Day 10: Marrakech Morning and Pavillion de la Menara

Sunday was another free day in Marrakech with no work commitments.   Our day began by waking up in the hotel that we had traveled to in Marrakech.   We got to sleep in until 8am which was a late morning for us.  :-)     Yesterday we spent the majority of our day shopping in the local Souks in the Town Square in Marrakech.   On Sunday, we decided that we would spent our time exploring the local gardens, monuments, and other landmarks.    Our first stop was the Pavillion de la Menara which was built as a summer residence in the 19th century.

Austin taking advantage of previous wifi in the hotel lobby.   We have found that wifi access is not often easy to find.

Karen, myself, and Rahul taking a break in the hotel lobby before heading off for the day.

The crew in the bus that we rented while in Marrakech.   Traveling this way was very easy.... especially if you are not familiar with the driving style in Morocco.   One person on our team coined it as 'very fluid and dynamic' which captures it pretty clearly.

Andrew playing tour guide in the front seat of our mini bus.

When we were walking to the Pavillion de la Menara, we passed many local vendors including those offering camel rides.   My friend Linda warned me that often you are charged one price for getting up on the camel and a separate price if you want to get down.  :-)   I admired them from a distance.

It was a very bright day on Sunday and none of us had brought hats for shade.    Andrew and I (both the local Texans) decided that cowboys hats purchased from a local Souk would do the trick.   Even though I've lived in Texas my whole life, I think it was the first time that I had worn a cowboy hat.    My husband Paul knows what one of his sourvenirs will be from Morocco.  :-)

Our group in front of the Pavillion de la Menara.

We have seen young boys playing soccer all over Morocco - including at the Pavillion de la Menara.  I can tell this is a favorite sport here.