Keeping Up With the Moroccans

Let me be blunt – living the Moroccan lifestyle, at least during Ramadan, can be quiet a challenge for someone who treasures their sleep (read: me).  It has been five days since I first arrived in Marrakesh but I have yet to conquer my sleepiness and keep up with the Moroccan night life. Yes, at times like these I do realize that I sound like an old lady who won’t stop complaining about the ‘kids these days!’ – but what can I say? I’m a 20-year-old with the energy of an 8-year-old in the morning and the grouchiness of an 80-year-old grumpy grandpa at night. To put in simpler terms: I am undeniably a morning person. So even though I have to do mandatory hangouts with the other 50-ish people in the same AIESEC project as I am at 2 PM at the local mall, followed by another hangout at a pool club at 4, and then a big feast for iftor at 8, finished off by a walk around the souk until 1 AM (not to mention the long time it took to get back to the apartment), I would still be wide awake before 6 AM – with a headache and hunger pains as I still have to fast for Ramadan but failed to stay awake to consume breakfast (or sahur) before Subh. 

That being said, I am still amazed at the amount of energy the Moroccan nightlife has to offer. The burst of life after 9 PM makes up for the lack thereof during the day – where hardly any shops in the streets are open and the amount of people you see outside can be counted by a single hand. As most of the people in the organizing committee says, ‘Morocco during the day is boring, but at night time it is a life of a party.^*’

The peak of the nightlife really begins around 10 PM, which can really be seen in the markets, or souk, in the Old Medina, where there are dozens and dozens of tents selling all sorts of goods, from leather bags (a popular Moroccan souvenir) and spices to children’s toys and soccer jerseys. The sellers yelling out their deals and children running around the market really adds on to that hyped, energetic ambiance. The Old Medina also has something for people who prefers something more toned down. On the sides of the markets there fancy cafes which offers cozy environments and amazing rooftop views of the markets – just try not to order mineral water there as they can cost up to 5 times the normal cost.

All in all I can see why the night time in Morocco can attract a lot of excitement for both tourists and locals, and while I myself was really, REALLY exhausted by the time I got there (I’m talking about grouchy, I-wanna-go-home tired), I still managed to appreciate what the Moroccan nightlife has to offer – even though I did not express it a lot physically, because you know, grouchy tired.

One of these days I will learn how to sleep less and really enjoy everything there is to enjoy in Morocco's night time (and hopefully next time I will bring an actual camera instead of taking crappy pictures on my phone). But until then, let me enjoy my sleep.

xo and smiles,
Ira.

*I’ve honestly only heard them say the bit about boring Morocco but I just feel like the party bit was a good follow up.

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