Even amid their suffering, the people here rescued this lost tourist

It’s almost a rite of passage when you’re visiting Marrakesh to get lost in the medina. The old town that dates from 1070 is still the heartbeat of the city and is where you’ll find markets, bazaars, the souks where artisans work and the houses of people densely living together.

It’s exhilarating, mesmerising and frustrating in equal measure, even for the people of Marrakesh who say only those who live right in the medina can find their way around the tangle of small streets and narrow alleys.

Since the earthquake of September 8, navigating these neighbourhoods has become a little more complicated. The city is operational and the shops and markets are open but the damage in the ancient Jewish Quarter is significant in parts and many families have been displaced.

I stayed on in Marrakesh after the earthquake but chose to avoid the oldest parts of the city at first because I didn’t want to interfere with the clean-up.

Eventually I ventured in there five days after the quake. I had an appointment in the morning to see a new riad, Rosemary, which had opened its doors for the first time that week. In the afternoon I had scheduled a hammam at La Sultana, an historic riad hotel, deep in the kasbah.

Easier said than done.

My taxi driver dropped me at a spot he said was only a few minutes’ walk from riad Rosemary. Perhaps it was. It was only a few steps to Tinsmith Square where I’d had drinks the night before with the people from Regenerative Travel on a terrace called Kosy Bar.

The square was full of displaced people who had set up makeshift homes in the safety of the open space. They’re staying there to be close to their houses and possessions and to the schools for their children. I got a sense they felt happier being together. There is tremendous solidarity here.

The problem with squares in Marrakesh is that they have multiple streets heading off them. Riad Rosemary was near the Bahia Palace which I knew was nearby but each time I had directions from someone (police, soldiers, shopkeepers, a girl in a pharmacy) I found out eventually that I was heading completely the wrong way. The GPS was confusing.