Essaouira

When I think of Essaouira surprisingly enough I think of experiences surrounding a hostel! Essaouira has a reputation of being a hippy haven, ocean side city. It is the Moroccan town made famous by celebrities like Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley who came to stay and write songs like "Castles Made of Sand". We were excited to see the coastline after spending time in the Atlas mountains and it seems strange that it would be the place that we stayed that made such an impact us, more than the town itself. H0wever, this hostel (Dar Afram) felt more like a home than a hostel and the people and experiences there will stay forever engrained in my mind.

Weary from the long journey from Imlil to Essaouira we arrive into strange circumstances. First, we witnessed a violent girl fight from our bus window. A few minutes later everyone on the bus was shouting and pushing a man trying to get on the bus, off of the bus. Once we arrived to the bus station we witnessed a man pushing his wife abusively off the bus. To top it all off, when we finally exited the bus, all of the husslers approached us to try to get us to come to certain hostels, trying to guide the way and a two random men ask me if I want to "f$!k" (still unclear if this was a translation error, joke or rudeness)! Needless to say all this chaos was quite unexpected and with little energy reserves after such a long journey, it felt overwhelming!

After viewing several shabby hotels we stumbled on Dar Afram. On entering this Aussie owned hostel, we instantly felt at ease. From the entrance there was a big open courtyard in riad style. Riads are indoor courtyards with all the bedroom windows facing inward toward the natural light provided by the courtyards open roof. They were developed so that the Muslim women could take off their head scarfs in privacy but still have natural light and sunshine! There is no tv in the courtyard but lots of cozy seats and guitar playing. The manager Taz (Terrick) runs the place for his dad and lives there full time. He was such a warm, jovial and supra laid back guy. He kind of guy you've felt you've known all your life and can make you feel at home instantly. There was quite an eclectic group of backpackers and locals here, all here for the same thing: the relaxed vibe and music. Since the hostel was named after a band and Taz is a musician, live music is king here. There was typically someone sitting there strumming a guitar or music on. Even famous musicians like Bonobo have stayed here. We really enjoyed the home cooked Moroccan meals shared by 5-10 people each night at the hostel and cooked by a woman who is a local cooking legend. It felt like home. Essaouira offered a gorgeous medina and beach (although really windy!). We really enjoyed our stay here and were sad to leave our newly formed travel family.

Coinciding with the hippy culture was the hash culture. Hash is readily available here and frequently offered for sale to tourists. There is a huge problem with unemployment in morocco with unemployment figures staggering up to 20%! When Essaouira recently transitioned into a tourist mecca it brought in workers that spoke English, were educated or business based. Although great for tourism, this pushed out locals with lack of education or language skills. Selling hash became a means for these locals to stay in Essaouira and make a living. The hash sellers comically approach the men on the street or just pass by and whisper "hash?". Aaron was asked about five times a day almost everywhere we went. I guess in a country nearly impossible to find alcohol a lot of tourists would partake. That is unless you count "Moroccan whiskey" which is what the locals call Moroccan mint tea (it also has green tea and about a ton of sugar in it).

It makes me reflect on my Canadian culture which is so saturated in alcohol! I often sympathize with those who don't drink in Canada due to religion or past addictions as alcohol is so ridiculously available and culturally acceptable. Working in the emergency room at times I am baffled at how alcohol remains legal. Surely the ramifications caused by alcohol must be more costly to the government than tobacco related illness (which is more pronounced in the media). There is a saying that the emergency room would shut down if the prohibition was re instituted! Imagine no alcohol related motor accidents, domestic violence, violence at drinking establishments, alcohol poisoning, falls, seizures (from alcohol withdrawal), not to mention liver failure, ulcers, stomach bleeds, unwanted pregnancies, etc, etc! Yet what would we do without alcohol, it is so immersed into our culture as a means of celebration (open bar weddings), relaxation, socializing and even "liquid courage". I enjoy a glass of wine with a meal or a drink out with friends but I would by no means consider myself a heavy drinker. However I did find it a strange to be on a holiday without consuming alcohol for a whole month! They don't serve alcohol in any restaurants, there were no liquor stores and there are only bars (which were empty when we went to them) in the big city centers.

When did drinking become such a societal norm for us? Why does it persist regardless of all the negative life outcomes for so many? I am not anti or pro alcolhol use but did find travelling to a dry country interesting.

Next up: FEZ, the cultural capital of Morocco!