Back on the Road

Friday, October 15, 2010
Essaouira, Morocco
The drive from Casablanca to Essouaria was long, but filled with many interesting stops. Since we are now only 7 (including Ab) we are on a minibus/van. There are 7 seats in the reear, 3 rows of 2 and a single seat on the opposite side, plus a seat next to the driver. Marilyn and I sat in the first row, which was ok, but I bumped my head atleast 5 times. Our first stop at Al Jadida was also the first view of the South Atlantic Coast. Starting on the 18th there will be a very large horse festival there, so we may try to stop on our return trip. In preparation for the festival, they are cleaning and painting the entire town, including the curbs and the lines on the street.

As we continued to drive along the coast, it was amazing to see crops growing right up to the base of the sand dunes . Usually the sea air and salt spray make it very hard to gorw things so close to the shore. Apparently here, the wind blows towards the sea, rather than towards the land so the land is very productive. Crops are still growing here and news ones have been recently planted, because it is warmer here and doesn't get below freezing, so there is a long growing season. At one point we stopped to watach some people who were washing turnips. They were some of the biggest turnips I have ever seen, and they just throw the tops away or feed them to the animals. I told Ab about cooking turnip greens and he said that he would try it. I didn't tell him that they are best flavored with some bacon or a ham hock. We also stopped to see some men working the salt pans. The salt here contains more dirt than what I saw in India. I was told that they wash it, but I would think that salt would dissolve in water, so maybe there is a second drying process.

We stopped for lunch in another seaside fishing/resort village, Oualidia, where we had one of the best meals of the trip . After our salads they started bring platters of local fish--sole (like flounder), sardines, hake (which is like halibut,) a local pan fish and tiny fired smelt.. Then we had apple pie and mint tea for dessert. Yesterday, was an entire day without mint tea and I was beginning to miss it.

After lunch we continued the long drive and only made a couple of stops. One was to see goats that climb trees. They eat acorns from the branch of oak trees, and the ones we saw were only standing on their hind legs, but we were told that some of the smaller one actually climb into the trees. We also stopped to see the sunset setting over the Atlantic Ocean. After years of watching Atlantic sunrises it was interesting being on the opposite side of the ditch. After dinner in our hotel, we took a short walk along the promannade and beach that are just across the street. The temperature was perfect and the breeze was gentle and I'm looking forward to sleeping tonight with an open window to hear the sounds of the sea.

If the rest of the post-trip lives up to today, it is going to be the perfect end to a wonderful adventure.
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