Day 11 October 25, 2024 Marrakech to Essaouira and back 221 miles
This morning at breakfast they actually had bacon and deli ham. The signs posted in front of the items showed a picture of a pig. This is the first bacon of any kind that we have seen. Definitely shows the influence of tourism.
A smaller group of us departed this morning for Essaouira located on the Atlantic coast. This was an optional tour so not everyone went. It’s a three hour drive to get there. The terrain is a mix of farmland and desert. They raise grapes, olives, chickens, melons and Argan. We were told that goats sometimes climb the trees in this area. Rob was the only one to see a goat in a tree. Unfortunately he did not capture the image.
Two towns of interest on the way were the town name translated as Baby Chicken. Many chickens are raised in the area. The other is the site of a festival today. The farmers will be racing horses to celebrate the harvest. Many horses were in the town. We also saw a large truck load of hay.
Just before reaching the city we stopped at Marjana Cooperative. This is made up of about 80 women who produce products made from the seeds of the Argan trees. The farmers wait until the fruit falls from the trees because the limbs have sharp thorns on the ends. The fruit is gathered and then dried. Once dry the women begin their work. The first step is to separate the fruit from the seed. The seed at this stage is about the size and shape of a small almond. Then the shell must be broken to get to the actual seed which is much smaller and flat. Then it is ground to extract the oil. All of this is done by hand by women sitting on the floor. The oil is used in numerous cosmetics and a few food items. Very labor intensive which explains the cost.
Only a few minutes later we reached the city of Essaouira. The area has been inhabited for centuries. The port is one of the better ones on the coast because it is protected by an island just off the coast. The fortified city was designed and built in the 1760’s to be a merchant trading center. It was used by the Portuguese and went by the name of Magador for many years. The site was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. Portions of it were used to film the Game of Thrones. Numerous Spanish canons still line the ramparts. It’s often windy here so it makes for great parasailing and surfing. The sandy beach is appealing to just enjoy. Inside to walls is a busy place full of locals and tourists. Items made of silver are a main industry so we stopped at a silver shop. Naturally they do beautiful work. We bought a small silver pendant. We walked all through the walled city. There are also lots of artists trying to sell paintings. We walked through the city until about 1:00 pm and then returned to a seafood restaurant for lunch. Service was very slow so our free time was very limited. Rob and another one of our group returned to the spice market to buy cinnamon.
On the return trip there were far more people on the beach including several paragliders. They seemed gathered in one area so that must have been the strongest winds.
Rob computed the price of the low end gasoline to be $5.22 per gallon. No wonder there are so many small motorcycles.
The activity at the horse racing had increased significantly. Hundreds of people are headed for the arena. Even some horse and riders were headed that way. A canon was fired a few times for an unknown reason. Would have been fun to watch some of it.
When we got back to Marrakech the streets were packed. It’s their Sunday so lots were out enjoying the nice weather.
Spoffords Travel 