We pulled into Essaouira just in time to see the sunset, which was rather exceptional as we first had a view of the whole city with the Atlantic Ocean and setting sun, and then we pulled into the harbour just as the sun was dipping below the horizon. If there was something exceptional, even more so than the city as a whole, were the sunsets. Each night was amazing and each night was unique. This was one of the easiest commutes between my inter-city transport and the next hostel. I had about 500 metres to cover and after looking at the map (and choosing the bus that dropped me off closest), I was able to beat my way past (or at least elbow) the awaiting "cart-men" willing to drag your luggage or parcels to a given location. I walked through the city walls, which are in an impressive shape, and walk down the main road until I reached my little off road (the alleyways were even labelled!). Nevertheless, I wandered down the alley a couple times before a group of boys pointed me in the right direction. After I rang the buzzer, one of the owners hurried over as he had been out at the shop.
The hostel is quite quaint, but has a nice atmosphere and great people. There are three levels: main has two sleeping rooms, a little living room, a tiny kitchen, and the main washroom; the second level has another sleeping room, a toilet, and an outdoor living area; and finally the top is an open patio with a great view of the city. As with most good hostels, you can tell it is a winner as the same people you hung out with at the last (good) one were, are, or show up there! There were almost ten people I had met in Marrakech who had either beat me there or showed up while I was there, which is kind of nice as you don't even need to be travelling with others to still be social on the road.
As with every new start in a city, I wandered, slightly haplessly, around the city within its walls. It is quite a small city, but has a very nice vibe with lots of artistic folks. Although I didn't feel as if there was quite as much available as there was in Marrakech, and from what I've heard Fez, there were definitely more unique and smallscale endeavours and some lovely calligraphy art shops. As in the other places, I refrained from buying any major souvenirs, which after seeing people lugging theirs around and knowing I have a great deal of time on the road left, I only minorly regret. Eventually I landed on a little cafe in the middle of the medina and had an herb omelette and some moroccan tea. I also met a lady from England who was also travelling and looking for someone who would be up for going out. We made plans to meet up the next evening to head out to some of the night venues.
The next day, not having a particular set itinerary, I set out to see the port, the Skala du port, and the Citadel. It was neat to walk through all the little blue boats, and bigger ones, as well as the fishers trying to sell their day's catch. Climbing up the Citadel, I got a nice view of the city, its walls, the port, and the Ile de Mogador. Being a nice sunny and warm day (until the wind got to me), I sat up in the top of the citadel and just took in the scenary and sunrays! Once I got a little chilly, I headed down and grabbed some freshly squeezed, orange, grapefruit, and lemon juice from one of the local stands. Then I headed down the beach for a couple kilometres both ways. It was a nice way to spend my first day, in the laidback city.
The beach was quite active, I think it being Friday helped. There were families out enjoying the weather; boys and kids out playing soccer; people learning to surf and kitesurf; a few foreigners sunbathing; and horses and camels available for rides. I just meandered along the sand, accidently soaking my sandals when I neared the water (birkenstocks aren't the most water friendly). Thankfully as I carried them, they dried off pretty quickly and seemed to have recovered better than when my last pair went into the Pacific and Mediterranean! The first stretch of sand was very clean and nice to walk along, as I got to the part where the camels and horses were kept, it became quite full of poop. After dogding the excrement, I was then greeted by garbage strewn along the sand. As with all the areas that are not kept 'clean', plastic is by far the biggest - and sometimes only - pollutant (visible) whether it be sandals, yogurt containers, jugs, or plastic bags. Everything else seems to be reused or disposed of somehow, unfortunately plastic is not that maleable or useful after its first usage. Once I had made it to the end of the beach - I could have crossed, but didn't want to - I made my way back. In order to take in the most of the sunset, I chose a restaurant that was on the plaza/square near the city walls, port, citadel, and ocean. Not only was the sunset a delight, but local families came out in droves, which provided good people-watching. Although I was not hassled during dinner - in Marrakesh, people would try and sell you cigarettes, tissues, etc, as well as polish your shoes throughout your meals - there were a large number of beggars all throughout the city. As I was nearing the end of my trip, I decided to enjoy another tajine, but with fish as I figured it would be fresh. It indeed was quite tasty, but not as enjoyable as my meals in Marrakesh - although I did listen to a Montreal couple talk about Canada to their local real estate agent.
Later that evening, I met up with the lady and a local musician she had met earlier. We headed off to the first place, which was a really nice, roof-top terrace near the port. A local band was playing when we arrived - an Algerian song I know and like, Aicha by Cheb Khaled - and they were really good. It was a really nice place that was laid back and had a good atmosphere. After the band finished, a younger guy started to DJ, which was entertaining as it was mostly Western pop music, but it was still good. Although it is possible to drink in Muslim countries, I don't suggest partying in them as they tend to be pricy (6-15 CAD per drink), as well as it can be looked down upon. That being said, the next place we went to was a club where the girls looked on par with Western girls and there was booze aflow. There was another local singer who was quite good, but the atmosphere was not quite as enjoyable as the first one, Taros Cafe.
The next day, after a very fulling and delicious breakfast, I headed out to buy a few groceries and wander another part of the city. This time I ventured north, which brought me to the local market, which were stalls - tarps on the ground and tables with merchadise, and carts full of produce - all along what is normally a street. There was everything you could want from food to clothes and home maintenance items. It was definitely interesting and much different from the markets established for foreigners, it also helped that I was one of the very few foreigners throughout the mayhem. I ended up buying some mandarines and bananas from the market and then getting some dates, figs, and almonds. Once I wound my way back to the hostel, I had a tasty lunch of hard boiled eggs, fresh bread, strawberries, banana, mandarins, and yogurt. Then I set out, for the second attempt, to find the bus station to buy my ticket to Casablanca. As with most things in Essaouira, the bus station was definitely more local than previous, bigger cities. There were people trying to sell tickets on smaller (rickity) lines, less signage, and more general disrepair.
Another another delightful breakfast, I headed back to the bus station with my pack in tow as even the far station was only a kilometre away. I have to say that was one of the places I most did not want to leave and even hung out on the rooftop patio for a bit before I dragged myself away. On my way, I saw a really nice torquoise kaftan that I was tempted by. He told me it was 900 dirhams (125 CAD), but I knew that if I had had the energy and time I could have gotten it down to at least 450 dirhams (60 CAD), if not lower. I probably could have done it that day, but I was a little stressed and not in the mood to drink tea and try and haggle my way down. The bus ended up arriving 45 minutes late so I just stood around the station - I was going to have to sit for six hours. I watched as everyone boarded their buses; a homeless man kept getting kicked out of his sleeping spots; a poor little dog was looking for scraps and quite friendly; and workers drank tea and socialized while sitting in the luggage compartment of buses.
I am now about to move into my apartment near the university. I have been in Amman, Jordan for a week now and have started classes. I will work on finishing up Morocco and a intro to Amman soon - as well as keeping up with my homework!
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