essaouira

Essaouira is a peaceful coastal village 2 hours drive north of Marrakesh. The temperature goes down dramatically as soon as you arrive, and there is a cooling sea breeze.  The colour is blue- the buildings, the boats, the sea, the sky. The pace of life is so slow here, the locals are very laid back -the perfect place to while away a week or two. I loved Essaouira, and it is obvious that the hippie trail came this way too, as evidenced by the continuing tale of Jimi Hendrix' visit in the 60's. Ride a camel on the beach, sit in one of the many courtyard cafes and read a book for an hour or two, sip a traditional mint tea or the great Moroccan coffee. I found a tiny street stall selling a huge selection of African music including Mali musicians Rokia Traore and Ali Farka Toure. There is a great English language bookshop with more Paul Bowles books than I have seen anywhere.  The classic Bertolucci film version of 'Under the Sheltering Sky' featuring a young John Malkovich (with hair) will whet your appetite for Morocco, if you haven't seen it -do.