Had been concerned the evening before that attempts to gain wireless access had failed - it acquired an IP address, but no gateway address, hence no name resolution. Up in our room on the fifth floor, reception was very week though. In the morning I tried again, also with the various Linux-booting USB sticks. No luck there either.
Our major task this morning was to find a post office and post the presents for Richard's kids. The hotel bloke had given us some directions and when we had partly followed those we asked a man on a street corner. He directed us elsewhere and we followed that for a bit. Next we asked a nice Indian man in a phone card shop and he told us to go the other way. We did indeed find this one, but it was closed for reservations. We proceeded to the Gare du Nord and asked several times and received indications that there was a post within the railway hall. There wasn't but on going outside we were at the one that was closed. This time at least the door was open and the kind African lady directed us to another post office 300m down the same road.
A nice man at the counter there spoke passable English and was very helpful and did so cheerfully. Everything worked out for a semi-reasonable price.
The other task was to buy a SIM card for the next visit, but we didn't see any place we liked and we wanted to get back to base. On returning to the hotel, I had another attempt at wireless, this time from the lobby, and after much tribulation with the hotel's login page, I was finally in. However, by the time I had composed my two email messages, the login had timed out and I could not get back in. Leave it to Marrakech, I told myself. [Well, our Riad has no Internet.]
We asked the hotel desk to call a taxi for us. When the car arrived the driver was incensed that we only wanted to go to the Gare du Nord (GnD) - only 600 m away he said, but perhaps too far to comfortably wheel our bags - and kept grumbling about it. At least he went the direct route, but it still cost about the same as the night before. Inside the station, once we had found the RER ticket machines, we were surprised and alarmed that the Mastercard did not work this time. Eventually we found a ticket counter but the man there directed us elsewhere - upstairs I think. In the main hall we enquired at an information desk only to be told that the RER line was on strike today - nice.
We walked out of the front of the station to what looked like posh taxis. I nearly fell over when the driver told us wanted €120 for the journey to the airport. He eventually came down to €100 but this was still too rich for us. Luckily dear Joan had asked him before we got into the car. Eventually he pretended (or so I think) to devine that we wanted a regular taxi. He then directed us to the rank around the corner. Not surprisingly, there was a long queue. 30 or so minutes later we were on our way. Luckily taxis can use transit lanes otherwise the trip would have been significantly longer (and dearer). Anyway, we had a comfortable ride enjoying the city streetscape and arrived in good shape and good humour.
The flight was 3:15 on EasyJet. This outfit are cheapskates - too cheap to park at the air bridge, too cheap to give you free water on board. They charge for everything. €2.00 for 33cl of water. And the seats do not recline!!! I've not come across that before, but they probably get more seats in that way...
The flight was okay but too warm - to encourage you to buy beverages I suspect. The last few minutes of the flight were interesting because that was the first time we could see anything on the ground. Lots of farms and crops. Interesting walled farming villages.
Formalities went smoothly and we eventually found the driver waiting for us. He wanted to act as tour guide and spruiker as he pointed out many places of interest. Trouble is, it was getting ever darker and we couldn't really see much. After a long drive we entered the medina and there ensued an incredible journey as we twisted our way along narrow virtually one lane streets going in all directions, all the while dodging heavy pedestrian traffic as well as cars and motorbikes. A combination of VietNam and India.
Eventually our driver could go no further. In fact he was trying to go too far and had to reverse and turn around, holding up all sorts of traffic. Whether by accident or design there was a man with a barrow / handcart (a flat box on car wheels) and our gear was quickly loaded into it and we trotted long behind him. We walked for what seemed like ten minutes but it might have been less.
We were welcomed by Younis - a nice young man. He seated us in the courtyard, welcomed us and then tried to sell us all sorts of massage and travel services as well as meals. Unfortunately the meal we thought we had preordered was not forthcoming as, due to our late arrival, the cook(s) had gone for the night. We asked for something to drink as we were very thirsty. A very long while later some good mint tea arrived. In between, he kept popping back into the kitchen to chat with a woman, leaving us to our own devices but no closer to our room. After finishing the tea we asked to be shown our room and it was very pleasant. To bed just after 11pm.
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