Mint Tea Crawl in Hot Hot Sun

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Day 14. 2^ndFeb (Sunday)

8am start again. Breakfasted the usual. Packed our bags and left em in reception. Then went out into the oven of a Sunday in Taroudant. It was hot, hot, hot – low 30’s I think. We decided to do a bar crawl – Moroccan style. We started off from the one at our hotel (2 Café au laits), then to one near the Kasbah (Mint tea for me, it was hot there, even in the shade!), then to one near the Great Mosque (where we met Aziz again – nice guy, we wanted chips for the salt, but the cafe we sat in only did cakes. Aziz explained that they don’t care if we eat food from another place, so we bought our mint tea’s there whilst Michael nipped out for the chips and brought them to us. They are very easy going out here, Aziz very much so. As we parted, Michael gave him some cash. He has been very cheerful and helpful on a number of occasions.

We then went to a cafe very near our hotel and sat at the back so they wouldn’t see us and had 2 fresh orange juices. It is truly amazing that there are so many restaurant, cafe places who only sell mint tea though! Tantamount to misrepresentation to say you are a restaurant and only sell mint tea, but Michael explained that, in old French, it means a restorative beverage and only since end of 18^thC has it involved meals. But there are so many mint-tea restaurants, they are everywhere. Noticeable that you never see a local woman in any tea-bar, although quite common in ones doing food (proper restaurants but not called such!) The women seem quite open and friendly, although an old woman attacked Michael in Marrakech, grabbing his arm and trying to drag him off to a shop. You see full burka, half burka and full western with the majority being full western, same with boys, some of who wear djellabas, but not many. A group of old men walking in front of you in djellabas makes you think you are in a scene from Lord of the Rings!

So, full up with drinks, we collected our bags and headed for the bus station at around 4pm for our 4:45 bus. I checked my bag in (5Dh) and was told the bus would be at 5pm. So we went and sat in the shade and waited. Other coaches were coming & going but not ours! Michael kept nipping inside the walls to see if my bag was still in the luggage pile near the office. Whilst he was doing this once, some oldish guys called me over to their grubby outdoor tea stall, all very friendly they sat me down and chatted. One was smoking a kief pipe and I told him that this was the first time I’d seen this since we came over. He offered me some but I declined as already getting stressed by the lack of any bus. It was around 5:30 now. Then 4 lads came over and the older men who had smoked the keif said ‘Mafia’ with a thumb to them. They seemed ok and quite friendly, smoking what looked like spliffs. One got out a mobile and threw it on the table, then they started playing ludo! They called it something else, but they then spent ages having a game, the one nearest me slapping my hand (really hard) when he got a good roll of the minute dice. Yellow won, I thought he would.

Our bus finally came at about 6pm (which had nice cold air from the roof jets) and whisked us off to Adadir via Inezgane (local transport hub, 20km away). We arrived at Agadir CTM bus station at around 8pm. I bought my ticket to Tafroute for tomorrow at 2:30, Michael enquired about coaches to the airport – there aren’t any! Seems he must get a Grand Taxi there for around 200Dh, less if he manages to share. I think there is a Grand Taxi stand quite near our hotel, will check out tomorrow. Michael needs to spend another night at the hotel and fly out Tuesday.

We hailed a Petite Cab who took us to our hotel (50Dh) – Hotel Adrar, which is very like a Premier Inn (for those who recall em), all very smart and souless. Nice pool though, all lit up wif changing colour fairy lights, same on surrounding palms! Like a magical led land…

We ate in the restaurant, which was actually a restaurant this time! Set meal for 100Dh, I had: legume soup, vedgy pizza & horrid looking & tasting pink icinged cake (we still ate most of it though). Mike had largish salad starter, very red sausages on slicks with chips & the same horrid cake.

We’ve decided to get up at 9 tomorrow rather than 8 when it’s still dark.

No photo’s today, I’m having a day off the camera.

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Comments

[Annalyn]

Oh my!! I have only just realised that I’ve been writing my messages in the title box!! Such a bozo! Heigh ho. Better just keep it down to sending love and hope next stage goes well. Am enjoying the trip. Love A xx

[DickDiamond]

This website is too complicated Annalyn. I'm lucky to get my blogs posted! Photo's take ages. But all comments are most welcome.

[Amy Friedman]

You could still draw us a picture
I liked the Premier Inn: purple LED lights on the headboard! Now that is a classy concept. I do not know what the usual breakfast is, but I like that you met the Mafia. In Tangier w/my son, we were shown the upstairs of a Mint Tea Restaurant, which was where the women went to sit. But when I conveyed in bad French that my son had not yet eaten, they immediately fussed over him like it was a national crisis, and brought him a grilled cheese sandwich. I would like to propose formally that you purchase a djellebah; it would be the ticket for lounging back in Leeds, and comfy for all your upcoming long bus rides, for sure. And so stylish! And forgiving.

[DickDiamond]

Will bear your comments in mind Amy. Having problems with my clothing but cases are bursting already...