The Way of The Road

After an early morning and long bus ride, I finally arrived in Essaouira.

To be honest, I was pretty drained. Before the sunrise I had a daunting journey through the rain to the bus station. Normally I don’t mind the rain, but when you’re backpacking and only have one warm outfit, it makes things a bit more complicated. Laundry has been a challenge lately because there hasn’t been much sun, and dryers aren’t common here. Without the sun, you’re just hoping your clothes will catch a gentle breeze and dry in time for the evening.

When I woke up that morning, I had plans to take the bus to the desert. Due to the weather, the bus was cancelled. Somewhere along the way there was snow on the road and some flooding. Reluctant to go back to the city, I decided to hop on the next scheduled bus. Without a single care for the destination, I was determined to discover more of the country. The drive was only a few hours long, but it wasn’t very comfortable. I was still damp, and that made the ride feel a lot longer.

Anyways, eventually I made it. I dropped my bag off at my accommodation and wandered through the Medina, following the sound of the waves to reach the ocean. After sitting for so long, I wanted to move my legs — and I also had a hankering for a snack. While walking around the port, I found a guy selling fresh oysters. I’ve been craving oysters for a while now, so when I saw these freshies, I was sooo excited. I devoured a dozen of them and continued to explore the shoreline.

There is a wall that separates the Medina from the ocean, and I felt a draw to walk along it, ocean side. After a few hundred meters, I reached the corner of the wall and, as I peeked around, I saw this amazing rainbow spanning across the water and over part of the city. Huge waves were crashing against towering rocks, and the water would trickle down like hundreds of small waterfalls. I was overjoyed and hit with this overwhelming feeling of being exactly where I am meant to be. Which was crazy to me, because earlier that morning I was supposed to be going to the complete other side of the country — but the universe brought me here.

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have had to see the world, but I must confess that sometimes I struggle with my sense of belonging. I love the adventure — in fact, it is what I live for — but there are times when I feel misplaced. Not this time, though. To feel this so unexpectedly while on an unplanned journey is very powerful. I sat there and soaked it all in.

To drop into the present moment, I like to tune into my senses. The smell of the fresh, salty air was just as predominant as the moment I stepped foot on the beach. It was so strong that I could even taste it. The sound of the tide coming in and the waves crashing against the rocks was unmistakably the most calming thing I had heard all day. Perched on top of the highest rock I could find, I could feel how sturdy and grounded I was. All the while watching this rainbow being transformed by the light and dozens of seagulls flying overhead. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more beautiful, it turned into a double rainbow. I was in complete awe.

As time passed, the colours started to fade, and once they dissolved, I walked away blissfully. On my way back, I saw a woman and a tea vendor on the beach having a conversation in Arabic. For some reason, I felt drawn to approach them, so I sat down. It’s a bit out of character for me to do this — to interrupt a conversation, especially one I don’t understand. I didn’t even want tea.

The woman, Sima, ended up being from Canada as well. She is half Iraqi, so she speaks Arabic. We shared some tea, and she helped translate the conversation with the tea vendor. At some point, we both stood up and started to walk away. After a couple of hours of hanging around the square together, we laughed at this unspoken agreement we had made to hang out with each other. Our conversations were flowing so organically, and our connection felt very old — like we had been friends for a lifetime. Everything that was happening felt very kismet. Which is interesting, as the term derives from an Arabic word — Qisma قسمة — used to describe fated meetings or fortunate coincidences.

Hours felt like minutes, and all of a sudden the square was full of people gathering for the final match of the African Cup of Nations (Afcon — soccer cup). Morocco vs. Senegal. This was a big deal. Similarly to the semi-final match in Marrakesh, the city of Essaouira set up big screens in the square for people to watch the finals together. In the end, Senegal took the win, but regardless, it was an incredibly special event to experience with the locals.

I ended up spending a week in Essaouira. I enjoyed wandering the Medina, browsing in all the cute shops and petting all the sweet cats. There were many talented artists playing music in the streets and a DJ that would play near the beach in the evenings during the sunset. But if I'm being honest, I spent most of my days next to the ocean watching the waves crash against the rocks. Sima and I spent a lot of time doing this together. She had been living here for one year, and it’s still one of her favourite things to do. This is something I love about travelling slowly. It allows time for the simple things like this.

I felt like I was really able to land in my body, reset my nervous system, and synchronize with the slower pace of life on the Moroccan coast. I honestly prefer calm days like this over busy days with a full itinerary. I didn’t know what Essaouira had to offer before coming here. This was particularly last minute, but I don’t often find myself doing much research on places before I go. I prefer it this way because then I have fewer expectations when arriving in new places, and I allow myself to be surprised by the wonders of each one.

When I first started traveling, I learned that you can’t see or do everything. So don’t force it. Now, I have a deep appreciation for letting things unfold as they will. This entire journey to the Moroccan coast is a perfect example of that.