Marrakech: Don’t judge the book by its cover.

I’ve always wanted to visit Morocco and this last December I’ve had the huge pleasure to meet for the first time the city of Marrakech. I remember hearing people commenting with me things like: “I’m not sure if you will like it”. Most of the comments were based on things we usually hear about that city: men are dangerous, it’s a place full of poverty, the people are rude, the weather is really hot, too many people around the Medina. To be honest, at any moment, I’ve never let those opinions built my own about Marrakech. Besides the negative comments, there’s always people that loved the city and its culture and shared that with me. And now, I truly understand now what all of them mean by saying:

“You have to be there to understand its uniqueness”.  

In the beginning of November, a friend of mine, the sweetest Rafaela, invited me for an unexpected trip to Marrakech. We booked our flight with other friends and during those weeks of waiting, my heart just kept beating with happiness for a dream trip that was about to get real. Everyday I’m grateful for such a beautiful opportunity and the humans that shared with me these moments. 

We arrived late at night on Sunday and our adventure begins on a warm Monday morning. I was experiencing a brand new form of living and routine for 4 days. I remember looking at everywhere, the streets, the market, the people, the colors and the light. It is important for me, every time I travel, to feel every moment, to simply understand what’s going on around me. How can I get richer with this. How can my mind change a bit more, with a new perspective of reality. Every place we visit, every culture, it’s just another perspective of reality and the human race.
My photographs are not even close to the beautiful light of that city, neither can’t express all the energy around it. I remember that first morning, when I was doing my way to Jemaa el-Fna, I knew that I would fell in love with Marrakech during those days. I guess it truly is like falling in love. It’s pretty unexplainable how that happen. That’s kinda my thing with this city. A brand new perspective for my eyes, made me fell in love again.

Besides Marrakech, I also had the huge pleasure to visit Setti Fatma. About a two or three hour drive from Marrakech, there’s this beautiful place with a totally different view from the city. Setti Fatma is a small town located in the Ourika Valley surrounded by nature and the Atlas Mountains. It’s also known for its waterfalls.

We had a long hike to be on the top of a mountain and it was totally worth it. That’s something that I would truly recommend someone to do. I’ve always loved to feel small in comparison with the Earth. Everything is beautifully made and when you get to the top of a mountain, after an hour just climbing and hiking to see the view, to look down and see humans looking like ants… it’s a feeling that cannot be replaced neither expressed through words. I remember looking at the view and thanking God for that. I never thought that I would see something like that at 22.
I consider myself so young and at the same time so rich inside for having these experiences. I keep asking myself ‘how’? And I wish some moments could be relived not only in my memory or photographs… Because there’s some experiences that just a beautiful photograph can’t express the power of it.

So, if you’re planning in the future to visit Marrakech, I recommend you to find a cool tour guide in the city and make a good deal with him to show you this view. We’ve had a private tour, just our little group and I also recommend you that, I think you will enjoy it much more. And also, the tour rates aren’t that expensive for what it is and every penny will be worth just to look at this view and live that.

I guess Marrakech had a huge impact on me because it’s a totally different culture that I’m used to. And I’ve always loved that. My curiosity with the unknown has a presence in my work and it’s part of me has a human. Too much it’s never enough, when it comes to meet new places and learn more about a culture. Understand at its fullest. As a photographer, I like to look carefully at other humans, at their behaviors. What they eat, where they live, who they love. I believe that reaching out to an experience like this one makes you grow and value life. Makes you understand that the world keeps spinning and you’re just a particle of dust. A loved particle of dust. We have so much give and to recieve and most times we don’t see that. Or even don’t make the effort to see that when it’s right in front of our eyes. Life is a gift and in this mad world we’re living for now, it’s important to understand that there’s no special ones and neither there’s no insignificant ones.

We grow as we live and we inspire ourselves as we live. Simple as that.
You will only understand Marrakech in its whole, if you see with your own eyes what that city has to give you. I’ve learn, once more, how important is to look beyond an opinion. How important is to experience something to build a fair opinion by your own self.

How important is to not judge a book by its cover.