Breakfast-pancakes, heavenly yoghurt, freshly squeezed orange juice, and coffee.
It's a shame that Morocco's best hotel, the La Mamounia, was closed for renovation. I wanted to visit old man Winston Churchill's suite and have afternoon tea surrounded by its lush gardens and art deco motifs. Maybe next visit.
In the morning, HRO Karl Willem insisted that we sample every riad the Medina had to offer and after a quick call by PA/PR Gromit to our reliable French man-friday Philippe, we moved to more a more luxurious riad. It only had three rooms, looked every bit like the Alhambra, and was tucked deeper in the confusing recesses of the Medina. The downside was that I was going to have to share the riad with a couple of high-level executives from the pharmaceutical industry who were in Marrakech for secret M&A talks. (Were I a corporate spy, I would have sold the information I got just by sitting in the courtyard that morning for lots of money.) Clinton, who flew down last night moved to another adjacent riad which had five rooms and jacuzzi on the roof terrace.
We had lunch at a cheap eatery just off the square and headed to Hivernage to sample one of the hotel spas on offer. Hivernage is full of chain hotels which makes the place look like a theme park. You wouldn't think you were in the Maghreb. It felt just like Makati. Or Las Vegas. In short, ho-hum boring. It even has a Pizza Hut. Eww. At least my masseuse was pretty but the massage was so-so and there was a lot of 'showering you with rose petals' action going on. I felt like attending my own funeral instead of getting the therapeutic massage that I had expected.
After the overpriced massage (it was about 550dh for 60 minutes, 15 minutes was spent on the 'showering you with rose petals' bit), Clinton commandeered a vehicle to take us to the first Aman resort in Africa, the Amanjena. It wasn't a Bentley or a Rolls Royce but a trusty old Peugeot 205 driven by one of those rare men in Marrakech (or Manila) - an honest cab driver. He agreed to take us just to the outskirts of the city to that exclusive resort and be our 'chauffeur' for the afternoon.
Imagine the surprise of the valet service as our petit taxi stopped at the grand entrance. Excuse moi, I don't need a valet. I have my own driver. I think there were 5 staff who welcomed us, led by the assistant manager. Do they know who I am? I want the big kahuna and not the underling! He looked bemused and wanted our 'chauffeur' to park the car out of sight quickly before Sting made his grand entrance. I asked why we couldn't seem to phone them earlier to get a table for dinner but he said their acclaimed Thai Restaurant was fully booked that night. He introduced us to another member of staff who gave us a tour of the resort complex. It had a huge reflecting basin and surprisingly enough a library which currently displayed works by a French painter named Thomas Saliot.
We had tea at the entrance colonnade. Personally, I felt disconnected with the place. It looks pretty and grand but I could not feel the vibe. I guess it was selling 'exclusivity' and 'privacy' and it's cheaper than Amanpulo in Pamalican but I just couldn't get it. Maybe because it was new or maybe because Marrakech already had La Mamounia, Maison Arabe, and dozens of classy riads close to where the action is. Nevertheless, the tea was lovely.
As we drove back to the city, we completely forgot why we went to Amanjena in the first place. Clinton had heard of this old Frenchman who has a vintage plane called "The Chestnut" and offers flights over the High Atlas and apparently the guys at Amanjena know how to contact this elusive pilot. Shame, I so wanted to do an aerial survey of the mountains.
That night, it was back to Djemaa El Fna for turo-turo dinner and tea with the locals....
Minor Details: (Just in case my mother thinks I spent too much today. Wait, that shouldn't matter. I'm a hardworking rent-boy. I can spend my own money now.)
Lunch at Marrakech: 35dh
Spa at Hotel Hivernage: 550dh
Taxi rental: 250dh (2 hours)
Tea at Amanjena: 100dh (I also had coffee laced with alcohol and because I'm The Nashman, the food was free. Also, if you are dressed in jeans and an ukay-ukay shirt, it's unlikely you can get into the Amanjena unless you have The Nashman's charm. Well, Clinton is always overdressed appropriately.)
1 dh = 6 Pinoy pesos
My new home. The dawgs and I had the entire west wing.
HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit in one of the rooms of the adjacent riad. We felt it was too 'French' for us and wanted something more "Berber." And what HRO Karl Willem wants, HRO Karl Willem gets.
My lunch of merguez sausages.
The reflecting pool of the Aman resort.
The colonnade entrance.
High Tea and Rhum Coffee.
The entrance colonnade with the distinct Moorish arches.
Driving back to the city from the desert.
Yep, that's The Nashmobile for the afternoon.
I loves it. Imagine the look on the other guests' faces as this beautiful transport parked next to their Bentleys.
While waiting for Ramadan fast to end for the day, it was back to my room for a soak in the tub.
This, is much better than Amanjena....
HRO Karl Willem and PA/PR Gromit eagerly await the Muezzin's call to prayer from their private balcony.
More arches. This time the entrance to my home in the Medina.
This is what we had for dinner in the square...
Like the previous night, the starter was snail. Also got a free second serving! It's simply steamed and you put a little salt before slurping. Soul food! (10 dirhams)
I had tanjia with bread, some sheep's brains, some goat entrails which were cooked in a large metal vat, and a bottle of Coca-cola.
I wiped my plate clean! (total coast = 25dh! cheap and yummy!). Ended the day with Berber tea in the square with sweets (5 dh).