A Camel, Oils, and the Beach

After all the stress of my not having the use of a phone or being sure whether my beach day at Essaouira would even take place, Tuesday morning arrived, I said a prayer, and it happened.

I woke up and was met by my driver from the airport Sunday at 9AM sharp. You all know I'm not a morning person so that time was insanely difficult but I managed, somehow.

Love this graffiti

After about an hour on the road, with Toufik pointing out argan, fig and olive trees, we stopped by a cafe and I finally got the coffee I'd been literally dying for. I also ordered an cheese omelet and while it wasn't your typical cheese omelet, it had cheese and what looked and tasted like a tortilla and it was so delicious.

Yes coffee!!

Cheese omelet tortilla goodness

We got back on the road and after maybe another hour, we stopped at a traditional argan oil womens collective. The women, from a tribe called the Berbers, pick the argan seeds from the trees, grind them mortar and pestle style, the take the churned mulch and grind it again mixed with a little water and out comes oil. It was rather fascinating to watch actually, especially since I used to use argan oil religiously before I discovered the beauty of coconut oil.

On our way!

Argan seeds

Women at work

An alternate kind of Grinder... ;)

Here comes the oil!

Ya girl gave it a shot

Of course, they had a shop, so I bought stuff

Two scented oils, roll-on perfume and honey purchases later, Toufik and I were back on the road to the beach. All of a sudden, Toufik tells me to look out the window to my right and there it is, the Atlantic ocean, from the opposite side. It was fascinating to see and think about. Then all of a sudden, there were camels! I had no plans to get out and on one and frankly didn't even need Toufik to slow down too much, the beach was my mission, but he did anyway. And before you know it, the little baby camel pictured below was being led over and we were getting acquainted.

I've christened him Fred

Fred and I becoming baes (THOSE LASHES)

Part of the reason I didn't want Toufik to stop was because I KNEW it would cost me money to see and pet a camel. And of course, I was right, it did. But it turned out to be worth it. That camel was adorable.

And finally, finally, finally, we arrived at the beach and a little beachfront cafe. We got out of the van and I was elated to hear Toufik say we'd meet back up 3 hours from the current time. I walked into the cafe, and promptly seated ad began looking over the menu. Only after I was comfortably situated was I informed there was wifi inside the restaurant only but it didn't even matter because I was not about to move. I was at the beach. And the beach, I've learned, is my happy place. The Californian in me will always love a beach, no matter how many times I've been to them, no matter how far away I move from them. Just seeing that beautiful sandy scene immediately calmed my entire spirit. It was nearly a religious experience.

Views

Menu for eats

Happy Neens

Complimentary bread and olives are the best thing on this Earth, don't knock it

A lemony beverage

Salad: sliced oranges with cinnamon and hazelnut spread and kiwi

I ordered and feasted then got to walking. One piece of my feast I must comment on was the salad. It was simple but some people say simple is best and sometimes I agree with them. This is one of those instances. Get yourself a fresh orange, slice it into wheels, drizzle it with a generous amount of cinnamon, then eat it. You'll thank me later. I'll refer your thanks to Morocco. It was absolutely incredible and I'm not even sure how or why. Maybe I was just hungry, but I doubt it.

My walk down the beach was peaceful and serene. I'd brought a bathing suit with me but didn't even up bringing it on the trip since I knew it would be chilly. Turned out to be comfortable at the beach but even the one-piece I had was only so conservative so I didn't mind not bringing it to change into and go for a dip. Just breathing the air and feeling the sand between my toes was enough. 

Happiness

Toufik had told me where the Medina in the city was located so I could go see the shops but after that walk I seriously considered just grabbing a beach chair and never moving from it again. Luckily though, I decided to do it for the culture and visit the city. While there, I was able to pick up some great souvenirs for both myself and some friends and family. I also was informed of how nice I looked by some strange men which is always pleasant (sarcasm).

These mullahs were walking around singing

Some of the most beautiful colors

This photo gives me life

The carpet shops in Essaouira were just as lovely as the shops in Marrakech but for some reason, the colors stood out to me that much more. Perhaps because there weren't as many shops. Essaouira's marketplace and medina are quite small compared to Marrakech, where every other shop has something beaded or woven. 

