In contrast to my relaxing and cozy experience, there are the henna hustlers of Djemma al Fna, the main square in the Marrakesh medina. Translated literally, the square's name means "the Place of the Dead", so called because of its past role as an execution ground for the Sultan of Marrakesh. Things have livened up considerably since then; Djemma al Fna is the perfect reflection of the many contradictory aspects of Marrakesh, from the snake charmers to the groups of tourists trooping through. The square has not become a theme park, but retains its original quality of the mysterious North Africa, featuring fortune tellers, magicians, acrobats, musicians, storytellers, sellers of herbal remedies and henna hustlers. These spectacles appeal to both tourist and Moroccan, both of which can be found watching in morbid fascination as a wild-haired man, naked to the waist, drinks boiling water from a copper tea kettle. As dusk falls, gas lights start to illuminate the square and food vendors begin setting up their stalls where they sell a wide variety of Moroccan specialties: harira (thick lamb and chickpea soup), tagines (a kind of Moroccan stew), kebab, salads, steamed snails in garlic broth and even the ever popular roasted sheep's head.

Winding in and out of all this activity are the henna hustlers dressed in a jellaba (a Moroccan hooded robe, worn by both men and women) with the hood up and a veil covering everything but their eyes. The henna hustler wanders around grasping her henna syringe on one hand and her book of henna photos in her other hand, looking for a likely client. She is more likely to swoop down upon a tourist but can also distinguish a native Moroccan from a Moroccan just here on vacation from his or her home in Europe or the US. Either target can be a fruitful catch for the henna hustler. Her sales chatter can be given any almost any major European language depending on the target. She thrusts her book of photos enticingly under your nose, quoting outrageous prices begging you to acquiesce. If the target gives in and agrees to a price, the henna work is done on the spot, standing in the middle of the hustle and bustle of this Place of the Dead. Prices are low and you definitely get what you pay for in the skill of the artist. You will notice that there are no photos of these hustlers and that is because they all asked outrageous prices of me to take a photo of them. This kind of mild extortion is relatively rare in Morocco so I chose not to encourage it.