Morocco Connection

This is a trip that I had been thinking about for a long time. Morocco, a land of contrasts and ups and downs, just like my emotions during those days, especially having gone alone. Morocco, a nearby destination but we feel very far away. And is not for less. It is curious how just separated by a little water everything can be so different. Everything except the ocean, which unites

us all.

WHY ALONE?

Well… and why not? A series of catastrophic misfortunes made that situation finally arise and I had to choose, go alone or wait for another time, and I didn’t want to put it off any longer, it was the moment. He had already started to make a run to jump and could not stop. Accustomed to travelling in a motorhome without planning the matter much, he planned to do more or less the same and improvise. But of course, Morocco is going at a different pace. Going alone has been a roulette of emotions and I have lived everything more intensely. I’ve been ripped off, I’ve been scared, I’ve screamed with joy, I’ve cried, I’ve met amazing people, I’ve surfed incredible waves, I’ve seen amazing places, I’ve helped people, I’ve slept on the road, I’ve been bruised...I have to admit that there were times when I regretted going alone, but seeing the experience as a whole, it was worth living it like that.

THE DRIVING

The first thing I did when I arrived in this country was to start driving in the middle of the night, in Marrakech. I could categorically state that driving in Morocco is the worst. Driving on its roads involves a lot of stress. Especially in big cities and more in the middle of the night. Dogs that do not depart. Crossing bikes. Cars that get into Motorcycles that do not understand traffic lights. Carefree people. Solid lines are little props. Crossing a crosswalk is an act of faith. Entering a roundabout is throwing yourself to the lions. But finally, if you arm yourself with courage and a little unconsciousness, you begin to flow among the others and enter the wheel of Moroccan driving.

THE WAVES

As always, the main reason for my adventures. The reason why I have the need to travel, to explore, to discover. I didn’t know how the spots worked there, so I had several spots marked on the map and would combine them as they came up.

I surfed the first session after several hours of accumulated tension: since I had no hotel booked, I had had problems accessing the country, they had scammed me with the car rental and that first night in the end I had had to sleep on the road between trucks ...Then when I got to the coast I looked over the cliff and saw that wave...There was no wind, one right after another followed one another in the bay and I lost count of the seconds that people were in each one of them. At that very moment my spirits improved and after the second wave that I caught without barely getting my beard wet, I knew that it had been worth getting there, despite the fact that I much prefer going to the hand than from behind (I’m goofy).

I have been lucky enough to surf every day except one and in different types of waves. I can tell you about another wave that I caught with a short board that reminded me of a famous cantabrian reef. Or one of the only lefts I’ve taken that opened and opened, but I had to wait for someone to come because I didn’t know where to enter the rocky shore or how the currents worked. I can also tell you about a forehand with an incredible shape that I caught in the south, ALONE! That day I was looking forward to someone getting to the water to share those moments, but I took a bath in the morning and another in the afternoon and not a soul soaked more than me.

THE FOOD

After that first surf session and after I don’t know how many hours without eating, I had to go eat something. And I almost couldn’t stop doing it until I took off again. Fascinating. If you like spices, you’re in luck. Meats, vegetables and fish…all with a very special touch that you either love or hate. Fast food in street stalls that will surprise you, more elaborate stews that will conquer you. Don’t be shy about stopping at a taco stand, trying a panini, shopping at a makeshift greengrocer, or grabbing a coffee from a car-mounted coffee maker and chatting with the guy who makes it for you. The desserts and sweets deserve a separate mention, I could have brought a full backpack!

THE PEOPLE

I could say that my only negative experiences with people here have been 3: with the car rental, with a guy who was very nice but who I already saw coming and another guy who abused his power a little in a toll, the rest have shown me a hospitality that overwhelmed me. (If I make a quick comparison, in the few minutes that I was in the Madrid airport, they tried to swindle me 2 times).

Let your kindness and respect be felt towards at traveller. Their culture has nothing to do with ours and that is palpable. The language doesn’t help either by sounding very aggressive (in my opinion), but every little gesture you make will be rewarded with a smile and endless gratitude. What little they have, they do not hesitate to share. For example, a boy who lives on the beach (literally) and paints pictures and stones invited me to tea in his “house”, which was limited to a stone wall to protect me from the wind. There, making us understand how we could, I enjoyed a beautiful sunset. Forget the cliché that everyone will mess with you to get a few dirhams, although you will certainly run into them (especially in the north, in big cities and in the markets) but in what a busy place there are no people surviving on tourists.

If you want to come, open your mind and accept that you are going to arrive in a different place, with great need and especially in small places with little infrastructure. It is one of those destinations that leave no one indifferent. You may or may not agree with what I have written, but this has been what I have lived for 9 days in Morocco, travelling by car more than 900 km and yes, escaping from the big cities.