A decision having been made to make Essaouira a rest stop, began to wear a bit thin after a day indoors, so what better way to have an outdoor excursion than to go for a camel ride!
These great gentle beasts have been my favourites since my first trek into the Sahara a lot of years ago. They fascinate me constantly with their steady gait, their big soft feet sloughing through the sand, barely making an impression.
My boy today was ‘Cappuccino’, 11 years old, and towering. We set off, ostensibly, for an hour, for which there had been a price agreed upon. Along the beach, up over some minor dunes, onto a road, alighting at a cafe made famous by a visit from Jimi Hendrix in 1969…..somewhat careworn from the intervening years….
Back on our rides, we returned to the starting point, the journey taking a bit over 2 hours all up. Jen and I had decided independently that the experience had been worth a great deal more than the expected price, but what came next was a shock. We were both completely cleaned out of all the money we had….even down to my last 7 euros!!! Several lessons to be learnt from that!!!
Camel treks are always fabulous, as was this, pity it was a little soiled by the later experience….
Funnily enough, the day had been overcast, and I thought there was rain coming….Yasim, the camel guy, disagreed….but once back at our room, there it was….the pitter patter of rain!!! There had been none in months! There was a gentle drizzle throughout the night.
Rain, in the Medina, is a fortunate thing, cleansing, so going out the next day, the cobbled lanes had a discernible welcoming freshness. This turned out to be a shopping day 🤗😳 A trip to the ATM became a return trip to the ATM!! But my, what excitement to be had amongst all those treasures 😆😆
Alas, the next day we are on the bus again, back to Marrakech, then change to the train for the remainder of the journey to Fes.
Adieu Essaouira 🧡
Travel Tales 