Beware the foreign tout
by Joanne Lane Nick was a 40-something English guy with acne-pocked skin, a long nose and an earnest, nervous manner. He seemed almost endearing and not only a little pathetic. We wouldn't have stopped if he was a local but it's hard to ignore a tout who speaks your language. We'd arrived by bus in Essaouira, Morocco after a sleepless night on buses and trains from Casablanca in the north of the country. His speel was that he had a place, right where we wanted to be, with views, everything we wanted... for 220 dirham per person. Too much? Ok 100 dirham each just for us. He could show us the apartment in two or three hours, he just needed to get the keys. He'd lived there for months. We were tired and hungry we told him. And we didn't want to walk around for hours with our bags waiting for an apartment to become available. Ok one hour he said, he'd walk us into the medina and show us a meeting spot. As we walked he told us his bag was heavy, and he was going to collapse, any minute now, from the weight. His bag weighed about half of one of ours. He was hopeless, we thought. At the meeting spot we said we'd be back in an hour but we were going to use it to pursue other options. If we didn't find anything we would look at his apartment. Within 10 minutes a local boy showed us an amazing apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room and a bedroom with two double beds. It had a terrace with views of the fort and beyond to the sea. It was 75 dirham each. An hour later, showered and clean, we returned to the cafe. Nick was waiting. He'd been done, he said. The apartment had been let to someone else and he needed somewhere to stay. Did we know of somewhere?, he asked... "Get bent," we told him in only slightly politer terms and left him there at the café.
Essaouira is not the only north African city full of slightly crazed foreigners who've possibly lived a little too long under the African sun. But it certainly makes for colourful local characters and great tales although a place like Essouira hardly needs the extra spice. It's wonderful seaside location, with a fort like town, huge gates and wonderful markets helping to make it an easy location pick. Its hardly surprising its reputation is spreading. In fact it was to be used for the Brad Pitt epic Troy before political reasons forced a move to Malta and Mexico. Essaouira's history dates to the 1760s when it was built by a visionary sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah who commissioned a French architect for the design. The architect used the European grid system for its streets rather than the haphazard layout of most Moroccan medinas. It was also one of the world's first free ports and remained so for the next 150 years. It lost some of its glory when it was occupied and colonised by the French in 1912. In the 1960s it became a hippie scene as other ports matched it as a business centre. Jimi Hendrix, Orson Welle's and direct Julian Beck of the Living Theater troupe were amongst the famous people to appreciate its new bohemian nature. In 2001 it became a Unesco World Heritage site and looks better today than it has in years. The ramparts have been restored and so have some of the old mansions. Also it has started to attract a new wave of people who like its life and art scene. Many have found Essouira a great base for their wanderings and tourism is growing. It's also become a top spot for windsurfing and kite boarding. Today Essouira still has a large fishing port. Boats, gulls, fish and hopeful beggars fill the areas in and around the boats. There are men mending nets and baiting hooks, others emptying fish into crates and cleaning boats. Circling gulls and hungry eyed cats add to the confusion. You can buy your fish direct from a market right outside the port. Men will gut and prepare it for you for a small fee. To have it cooked go to the restaurants along the seafront where they will also give you enough bread and salad for 10 people (20 dirham for two) and throw in a marriage proposal for the women! The fish is fresh, juicy and wonderful. Essaouira's fort walls are lined with canons and a favoured spot once the sun is not so fierce in the late afternoon. From here you can see the Ille de Mogador, two islands with several tiny islets. You can arrange a boat trip out here from the harbour by talking to the fishing boat crews. WHERE TO STAY
To find an apartment get as close to the walls of the fort seaside as possible. More than likely a young local will find you and offer to show you an apartment. Expect to pay about 100-150 Dirham for it. Sometimes the apartment will have a shared kitchen and bathroom. Alternatively there lots of nice hotels in this area. Ask around to see what is available, the places closer to the sea have better views. GETTING THERE
Buses connect Essaouira with Marrakesh almost hourly (3 hours), Casablanca and Safi. The bus station is about 400m northeast of the medina across an open parking lot. You may want to get a petit taxi if you're arriving or leaving late at night. Flights do land at the Aeroport de Mogador just outside of town but flights are not reliable so check it out with your travel agent first. There are international airports at Casablanca, Tangier, Agadir and Marrakesh with connections to Europe, Africa and the Middle East. BOOK HERE |
