October 22, 2006

Last day in Oualidia - We are leaving for Essaouira at 4pm. Woke up early for a swim. The tide was way out and the lagoon super shallow so I swam across to the sandbar and walked around the soft sand. There were a few fishermen out and a little later the surf schoolers. Swam back and did some push-ups then went for a little run. We checked out then went for a coffee. The coffee gave me the serious shakes and I had to walk it off. Hit the internet then back down for a shaded lunch. We grabbed our bags and headed back up to catch the bus to Safi. Ran into Said on the way and said goodbye.

We scored the last two seats on the bus. There were some locals waiting but we were there first so... Felt a little guilty. In Safi we grbbed a Grand Taxi with three other Moroccan passengers - a young dude with amazing blue eyes, an older dark-skinned dude who looked like Ray Charles and wore Ray-Bans, and a well-dressed middle-ager who sat in the back with us. We stopped in this tiny little town about eighty clicks from Essaouira just after sunset so everybody could eat and smoke. We were served hard-boiled eggs with cumin, rice soup with bread and mint tea. Well-dressed dude picked up our tab and refused our money three times. I had a cigarette with everyone else and The Kat and I watched as our driver took a few tokes from a Rif pipe. Back in the car blue-eyes killed himself laughing up front to the drivers stand-up comedy tape. It was in Arabic, but the comedian kept saying 'George Bush something something...' They make fun of him over here too. Arrived safe and sound and walked through the Medina to our Riad, Le Grand Large. We're in room number 7 if you're in town and feel like stopping by. There's this wicked roof-top patio where we can hang out and shoot (smoke) the shit. Maybe talk about what the weather's like back home.

To be continued...