Las Fallas

Las Fallas is the biggest fiesta in Valencia and Spain, and it was absolutely crazy!  This year, las Fallas was being held from March 15-19, even though the Spaniards actually started celebrating on February 27th with the first Mascleta - a huge firecracker show that happens everyday at 2PM from that point until the last day of Fallas.  Throughout the whole month, there are various events happening, however the week of Fallas is absolutely ridiculous!  The population of Valencia basically doubles, people take the week off to celebrate, stores close early, roads are closed, and school is out!

During the week of Fallas, there are multiple expositions of the different Fallas - sculpture that the different neighbourhoods build throughout the whole year.  There are also parades, shows, bullfighting, neighbourhood parties, light shows, huge fiestas, ceremonies, fireworks, and most of all, the Crema - the night they burn all the Fallas.  Ya, after working all year on these pieces of arts, they're just anxious to set these things on fire!

I'm actually surprised we all managed to survive the ridiculous crowds, the late nights, and the crazy traffic.  My friends and I basically spent the whole week in the centre, touring the Fallas, checking out the various attractions, and drinking... Oh do the Spaniards ever love drinking.  I don't believe that between Monday and Sunday morning there's not one day/night we didn't drink, and not one morning we came back home before 4AM.  During the whole week, vendors across the city sell sweets that can only be found during Fallas; churros and rellenos... Delicious!!!!

If you're not a crowd person, Las Fallas is definitely not a good week for you to go visit Valencia!  There are people everywhere, and older Spaniards get a little crazy when in crowds.  We've definitely been elbowed more than once being a little taller than the average Spaniard.  You also need to show up early for events, people show up hours before the beginning of events to get a good view!

Fallas is noisy, crowded, full of fire, late nights, and early mornings, but it is absolutely the craziest festival I've been to!  Unlike Canadian festivals that last a day or a weekend, this think lasts a week of craziness, and a month of build-up to it!

Marrakech (Morocco - Africa)

Africa was definitely a very different experience than my usual travels around Europe!  Definitely a great trip though!

The first day we got there, Ana and I had to right away face the craziness of the night markets in Jemaa El Fna.  As we got there at night, with luggages, looking like the biggest tourists in the place, we instantly got harassed by the locals for money.  Before even heading to our Riad, we went out for dinner in a nicer looking terrace.  Little children were coming to our table, trying to get the food off our plates or sell us something - the servers had to send them away they were so numerous.  After getting some sort of directions from the servers, we were finally able to make it to the Riad where we were greeted with a cup of tee on the roof top patio.

-The streets in the old Marrakech are very very confusing.  The smaller ones are not named on the maps, and many do not even have names on the actual streets.  What seems like a main street on the map will also not be looking like a main street in reality!

The next morning - 5AM, we get woken up by what seems to be dying screams, to finally realize it is their prayer time being broadcasted through city speakers.  Bright and early, we started to tour the city visiting: la Koutoubia, Jardin Princesse Laila Hasna, Palais Royal, Palais Badil, Palais Bahia, and La Menara garden.  Contrarily to usual European sightseeing, everything in Marrakech is really old ruins.  The Palais does not look really nice and well maintained as per usual.  They are starting to restore some things, but it is just a beginning.  Later on, we also went for a camel ride - probably the most uncomfortable and slowest thing to ever do! haha.  We then went back to Place Jemaa El Fna to check out the stores and vendors.  I don't think I've ever been harassed this much in my life!  People are all over you, follow you, try to trick you into buying their things.  It is absolutely ridiculous, and ignoring them usually doesn't do much either.  You cannot step into a store without having someone trying to show you every single thing they sell.

Later on that night, we returned to the Riad, where the owner served us the biggest coucous in the world.  Food in Marrakech was absolutely amazing!!  After plenty of food and tea with the other residents, 2 German friends took us to go check out the night markets.  Being with 2 boys made such a huge difference, nobody even came near us to harass us.  We later headed on a rooftop terrace for some tea and the view.

The next day, we again headed out early to go visit the Jardin Majorelle and the Souks.  We also went to a Hammam (some sort of traditional bath, where women are scrubbed, washed, by other women).  It was similar to a spa... They have traditional, public ones, where everybody goes, that aren't nice and clean - but the one Ana and I went to was more like a nice spa - Hammam.  We kept going around for the rest of the day, mainly in the Souk and El Fna, doing a little bit of shopping.  The second day was definitely not as hard on us - when you seem more comfortable with the whole concept, locals don't seem to bother you as much.  You also learn quickly how to deal with them and brush them away - sometime a simple "no thanks" will send them away.

Marrakech was an amazing experience, but I feel like a few days there are sufficient.  If we would've been able to stay a little longer, we would've done a day-or more excursion outside the city.

The city has a region called La Medina, which is the part of Marrakech surrounded by a large wall.  La Medina is the true Marrakech, where the poor people live and where all the main attractions are located.  Of course there is a richer part, which is located outside the wall - and looks like any bigs city, with high end stores, boutiques, restaurants, and hotels.  We also visited that area, but it was definitely not as worth it as the older part.  In Morocco, the rich are really rich, and the poor are really poor!  A suggestion for safer travels: maybe just stay in the richer part.

Of course you have to be aware and careful around the poor area, but the experience is definitely worth it!  I would love to go back to Morocco, but this time around, do some different excursions in the country.