After returning from my nomadic trek (blog post to come soon), I spent a couple of days in Marrakesh with Kathryn N (former colleague from Colombia), before making my way to Essaouira for a couple of days. Pronounced more like Swera, this popular seaside town (especially with the Moroccans)  was an excellent choice for relaxation before returning to working life. My original plan had been to go to Fez, not Essaouira, but after talking with others from my Berber tour, and our guide, Abdoul, I changed directions (mentally and physically) and hopped on the bus 3 hours southwest. (I was advised that Fez is not very safe, especially after dark, whereas Essaouira is perfectly fine for wandering the medina).

For those interested, the bus service that will take you there is Supratours, and offers multiples buses a day from Marrakesh. The regular service costs 80 MAD (approx. 8 Euros) and the ‘service confort’ (worth it) costs 110 MAD (11 Euro).

Clock Tower

I ended up sleeping the whole bus journey, as Kathryn had been hit hard by a stomach bug, and I was feeling just a bit nauseous as well. Before I knew it, I was walking the 5 or so, minutes from the bus stop to my hotel, the Casa Lila & Spa. Accommodation in Morocco is very affordable, and Casa Lila was highly rated on Booking.com AND situated within the walled city. It is a lovely historic building, and, since I hadn’t done enough walking yet on this trip, I ended up in the “Tour bleu” with a lovely view and terrace on the 4th (rooftop) floor. Even the receptionist was tired after the climb up! But at least I didn’t have to go far for breakfast! I also want to just say that I appreciate the fact that they let me check in 2 hours early 🙂 In true Moroccan hospitality, I was served a mint tea upon arrival, and given a detailed map and explanation of the medina, including dinner recommendations, ATMs etc. They had even pre-scheduled my hammam (Moroccan bath) and massage treatments for that evening. I was also able to lounge about on the terrace after checking out, while I waited for my bus.

After my skyward trek to my room, I ventured out into the maze-like streets of the medina. Within the walls, you can find the jewellery souk, the spice souk, the produce souk, meats, Argan oil cooperatives and much more. Right outside the hotel is your everyday items, like shoes, clothing and toiletries. It is much more authentic than the tourist souk in Marrakesh. This IS where the locals will come to buy their products (much like centro in Barranquilla).

I also appreciated the fact that the vendors are much more relaxed here. I was not hassled much, and felt very safe walking on my own. There are a lot of people begging on the streets, which is something I have grown unaccustomed to, living in the UAE. I ended up donating a couple dirhams and an apple during my time here. I also received a lot of compliments on my mochila (the colourful bag from Colombia). These came especially from the weavers and carpet vendors. It is interesting to see how many different cultures use similar weaving techniques, and even similar geometric patterns.

I made my way to the port, where there are many people selling grilled fish, a popular lunch destination. I entertained the thought of fish, but my stomach decided otherwise. Unfortunately for me, most dishes here are wheat and cheese based. Tricky… I settled on a falafel sandwich with fries at Café France (real falafel, not the potato type often found in Morocco). Would anyone like to guess the price of this fine lunch, steps off Mouley Hassan square? A whole 25 dirhams (just under 2.5 Euros). I also found another lunch place, called Yoo Healthy Food. The owners/staff are very friendly. I tried their “Energize” drink, made with avocado, orange juice, almonds and something else (I forgot which green fruit or veggie was in it). I remember having avocado juice last time, but this one was a bit too orange-y for my liking. They explained that normally, Moroccans have avocado with milk, not juice, but this was the next best option. They even remembered the following day that I couldn’t have dairy, and served me a hummus dip with vegetables instead of the normal yogurt based dip. (This attention to detail for their customers impressed me).

On the topic of food, Pasta Baladin is a very affordable option that offers 3 different types of gluten free pasta. They also served me rice cakes with olives (which I didn’t eat…) instead of bread. It is exactly what I needed while my stomach was recovering. I had a delicious spaghetti with a mixed vegetable sauce (you can choose from around 7 different options). Baladin is also situated inside a section of the outer walls, and is very cute. It is family style seating, so you will need to be comfortable eating beside strangers at the same table, but can lead to lovely conversation. If you are looking for a drink, then Taros was recommended, however, I didn’t check it out.

Citadel

There are gulls EVERYWHERE!

Other sites to check out include the ramparts, clock tower and the citadel. You could also make your way to the beach, for a nice stroll, however, it is quite windy, so not ideal for sunbathing. They were actually just about to host the Wind Surfing Championships! If you want to venture further, you can go to Mogador Islands (named after the Portuguese name for Essaouira, Mogador). There is also a museum, Christian, Jewish and Muslim cemeteries and other sites outside the walls, but I didn’t venture that far. Like I said earlier, these few days were all about relaxation. I wandered the same street several times, taking in the different doorways, changing people and the cats. (There are a lot of cats, and a couple of outdoor cat “houses”. There are also a lot of buskers, playing their music or displaying their artwork. It reminded me in some ways of Cartagena, Colombia, and I expect it would be a popular place for cruise ships to stop.

A sampling of the doors of Essaouira

IF relaxation is what you want, than Essaouira also offers a multitude of spas and hammams. I chose to use the one in the hotel for a private hammam, where I was scrubbed down and “steamed”. This one was a tiny dark room, and not as ornate as the one I did in Marrakesh, but it was a much more bearable temperature! The lady who was scrubbing me down commented on how much skin was coming off, not realizing that I had been in the desert without really bathing for almost a week prior (just the wet wipe style bathing). The massage afterwards was also really enjoyable, especially the cold rose petals placed over my eyes to help soothe them! I left feeling relaxed, refreshed and rehydrated in Argan Oil. (Morocco is known for Argan oil, which comes from the seeds of argania spinosa, or the Argan tree. There are many (mostly female run) cooperatives in the area, as this southwestern corner (near Agadir) has the perfect growing conditions for the trees. Argan oil is used both for cosmetic purposes and for cooking, although the preparation is different. I bought some of each before leaving.

This pretty much brings me to the end of my 2 day “vacation from my vacation”. Time to head back to Marrakesh for one last evening before making the journey to Casablanca (airport) in the morning.