WHERE ARE WE ANNE?: I SEE GULLS

MARRAKECH AND OUT TO ESSAOUIRA

A HERRING GULL I THINK

SATURDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 2013

One more set of mountains through the High Atlas and down again got us to Marrakech.

No matter whether the Moroccan drivers are fearless or foolish, it's entertaining to see the speeds they drive at and watch them pass on blind corners through the mountains like they do. Sort of summed up when one boy racer pulled over ahead of us for his passenger to have a quick vomit before the ride continued.

We stayed one night in Marrakech with a bit of sight seeing before bussing to Essaouira on the coast for three nights. A bit of chill and regroup. It had been raining for a couple of days before we got to Essaouira with the result that our airbnb room on the top floor of a house in an ancient medina with an ancient flat concrete roof was well and truly moist. The walls were damp, the rotting timber in the ceiling was damp, the smell was damp and when we sat on the bed deliberating our next move, we realised the bed was damp.

We did a lightning recce, checked in to the classy riad next door at a discount rate and swerved our sodden situation. For ten bucks more we upgraded to a luxurious pad with kingsize bed, good pillows, ensuite, good drainage and it was dry and didn't smell! It even had a lift. A bargain that made our next three days very comfortable.

After the seagulls of Essaouira, it was back to Marrakech for a night, before getting the over night train to Tangiers to make our way back over to Algeciras in Spain.