Shopping

We aren't ones for shopping, and rarely indulge in souvenirs, but for Morocco we have made an exception. This probably relates to the fact that a lot of what you come to Morocco for is the medinas and the souks. It also relates to the fact that the shops are not really there for the tourists. The souks existed before tourism selling what the locals need and they still do exactly that. Some areas are focused more on tourists, but next door is a shop selling 'squat' toilet seats.

Food shopping is also rather a different experience. Fruits and vegetables are as you might expect and although there is a guy sitting with a bag of live snails that's not so exceptional. But meat buying is the exact opposite of in Australia. The animals are raised by a shepherd and killed alone under specific conditions within hours of coming to market. The butcher hangs the lamb or cow often with head attached and you can choose which parts you would like. Live chickens stand on top of cages and once you've chosen your chicken it will be killed for your consumption. It is not possible to forget where your food comes from, but it seems that the animals have happier lives because of it.