In Meknes, I met someone at the hostel. He is super cute, from Switzerland but half-Indian, half-Mexican, and we were both thrilled to have someone to speak English to.
His name in Anand and he's five years old. Anand was travelling with his parents, and we ended up on the same train - to Casablanca for them, and Marrakech for me. I had the opportunity to spread the joy of Farkle, as well as play the classic card games of the under-10 set, i.e. Go Fish and Crazy Eights. Good times, except the AC wasn't working on the train and the Moroccan sun is not to be trifled with. And I had also developed what Anand calls loose motions. Use your imagination.
And so, after sweating on a train for 8 hours, I caught the bus to Essaouira where I was hell bent on having an en suite, which landed me in a riad. Riads are typically traditional-style Moroccan homes (multi-level, set around a courtyard) that have been converted to hotels. They can be quite luxurious and, consequently, pricey, so I hadn't stayed in them yet. But mine here is very reasonable, about 25 dollars a night, and it gave me the chance to do laundry. Essaouira is quite nice, very chill and relaxing, living up to the meaning of its name, 'little picture.' Surfing and windsurfing are both popular, and I haven't seen this many dreadlocks and Bob Marley posters since leaving San Francisco. The sea gulls own the town; in fact, one proved it by defecating on my shirt just yesterday (which makes that the fourth time in my life that has happened, and I think that has to be a record somewhere). The medina is right up against the water, and there are ramparts that you can walk along and watch the sunset (here is hoping that pans out - weather-wise tonight). It used to be called Mogadir and the Portuguese built some of the fortifications here when they were exploring the African coast.
It's a tish touristy, but it's so mellow I don't mind. There is one problem though. I'm a little too popular for my own good. In the span of four hours yesterday, I racked up four dinner invitations. And the town is small enough that I'm trapped. Dinner Invitation 1 saw me this morning and informed me he saw me having tea with Dinner Invitation 4 yesterday. What about dinner tonight?
So as much as I do like Essouira, I am really looking forward to getting on the bus to Marrakech tomorrow and meeting Claire at the doors of the Club Med. Nope, we are not staying there, but that's our meeting spot. Her face will be the first familiar one in 21 days, and the girl knows her Morocco, so I get to be the lazy tourist for a few days. We've got a couple of days in Marrakech before we hit the desert, heading to Ouarzazate and Zagora. By the way, the 'ou' is pronounced like a 'w'. Oued, river, sounds like 'wed' in English. Just a little tip, so you don't butcher the place names the way I have when you visit.
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