Biographies . Photos A,, Photos B.
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Discovering
Essaouira Freshness
is the order of the day, every day, here at Chez
Sam and at the long row of outdoor stalls, perched
side-by-side along the dock area. Each stall offers
visitors fresh products from the sea to the table
and each competes vigorously with its neighbor for
our attention, with barkers, menu boards and
tempting displays of fresh catch from the Atlantic.
I enjoyed a generous portion of sole fillet and
fresh salad for less than five dollars U.S. My two
colleagues split a large crab for a similar
tab. Overhead
a flotilla of seagulls was dipping and diving
against a background of crashing whitecaps, rocky
outcrops and rugged remnants of the centuries old
Portuguese fort that marks the city's place in
history. Some call this the "city of winds ... and
when we visited Essaouira earlier this week, a
minor storm was brewing. Gusts swept the beaches
clear of surfers, bathers, wanderers and
beachcombers. A few camel drivers still manned
their stalls near the far end of the crescent
shaped beach, and the waves grew even more fierce
as they pounded the shore. But
today, near the end of December, 2002, it's as
balmy as any spring afternoon, and the buyers and
browsers are out in force, filling the Medina with
its dozens of shops and stalls. We found an
excellent Cyber Cafe right by the entrance and are
getting our dozens of e-mail letters ready to send
around the world. What a great way to stay in touch
- which is why we now carry our own
laptop. Famous
Doors of Hospitality:
Another
friendly, convenient place to meet is the Hotel
des Isles, which next to the Medina and offers
a full range of services. We had the opportunity of
meeting the management and will provide more
details later in our recommended hotel and resort
comments, along with word about Essaouira's new
Ryad Mogador and others. I don't know
whether my story on Essaouira will ever be
completed. Since we spent almost two weeks in the
immediate area and met so many interesting people
from all walks of life, there is already enough
material for a series of travel guides. We met
people who are now permanent residents, who came
originally from the USA, Germany, France, Spain,
Italy, the United Kingdom and beyond, all of whom
expressed their love of Morocco in general and
Essaouira in particular. Several of these people
have riads in the Medina area, and others are
located in the surrounding countryside. Great
Drives? The whole of Morocco is ideal for enjoyable
drives. We enjoyed the coastal route from Essaouira
to Agadir,and drove the route from Essaouira to
Marrakech twice in a rental car, enjoying every
mile we traveled in this fascinating countryside.
As a firm believers in the magic of serendipity, I
was pleased to meet a very special person who is
now a confirmed "Essaouirian. " One day, we were
searching for computer internet services and
noticed a sign advertising a local travel agency.
Venturing inside, we enjoyed some quality time with
the owner, George Cook. The timing was perfect,
since Mr. Cook moved his company, fleet of 4-wheel
drive vehicles, computers and all, to the heart of
Essaouira, where he operates Mistral
Travel.
This group tour operation, backed by a travel
professional with decades of experience and key
connections in the British Isles, is a valuable
addition to the resort city. Watch for more
information on Mistral Travel on this site and in
Africa Travel Magazine. Much more to come in this
chapter and series.
Letter
from a reader Morocco
is a fascinating if you love sensory experiences or
sensory overload!! The experience started as soon
as we boarded the Royal Air Maroc flight, and
continued for the entire trip. I'll never forget
the sights, smells and sounds of the souk at
Marrakech!!! Shopping was great as well. As I said,
I prefer to get a little more into the country
itself, but it was a great 'spa experience'. The
trip was billed as "Sister Scholars at the Spa"!!!
Actually, Morocco was a great value I would go
again for that reason alone. I started writing an
article several months ago and would be happy to
share my thoughts with you further.
Pamela E-mail
Africa
Travel Magazine
with your own travel experiences in
Morocco.
For
Further information, Contact: CANADA:
Moroccan National Tourist Office: Suite 1460, 2001
rue Université, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A
2A6. Tel: +1 514 842 8111/2. Fax: +1 514 842
5316. |
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Here
we are, basking in the noonday sun on North
Africa's Atlantic Coast at Essaouira, Morocco,
following a journey of discovery which began in the
Imperial city of
Arabian
Nights On New Years Eve:
One
of my favorite meeting places in Essaouira is the
new 5-star Hotel Sofitel Mogador,
located on the main promenade facing the famous
beach. That's where we spent one of the most
enjoyable New Year's Eve celebrations in years. It
started with our being invited to a Fashion Show
(left) and continued into the wee hours. For
starters, the hotel's dining room waiters were all
decked out in Aladdin costumes, and the entire
ballroom looked like a scene from Arabian
Nights,complete with belly dancers, a Spanish
guitar serenade and special visual and musical
effects. The entire evening was unforgettable. We
then moved to the hotel's beach side restaurant,
where the music was going full tilt. We displayed
some of our own special items including my regal
West African robe in royal blue trimmed in white.
One of the models wore Muguette's elegant soft
green outfit with contrasting shoulder wrap; both
were gifts from Tourism Minister, Sylla Hadja
Koumba Diakite of Guinea. We expect to receive some
photos of the Moroccan Khaftan fashion segment,
which we missed by a few minutes.