The Sands of Morocco

I unintentionally slipped away from posts about our honeymoon to Spain and Morocco, but I am back today with one of my favorite honeymoon moments. Essaouira, a seaside fishing town in Morocco, captured my heart and imagination in more ways than I had anticipated. My love letter to the town explains why, but it doesn't include just how much fun the beach's residents can be.

 

 If you walk down the beach for a bit, trudging again the powerful winds, you will eventually come to the land of the camels. Guides run up to you and try to offer various treks along the beach, and their camels perch in the sand, their backs strapped with colorful blankets, waiting for their next passenger.

 When I met Cappuccino, a sandy camel with beautiful dark eyes, it was love at first sight. I knew we had to go on this beach ride together. The hubs was paired with a white camel named Jimi, and off we went!

Our guide turned into a maniacal photographer, and in between leading Jimi down the beach towards a point of jutting rocks just begging to be climbed on and explored, he snapped away and probably took about one hundred photos of us riding our camels. As goofy as he was, I really can't complain. How many times in my life will I be able to ride a camel??

I must have been laughing or smiling the entire time. It was so much fun to loll down the beach, basking in the sun, taking in the views of the beautiful ocean. It might not have been a trek through the Sahara (which, by the way, remains on my "things to do" list), but it was fun and new, and it was a special experience to share with my husband.

 

 

 

We left Essaouira a bit wind-beaten, our skin turned tan from the powerful sun. For weeks afterwards I found sand in my pockets and shoes, and I smiled as I remembered our time with the camels. That's the wonder of a place like Morocco. The senses are dazzled and awakened by the different experiences, and you leave with your mind swirling with the fantastic adventures you had there. We will always have the camels.

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Pssst! Did you miss my other Morocco posts? Don't worry! You can wander the wonders of Marrakech (part 1 and part 2), Casablanca, and Essaouira right here!

The Seas of Essaouira

Morocco has a secret, and it is tucked in the seaside fishing town of Essaouira. I can't tell you what it is exactly, but I can try to describe it. It starts gradually with the call of the seagulls soaring through the air. It's distant at first, but as you walk through the winding cobblestone streets and make your way closer to the port, it starts to grow in volume. You walk a bit further past the men grilling the day's catch on coals, past the stray cats darting away with a stolen fish, and come to an open square. Your heart starts to beat a bit faster as you make your way past the gelato shop and postcard stands, your pace picking up as you make your way to the stone wall by the sea. The howling wind from the ocean is rushing towards you now, and you try to catch your breath, but it catches in your throat as your eyes widen.

I can't tell you exactly what it is about Essaouira. But as you look out upon the silent ramparts and the ocean's waves crashing wildly against the jagged rocks, you just feel it. You feel the souls of ages past, and you are transported through time, yet you are in no time at all. You just stand there, suspended, everywhere and nowhere, and feel it.

   

 

  

 

 

 

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