Morocco Part 1

After a few hours flight from Budapest, I landed in Agadir, Morocco!

Rather than do my usual play-by-play of events, I’ve decided to take a more relaxed approach (in the spirit of this section of the trip, where I’ve put the focus on relaxation).

Location 1 — Lunar Surf House, Tamraght

I began my time in Morocco with a few days at the Lunar Surf House in Tamraght.  Tamraght is about 30 minutes north of Agadir, both of which are towns along the southern Moroccan coast.  The house was a stop for a number of European travelers, all looking for a bit of relaxation and surf off the beaten path.  I’ve included a few highlights:

First, the hostel itself.  The building was lovely, including a rooftop terrace with plenty of group space, as well as the top-most tier that made for a lovely place to read a book while watching the sunset.  On top of the building itself, the staff made group meals for breakfast and dinner.  These meals were in the vein of Moroccan home cooking, and were often excellent.  Plus, they provided a venue for the various members of the hostel to interact and make friends.  During these dinners I made most of my friends I’d spend time with at Lunar Surf, who hailed from the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and the United States.

Second, the surfing.  I hadn’t tried surfing since the lesson or two I’d taken on family vacation in middle school.  I was excited to find that I enjoyed surfing thoroughly, and that my time spent on a snow board gave me a bit of an edge over my less board-friendly compatriots.  I went out for two days of surfing both in the morning and afternoon, soaking up the salt and sun.  I’ve heard of many travelers finding themselves transfixed by Bali or other surfing destinations, and I can certainly understand where they’re coming from.

Third, our trip to the swimming hole.  A crew of guys set out from the hostel with our guide (nicknamed GoPro) to visit a swimming area about an hour inland from the hostel.  This included swimming, lunch, and a previously unannounced trip to an argan oil co-op in an attempt to sell us overpriced argan-based products.  I did not purchase any, though a couple of our guys did.

For those that don’t know, argan oil comes from the argan tree, which produces small, oily nuts that, when released from hard outer shells, can be ground or pressed for their precious oil.  This oil is high various types of good fats and can have a nice effect on one’s hair and skin.

The swimming hole was a strange combination of desert oasis and backcountry lake.  The scenic nature was covered in graffiti and trash, but still made for nice swimming.  We took the opportunity to cool off in fresh water and to jump from some of the cliffs over the water.

From there I took the suggestion of new friend Antoine to head to an eco-commune style hostel a few hours north.

Location 2 — L’Ane Vert (The Green Donkey)

My next location was a hostel in a semi-remote area of coastal Morocco.  L’Ane Vert seeks to be a sustainable vacation destination, with minimal energy usage and various systems to effectively manage its waste.  All of the electricity used comes from solar panels, and waste (human or otherwise) is either recycled or used as compost (in the case of the human waste, for non-edible plants only!).  On top of this, the hostel has a beautiful patio/restaurant/bar area for all hostel members to mingle and dine together.  There isn’t much to do besides surf and go to the beach, but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it?

My days here were filled with delicious food, great surf, and a beautiful sandy beach.

Location 3 — Essouira

After a few relaxing days at L’Ane Vert, I headed into the nearest city for a couple nights before heading north.  Here I stayed at a beautiful hostel in the medina (the medina is the old town center, surrounded by a wall).  I only spent one full day in Essouira, which I spent surfing and eating with new friends Simon and Kim (from Germany).  Simon was a fellow software engineer, so we had plenty to talk about!  I also met up with Antoine, a Dutch friend from my previous two hostels, for a lovely dinner in a hip Moroccan restaurant.

Next, a long bus ride to Casablanca.