So, Essaouira... A complete change of pace from Marrakech! This seaside town is chilled, laid-back and made for recharging those worn-out travel batteries! It is only 3 hrs by bus from Marrakech and it was great to chill there for the 2 and a half days I was there. That length of time was plenty though, because I'm not yet at that stage when I want to relax; I only just got to Morocco! So the 1st full day I'm here I just wander the strees of the medina and the souks with a degree of peace that would not have been possible in Marrakech, no shouting touts, faux guides or overly pushy shopkeepers. The guys are everpresent, but even they seem a little less inclined to make personal comments!

The 2nd day Laura and I decided to try our hand at a little surfing. The owner/manager of our hostel runs a surf club(ish) on the side so for 150dirham we suited up in our wetsuits, grabbed a board and headed out to the waves. The surf beach is a little way out of town, so we got there by horsepower - literally! A horsedrawn carriage dropped us and our surfboards at the beach and we hit the sand. I've never surfed before and didn't hold high hopes for the day, but my confidence increased with how easy it all seemed as we practiced our moves on the beach. But then it was time to get in the water and try out all we'de learnt. What an experience! I can tell you, I slept very well that night! After about 4 hours, I left the beach happy - I'd managed to stand up! Albeit for about 2 seconds, but I'd achieved what I didn't think I could on my 1st day. Laura and I decided that although nice, we were ready to move on from Essaouira, so the next day we packed our bags early and caught a but to Fes.