After my little medina trip, I immediately went back to the water and grabbed the beach chair with my name on it. I laid out and set an alarm after nearly falling asleep twice. The sun on my face, the calm wind going by every so often, the smell of salt in the air... If I go back to Morocco, I'll probably be staying at Essaouira. Everything was so much more calm and laidback there.

Where I am quite possibly happiest

Unfortunately, time soon ran out and I headed back to meet Toufik. I slept on and off in the back of the van on the way back, then all of a sudden I recognized we were back in the parts of Marrakech I recognized. Toufik asked if I wanted to see the Big Square (Jemaa al'Fnah) and I said okay. I wasn't sure if he was asking if I wanted to be taken around it or if he would simply be dropping me off. Turns out he was dropping me off which I realized meant I had no idea how to get back to my riad because I didn't even know where I was? I asked him before he left and, being incredibly specific, he pointed in a slightly right-leaning direction and said, "That way." I took a leap of faith and watched as he drove away.

After a much needed dinner, while sitting outside to enjoy the sights, I connected to the wifi, opened Google maps, and made notes about how to get back to my riad with directions I could actually follow. Turns out I was in the same area Jouad and I had walked past the previous evening, not that that helped me know how to get home any better. I tried to pay attention to where we walked that night but he was going fast and there were too many turns, I just couldn't keep up. 

Jemaa al'Fnah (THE BIG SQUARE)

Coffee on coffee on coffee

There was a lot of stuff in that salad

I had my directions and as the sun set, I headed out on what was supposed to be a short trip. But my friends, a short trip it most certainly was not. I started walking in the direction I'd snapshotted from Google maps and before I knew it, started to recognize my surroundings. I got a little too confident and, after passing by it and pausing for a moment, I stopped into a leather shoe store because who doesn't love a new pair of exotic shoes? I milled around and decided on a pair after trying on 4 different ones. After finding out the price, I realized I didn't have the dirhams on me. So the shop guy and I headed out to the ATM as had happened so many times before. We arrived and after putting my card in the slot, the machine wasn't taking it and gave me a denied slip. Not denied as in I had no money, denied as in the transaction wasn't working because the machine wasn't reading my card. That was not an issue since there are ATMs everywhere in the medina. The problem was, my card never came out. At first I was calm, thinking it was just stuck somewhere, then I realized it really wasn't coming out and that card was a direct link to my bank account with American money in it. That's when I started to panic. There happened to be a policeman driving by, (ironic?) and he stopped to speak with the shop guy who'd by this time come over to help me as well as give me a narrative of why I shouldn't have trusted the ATM since it was broken in a particular spot. As you can imagine, I wasn't listening, I just wanted my card back. Desperately.

The ATM that tried it

After the policeman looked it over, he said there was nothing to be done that evening since the bank was closed and that I should come back the next morning to retrieve my card. The next morning. Some hours later. About 12 to be exact. I was so nervous but what could I do? The shop guy and I went back to the shoe store and he told the owner what happened. This part truly warmed my heart. The owner immediately told me not to worry, saying this had happened to him before as well and to make sure I went at 8AM sharp when they opened and they'd give my card back no problem. Then he offered to give me money to buy dinner and seemed genuinely concerned about my being able to eat. I thanked him sincerely and said I'd already eaten. Shock of all shocks, they let me keep the shoes and trusted me to come back the next morning with the dirhams once I'd finished the bank business. I've never heard of anyone being so trusting as to let a stranger walk off with merchandise that way. The mentality there is so incredible, and so incredibly different.

I headed out with my new shoes that I had yet to pay for and walked in the direction I knew to be correct. After a couple 100 feet however, I no longer recognized where I was. The archway above me didn't look familiar. Oh how I should have just kept going. But no, I didn't, I turned right and led myself on a 30-minute detour that included asking multiple strangers where my street was, praying to God for clarity, strength and the calm necessary to think clearly. Finally, after wandering and wandering, the night only getting darker and darker, I received an answer from a motor bike and 4-wheeler renter that led me back to familiar territory. I've never been so happy to arrive back at the place I was staying at in my life. I immediately took a shower and got in bed. I'd planned on staying in for some of Wednesday to just rest and sleep since my schedule with school and work wouldn't permit me to do so again until May but the bank ordeal meant I would have to be up by 7 so I could be at the bank at 8. And as that was not something I took lightly, I begrudgingly planned out my morning of business and afternoon of leisure while I showered and crawled into bed. 

What a day, what a day.