Day Nineteen – Sunday 20th June 2010
Our left at 7am so we were up and out super early to catch, the walk to the station was pleasant enough it being mostly downhill. The bus ride took about an hour and a half and dropped us at a small town where we caught another bus, packed with people, to another town where we got a grand taxi, also packed to Moulay Besselham, which is a small fishing town on the Atlantic Coast.
We had a lemonade which magically changed price when the time came to pay our bill and headed down to the beach to relax for a bit by the fresh sea air – anywhere but by the water was hot and muggy. We didn't stay long because there was some confusion as to the day/time of the football match between Brazil and Cote D'Ivore, so we headed back up, found a cafe, sat down only to find that the match was later on in the day. We decided to bring the time forward of our bird tour so we could head on to Rabat to catch the match there instead.
Hassan, our guide, rocked up, ate some of our peanuts not saying much and then lead the way to the shore where his boat was waiting. We jumped in the little motorboat and headed out into the shallow lagoon where Hassan started to point out birds and chat a bit about himself. The lagoon was beautiful, the day was beautiful, the sun was bright and twinkled on the little waves that rippled between the shores. We saw lots of different kinds of gulls, egrets, terns, crab catchers, flying fish and most importantly FLAMINGOS!!! We didn't get to close which was a shame, although it was right not to disturb them, but we were able to watch them through binoculars and take some pictures. Along the way we crossed paths with a small fishing boat and our guide bought some of the flying fish for us to grill and eat once we got back to the beach, but time was short and Djalma was keen to get going so that we didn't miss the football.
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| From Moulay Besselham, The Atlantic Coast, Morocco |
Hassan dropped us back on a different shore where a small indoor fish market was based, we didn't go inside – there was plenty of action outside on the beach covered with fish guts, yum. We collected our backpacks and walked to the bus station where we got our tickets for Rabat and then baked inside the oven fronting as a bus while there was a huge hoo-hah about tickets. A fellow English teacher was talking to Djalma, dressed in a suit and keen to talk to foreigners he didn't seem particularly in love with his fellow countrymen, but he did explain that the tickets we bought weren't for Rabat but a town outside and from there we would need to take a train or bus to the city. Stress! As the buses only go when full we decided to get a train, the first double-decker train I've ever been on, clean, air conditioned and rather wonderful.
We made it to Rabat just in time and found a pizzeria restaurant which was showing the game. Even I was tense, what a match – and didn't Cote D'Ivore play dirty, lots of nasty kicks, naughty naughty. The first half was pretty disappointing, I think Djalma was losing hope but the second half was much better and the score quite satisfactory (3-1) so we left happy (and full of cheeseburgers, chips and salad).
We walked down the main avenue lined with palm trees to the Medina to find a cheap hotel. First impressions of Rabat are good – the proportions are big and airy and reminded me of Khabarosvk in the far east of Russia, a city which I loved. There was much less hassle from people has well, which makes a big difference.
The three hotels we checked had fixed prices for much the same thing, we managed to get hot showers for free but that was the only discount the manager was willing to give, but it was still decently priced and the bed was super firm, sweet relief after the flabby mattresses and knackered springs we'd been sleeping on the previous nights. Bliss.
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