31st January 2015

Today we berthed in Agadir, so it was an early breakfast before heading to the deck to watch the ship dock. The sun was shining, and the skies were brilliantly clear, a stark contrast to the heavy snow back home. I wondered if Suraj was making good use of the Zipfy we’d given him for Christmas.

We waited in the lounge on Deck 7 for the disembarkation call. Agadir is primarily a freight port without a dedicated cruise terminal, so after our cabin cards were scanned, we descended onto a rather industrial quay. Soon, we spotted the group of 4x4s that would be our transport for the day, squeezed among the neatly lined-up tour and shuttle buses. We’d be sharing our vehicle with two other couples and an Arab driver.

Our convoy of four vehicles left the port, taking a beach route through the city’s dusty, noisy streets. It gave us a good look at the port facilities, nearby tourist hotels, and the city outskirts. Like many Arabic countries we’ve visited, Agadir has beautiful structures, but they seem to suffer from a lack of maintenance. Plastic bags and other litter were scattered everywhere; apparently, “TLC” isn’t in the Moroccan vocabulary. Many homeowners leave parts of their buildings unfinished to avoid local taxes, giving entire housing blocks the look of a permanent construction site.

After a forty-minute drive, we left the city behind and entered what, with enough rain, would likely be very fertile farmland. However, with Agadir’s limited rainfall, large expanses of fields are covered in sheets of plastic to retain moisture and reduce evaporation. From a distance, these sheets glisten in the sun, creating an illusion of shimmering lakes across the landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

After a rather bumpy ride through the dunes, we came upon the small fishing village of Tifnit. We stopped briefly for photos but, unfortunately, didn’t enter the village itself. This is the main drawback of organised tours. I much prefer hiring a car, which gives you the flexibility to explore at your own pace without being tied to a strict schedule. I imagine it would have been lovely to spend a little time wandering through this charming-looking settlement.

We set off once more, navigating dunes and skirting along the beach until we reached a small settlement of cave dwellings. We were given a short time to explore one of the cave houses. Inside, it was rather compact, not uncomfortable for a brief stay, but certainly not suited for permanent living. There was no electricity or any hint of modern amenities.

Soon, we were back in the 4×4, lurching and swaying over more dunes toward our next stop: a touch of modernity at a picturesque hotel for refreshments. Mint tea was on offer, but Sue and I opted for lemonade and Coca-Cola. Experience has taught us that the tea is often a syrupy liquid that hardly tastes of mint and isn’t great for the teeth! We took a few more photos, and all too soon, it was time to return to the vehicles.

 

 

 

 

A highlight of this trip was supposed to be exploring the Massa wetlands and spotting pink flamingoes. Unfortunately, there were none in sight, though we did catch distant glimpses of herons. Thankfully, we didn’t linger long; it was the wrong time of day, with most wildlife hiding in the shade from the midday heat, and the flamingoes hadn’t yet arrived on their migratory route this year. We then began the long journey back to the ship, with a stop at a perfumery for the usual hard sell. Although we left empty-handed, it seemed the other tourists were keeping business brisk.

 

 

 

 

 

Once back on board, Sue decided to eat, while I, feeling a bit under the weather, opted for an afternoon snooze. I slept so soundly that I missed the ship’s departure, while Sue relaxed in the sun on the top deck until the Moroccan coast was just a thin line on the horizon.

We chose to eat early that evening in the Plaza, where the buffet allowed us to select exactly what and how much we wanted. I wasn’t up for a full four-course meal with our usual dinner companions. The advantage of dining early was that we managed to catch two shows: first, a lively performance by the song and dance troupe, the Headliners, followed by coffee in one of the cafés before heading to the other end of the ship to enjoy an entertaining set by the flautist, Steven Clark.

We turned in by midnight, though the ship’s many diversions were set to carry on into the early hours.