Journeys and Adventures

Shopping for souvenirs is an important part of any vacation.  While you’re able to purchase magnets, shot glasses, and postcards at pretty much any destination in the world, each destination also has its’ own unique souvenirs.  Morocco has several choices of those unique souvenirs:

Tagines: The uniquely shaped pot used for cooking special dishes of the country (with some sample recipes here) is available everywhere around the country.  Usually made from local terracotta clay, tagines come in varying sizes and colors (some are more for decoration) and can be very cheap.

Rugs: Like Turkey and Egypt, colorful woven rugs of many designs, textures and sizes are also frequently seen in Moroccan markets.  For higher quality rugs, don’t expect the prices to be cheap, but don’t let the seller charge you too much either.  (My friend was able to buy her rug for 1/3rd of the original asking price!)  Be sure to really check for quality, ask how to clean, and think ahead about how to pack your purchase.  One more tip: prices will go down considerably if you purchase more than one and pay in cash.

Thuya wood: This wood, from a tree native to Morocco, has beautiful coloring and is used to create some exquisitely designed products ranging from picture frames to table-tops.  Again prices can range on these, but you don’t need to pay a high price.  Some beautiful pieces can be very cheap if in the right neighborhoods (one of the streets in Essaouira seemed to have the best prices).

Fabrics: Colorful fabrics ranging from flowy to rich are available as scarves, shirts, pillow cases, and caftans, one of the traditional Moroccan garments worn for special occasions.  It’s a nice place to stock up on pashmina and cashmere scarves at a cheaper price and I find some of the clothes very stylish (and comfortable) with prices that make a budget shopper happy.

Spices: Souks, the Arabic word for “markets,” are fun places to wander in.  Bright colors, fresh fruits and vegetables, smiles and shouts surround you.  But it is the tall stacks of colorful powders, piles of fresh herbs, and the assault on your nose that pulls you to the spice stand where men give you presentations, explain various uses, and serve you tea.  Ras el Hanout is a popular blend of 35 spices.  Be sure you see the full pieces of the spices with a decent blend (not all the cheap stuff) and have the seller grind it for you.

     Unlike most Western countries, bargaining is expected on everything (except for food).  Approach it like a game, start very low, and don’t fall for their honed sales techniques (but be reasonable).

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