In Morocco it could be even much nicer – if the rooms were not so shady. The vacation domiciles in the lower price range are all designed for the high temperatures in summer. But in November it is no longer the case in Morocco. And if the Internet is then also weakening in the drafty huts, the hotel owners have to wrap up warmly!
Heat up the place please!
As in other parts of the world, Morocco is suffering from climate change. And together with Morocco, thousands of tourists who thought that November was still summer are suffering. It is Africa and in Africa it has to be warm! When I arrive in Marrakech, it is so wet and cold that I would rather like to go home. At least we have heating in our houses. In our riad (a traditional Moroccan house) I need two thick blankets to get warm. As beautiful as the old walls are – but there is a draught everywhere: Neither the windows are airtight, nor does the door close properly. The room faces the inner courtyard, but according to old Moroccan custom it is not covered. Certainly wonderfully cool in summer…
On the last morning we do not sit on the draughty terrace as usual, but in the breakfast room. What we notice immediately: It is so comfortably warm here! There is neither a heater nor a fan heater. We investigate the matter and almost drop dead: The heat comes from a big picture! And such a big picture (with a motive from China) is hanging in our room, too. A cable is attached to it, which we found a bit strange the whole time. Unbelievable! Frozen for four days for nothing! Since everybody has a heated picture at home, of course, nobody in the riad had given us the tip to turn the picture on when we are cold. Well, next time we visit the riad we will be in the picture…
Internet arabe – German Telekom sends its regards!
In Essaouira, the „windy city“, we completely gave up on looking for a radiator or picture heating. After five days we move from our windy room in the riad to an apartment. It is a bit drafty too in our new apartment, but for that we have top WLAN! But after three days there is suddenly dead silence on the net. An announcement doesn’t come either – just like that: ‚Sorry, there are problems with the internet right now.‘ That’s not possible! After all, I need my online Arabic dictionary and here and there a few other websites. It’s a good thing that the boy in the clothes shop right on the corner works with the apartment owner. I tell him several times in a friendly way during the day that we do not have WLAN but nothing happens at all. In the evening my mood hits rock bottom and I snap at him that he should now take action. Finally, apartment manager Zaki arrives – and is at a loss.
On the next day we write Zaki that we will move out if we don’t have WLAN in the afternoon at its latest. He shows up at our place again (still helpless), recognizes the seriousness of the situation, makes phone calls for hours, is kept on the line of Arab Telekom forever and finally it turns out: It’s a router problem! After a couple of hours a technician shows up and puts an end to the drama. And this on a (holy) Friday (our Sunday)! Of course we were not left high and dry during this dry spell: Khaled, the owner of the restaurant across the street, allowed us to use his WLAN at any time. Oh yes, and the boy from the clothes shop is now quite mad at me for bawling him like that. He says he doesn’t work together with the apartment rental agency. Funny thing is, he was there during the whole renting and paying process… Very strange…
But whatever happens: Morocco is still a beautiful country and a small shortcoming here and there is quickly forgotten.