Finding somewhere to stay

So there we are, dumped by a dusty roadside in the middle of the old city, knowing only that a small hotel here is called a riad. In a trice, we're surrounded by young boys, offering to show us the way to anywhere - the trick is that they walk, or ride a bike in front of us, thus claiming to be escorting us, and therefore able to extract money, having 'legitimately' performed a service ...

We're adopted by one young boy in a scarlet jumper, bottle-bottom glasses and a delightful grin - a real charmer, astride his bike - whose second attempt down a convoluted dark alleyway, knocking on a faceless front door in a high mud wall, produces a miracle.. It's a mini Arabian Nights of a hotel - a courtyard open three floors up to the sky, a collonaded area round a blue tesselated pool, rose petals strewn over tiny tables, and the bedroom doors in dark wood opening off this beautiful enclosed area. And we're the only people to be staying here. We've changed a bit of money at the airport, but have no small change - our escort does well out of us - S says he should do a trick as well tsk - but I think it's money well spent. May I advertise? Go to www.riadalida.com.