Morrocco Day 7

Today we are headed for the coast, Essoaura, where we are promised a layback, chilled out kind of experience. But first, Taroudannt, sometimes called Little Marrakech as it was founded by the same leader. This area is primarily agricultural ith corn, fruit, cattle food etc. Today we have our first overcast skies for the trip after a little rain during the night..

Fortified walls surround Taroudant.

Just outside the walls is the site where thousands of people gathered in 1975 to walk to the Western Sahara in protest of Spanish colonisation. Independence was declared soon after.

The tannery, where thousands of goat, sheep, camel and beef hides are treated to be used for the leather industry. No chemicals are used in the process, just natural products like lime, pigeon droppings and dyes. It's a bit smelly, so a sprig of mint leaves are given to you as you enter. There were some lovely shoes and bags for sale in the shop, my first foray into Morrocan bargaining: offer half of original asking price and negotiate up to two thirds. Everyone leaves happy.

We stopped at the modern, seaside city of Agadir for lunch supplies from a HUGE supermarket. Agadir is a young city, rebuilt after a devastating earthquake in 1969. These days Agadir is a popular summer destination with lots of nightclubs, restaurants etc. Most of the bananas in Morrocco are grown in this area.

Back to brilliant blue skies and sunshine for our picnic on the beach.

The road to Essoaura followed the coast most of the way, Atlantic on the left and Argan forests on the right. We stopped at an Argan Oil cooperative where we were shown the painstaking process of collecting oil from the thin almond inside two thick protective layers. No wonder it's a pricy substance, used for cosmetics and cooking.

Essoaura was not much further away. We left our driver, Said, outside the medina walls and were taken to the hotel. It's another Riad, this one not as spacious but full of charm. Essoaura is where all the Rastas have come to stay and the streets are lined with market type shops selling everything you can imagine. We dined at a rooftop restaurant then went to the bar for some drinks, music and views of the night scenes in Essoaura.