Riad'y for anything

"Whisky of Maroc" the receptionist said and smiled as he served me a small glass of delicious tea. I smiled and thanked him. I had just arrived in the hotel (or "riad"), and he insisted on serving me tea while he was checking me in.
I arrived in Marrakech an hour late. There was a slight delay from Oslo airport. Passport control and customes went without much ado. I changed some euros into dirhams and went to find a taxi. After some haggling and the usual "walking away", I ended up in a very perfumed taxi with a smiling driver who insisted on telling me all about the local sights, in Arabic, as we passed them. I have been to Marrakech before, so I understood what he was talking about. I just smiled and said "Ok" and "Yes" at appropriate times. He seemed happy that he was giving me my money's worth.
Since my hotel is within the narrow streets of the old city, the driver dropped me off as close to my hotel as he could. In the "outer rim territories". He pointed me in the general direction and I started walking. I was soon joined by a local who I knew had made himself my local guide. A bit annoying, but I knew he wouldn't take no for an answer, so I just let him follow me.
I walked through the narrow streets, enjoying the bustling activity of street vendors, mopeds zooming through, and the smell. The smell of Africa. A few minutes, a couple of death-defying dodges out of the way for mopeds later, I had arrived. The hotel was as I expected. Hidden away in a dead-end street.
My self-appointed "guide" rang the non-working electronic bell, and asked for his "pay". I gave him a 20 (about $2.5) note. He looked at me and asked "What is THIS? This is nothing! Give me a 50!" I waved him off, And I could see from his face that he knew I knew. He asked me on the way if I had been here before. I said "yes".
After he left me standing outside the hotel door, a woman sitting outside a house next door yelled, and a little girl ran up to the door, smiling at me. "Hello" she said, and used the door hammer. She stood there, waiting until the receptionist opened. Then she smiled at me again and ran back to her friends down the street.
After I had checked in, I walked outside to find something to eat. I had noticed a couple of small shops while walking to my hotel. I found one that had everything I wanted. One of the guys spoke a few words of English, and with some universal sign language, we managed to communicate my needs quite clearly. And this is the time when I could put the pay of my "guide" into perspective : I bought a Coke, a big bottle of water and two big bread for 14 Dirhams. And the Coke was half of that sum... So 20 Dirhams is enough to eat a couple of meals. Not bad pay for walking 5 minutes... It's not that I mind paying people. It's just that I don't like to "spoil" people into becoming greedy. The last time I was in Morocco, the guys putting our bags into the cargohold of the bus demanded 50 Dirhams tip from each passenger for the "service".
I took a couple of photos outside my hotel. I was contemplating going to Jemaa el Fna this evening to eat, but decided I didn't want to risk it. If I caught something, I would risk wasting the precious nights at the astrohotel sitting on the toilet. I will do that the evening before I go back to Norway.

My hotel is on the left. The door is in just beyond the street light.

View down the street from my hotel.