I only stayed for a couple of days in Marrakech. My plan was to head into the high Atlas Mountains from there but decided instead to head for the warmth to rest up. My ankle and knee were fine but my hip and elbow needed a little more time.

For the last few days I have been staying at the Essaouira Beach Hostel. It is big, but well run and spacious. And their rooftop patio facing the sea and complimentary breakfast are unparalleled. Essaouira (pronounced wasira) is an unpretentious town with a stunning coastline, no resorts, nice people and good food. Many people here speak French, so in the markets I end up speaking an odd pigeon language intermingling high school French, duolingo Spanish, and English, said with a French accent (in case people might understand me better). Nobody understands. Think Joey on ‘Friends’ trying to speak French. I probably sound like that. So I just smile and say Salam.

I met some lovely young people and we wandered the market together for a day. We bought fish and vegetables and all cooked a delicious dinner together.