the riad so no one else gets jacked like that. Even though 650dh is utterly reasonable for a riad in Fez.

Thanks much for the generous share, nirmal_kaur

In addition and with respect, I would like to add that it does look like you could have planned your trip much better and avoided alot of the problems you experienced, viz. not booking before coming to Fez.

forget about booking ahead for your hotel the behavior you experienced is outragous. Unfourtunally there are difficult people in any country. I have found Fez more desperate for cash than other Morrocan citites but that is jut my personal experiece.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>As for going off with some guy like that - I'm only surprised you've got the face to tell the story.<hr></blockquote>

You're joking, right? Or am I really supposed to care what people think of me on the Thorn Tree World? ;)