Peace At Last

I apologise for the lack of communication the past few days - unfortunately not due to a big Indiana Jones style adventure, but more because of slow internet, distractions of people I've met, and a short retreat to a windsurfer's hangout further south along the coast.

Firstly, Dar Afram turned out to be where my trip came to life. It's definitely the best place I've ever stayed, as much as I loved the Palm Hostel in Jerusalem, this has a brilliant friendly atmosphere and I have been quite happily shelling out more than I planned to stay here. Run by a Moroccan-Aussie musician, it has a wonderful laid-back vibe, and it is there that I met Katinka, who I went with to Sidi Kouaki. We planned to walk the 27k there, even after much advice not to (secluded, would-be rapists lurking,etc.)... and it wasn't til we had walked for a few hours, and suddenly around the corner looming out of the sand dune was a poor shack... and possibly many others behind. Although it was early, as in all possibility noone would have seen us, we would still have been in view for another hour or so... with our clothes and gear that probably are worth twice the amount of the shack - with noone for miles around to help if we were to get mugged. So... we did the sensible thing... returned to the town, got some breakfast in a posh riad courtyard (amongst the sneering guests) and then hopped in a grand taxi along with some locals for our destination.

Sidi Kouaki really was just a few guesthouses and a windsurfer's house, painted with bright graffiti, and strapping surfer dudes strutting around. Katinka and I booked ourselves into a beautiful peaceful guesthouse, where we were the only ones and had a terrace to ourselves, run by a lovely French couple with a toddler.

It was a peaceful day and a half, and in that time Katinka, who is an interesting lady of 44, who has done many exciting things with her life, but is now in Business management or something relating to basically talking to people about why their career isn't going where they want it to, telling them a lot of home truths, and charging around 600 quid an hour. Anyway, somehow the conversation got onto my lack of direction, which led to the next couple of days being dominated by 'Melanie what are you going to do with your life? what do you mean don't know? What do you get out of saying don't know? It's cowardly! what are your strengths? and how do you think you can channel them into a job?' etc. etc. etc. It was pretty intense, but truthfully what I needed... and this is from a woman who has travelled extensively, has been a wilderness guide, worked in marketing, and now tells people what to do with their lives. Anyway, now I'm looking into both training as a trekking guide, and also... don't laugh, as a counsellor for possibly the long run.

anyway, it's been a real eye-opener of a few days. She's left for her trekking trip leaving from Marrakech today. We got back to Essaouira (where I am now) yesterday, and checked back into Dar Afram. The guy who runs the place - Taz - was back from Barcelona - he had been away when i'd been staying there before, and it had been looked after by Malika, a local Moroccan lady. Taz seems pretty switched on and cool - he's dark like a Moroccan, but totally Aussie in personality, attitude, etc. Apparently two English girls who arrived my final night, left because they couldn't take all the stress from the local men. There's a story in that we all went out my final night and bumped into this Moroccan guy who seems to passionately hate me for some unknown reason... he basically latches onto naive young Westerners, invites them out for drinks and then... who knows? He never got as far as to talk to me before, as I ignored him, which I guess maybe offended him... I got into an altercation with him last week (don't worry folks, I'm not going out in the evening again) and basically warned these girls that he was a psycho. Well, we turned up to this live music place, to meet an American girl who'd been on my bus (another story - and we missed her), he was there waiting for these girls - but when they sat with me, he came over accusing me of bad mouthing him to them and also accusing me of trying to buy drugs off of him. Ok, it's long-winded, and to cut a long story short, there was a bit of shouting, and the people I was with insisted on leaving, and the girls were pretty shaken up... enough shaken up to leave, I guess, a day or so later.

Hmmmm...

Anyway, during the day it's fine... there's tourist police aplenty, and the laws here are very strict on how you treat tourists as they are what's bringing the money into Morocco.

other than that... the idiot Aussie guy has left - phew! there was only so much of his bravado and wimpyness I could take... and so have all the other people who were there before. A few do-gooder Americans' were there last night and today.... I overheard some convo about 'intergration with the arabs', felt slightly nausiated and decided not to listen any further.

The scenery here is breathtaking, but covered in crap. Dude, you don't have to be a millionaire not to chuck your garbage all over the street, you know? Orange peel, plastic wrappers... honestly, everyone just drops their crap wherever they feel like it - usual arab story. nothing to do with wealth, just their mentality.

I think I've had enough of arab countries for a while. Actually, I wish I spoke French so I could converse with the women who seem very lovely for the most part - I feel very sorry for them being amongst the asshole men, but what can you do?

Right. The plan for the last part of my trip is... take it easy. So much for the Indiana Jones adventuring... I honestly can't be arsed. I have work on Friday... you understand? I think it's just soaking up the beauty of my surroundings, breakfasts on the rooftop terrace overlooking the Atlantic... dinners with the other people at the guesthouse - Malika's cooking is superb - and just damn well taking it easy. Screw absorbing any of the so-called Moroccan 'culture'. I just want to relax.

Take it easy folks and I'll see you soon.

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