After a coffee and pan au chocolate, I packed my things and set off, with much apprehension, to find the car rental company.
Not only was the driving I'd seen so far incredibly dangerous, and the streets exceptionally busy with bikes, cars, scooters, and pedestrians, but I had no idea where the car rental company was.
The hotel receptionist had been kind enough to write out the address in Arabic for me, and armed with this small piece of paper I flagged down taxi after taxi – but with no luck. None of them would take me.
Feeling somewhat frustrated, I decided to try at the post office. When I asked, one of the men smiled and gestured for me to follow him. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, what followed was a comedic conversation where he directed me in Arabic, French, and broken English – while I repeated in a mix of English and bad French.
It turned out that the place was less than five minutes walk, and having given myself an hour to get their – I had time to kill – so stopped at one of the many cafe's and had mint tea.
Mint Tea is the drink of choice in Morocco; served at every café – it is almost a religion. The tea is a mix of Chinese Gunpowder tea, mint leaves, and sugar, and is served in a tea pot and a glass that looks like a large shot glass.
The idea is to pour the tea from as high above the glass as possible, without splashing it everywhere. The first cup is always poured back into the pot to allow the mixture to cool, and to ensure that the sugar is well mixed.
After watching the world go by for a while, enjoying the national drink, I wandered along to the car rental company. It turns out that the car was old - with 50,000 kilometers on the clock - and scratches and dints all over the place. I insisted they marked down all the damage – which took some effort - including a visit back to see the manager.
And then I pulled out onto the main street, and hoped for the best.
With no map, and no idea where I was going, except that it was down the coast, I headed in the opposite direction the car rental agency told me, and found the Hassan II Mosque. With the sea on my right, and land on my left, I knew that I was heading in the right direction.
Before long, I was of town, and on the two track road that is the major coast highway. Always keeping the sea on my right I headed through small villages on the road to El Jadida.
Heading out of Casa and on to the open road:
El Jadida is famous for one thing – the Portuguese City. The city was built by the Portuguese during the 1600's, with walls so thick it is still possible to walk along them. Abandoned by the Portuguese in 1769, the place is now home to Moroccans, and the fort was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
The fortress at El Jadida:
And the old town that lies within the walls:
The main tourist venue, in addition to the criss cross of tiny streets enclosed by the huge walls, is the water cistern built in the Manueline style which was used as the main water supply for the fortress, and which appeared in the 1952 film Othello by Orson Welles.
Unfortunately the Cistern didn't open until three, and being that it was lunch time, I decided to grab some food in the new part of town. The nearest place was recommended by Lonely Planet as: “the firm local favorite for gargantuan plates of fried fish.” And that's exactly what you got. Marlin, Sole, Prawns, and Calamari – all served with chips, bread, and a spicy tomato sauce. Just like home – fish, chips, tomato sauce, and bread. What more could you ask for...except mushy peas...
And then it was back to the Cistern – and it was worth the wait. The room is now mostly drained of water - but the original opening remains, and a thin layer of water still covers the floor. It was - atmospheric to say the least:
And then it was on to Oualidia.
Oualidia is famous for one thing: Oysters. And having looked through the guide while eating fish and chips by the sea, I decided to stay at the place where they are farmed.
The reason Oualidia can farm what are said to be amongst the best oysters anywhere in the world is the natural lagoon, cut off from the sea by a bank of rock and sand, with a single opening to allow the water in. This creates a large protected lagoon, with still, peaceful, water, and makes the ideal environment for oysters to thrive.
After checking in, I got chatting to the owner who gave me a fascinating tour of the operation.
The place is amazingly tranquil - and the rooms all have a view over the lagoon. It's so relaxing that I sat for a while and watched the sun set before making a trip into town.
The sun setting over the lagoon:
A lighthouse marking the dock:
A quick drive into town and I'm soon walking on the beach and watching the last few moments of daylight slip away into the Atlantic.
Ignoring the advise in the Lonely Planet to never drive at night, I made my way back to where I was staying. I now know why they give this advise. Donkey's, children, and the usual road traffic seem to follow their own rules of the road. There's no stop, look, and listen. It's step out, hope for the best, and just keep walking.
Luckily - I make it back alive to the hotel in time for an incredible meal of fresh oysters. Six oysters for 18 pence...followed by another large plate of fish for main course. A near re-run of lunch – but just as good - with the added benefit of a few of the local beers to wash it all down with...
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