Moroccan Cacophonies

This post was inspired by a day in Morocco when there were too many horrible smells to be able to breathe without gagging.  But don't worry!  For the most part this stream of consciousness is positive - I had a week of beach and surf vacation in Morocco after all...

A CACOPHONY OF SOUND:
surf pounding on the beach; 2-stroke outboard engines starting up at 5 in the morning; the few seconds of unexpected silence after a set of waves has come through; music from the restaurant - Traveling Wilburys, reggae, techno; singing vendors; the call to prayers; fish vendors; so many different languages; meows, barks, yelps; sea gulls and song birds; camels squeak?!; food vendors; bargaining; so many different accents: British, Irish, Scottish, French, Australian, American, Bulgarian; woops and hollers; motor bikes; trucks; pebbles moving in the waves; instructions: "Ready? One, two, three, stand up!"


A CACOPHONY OF TASTE:
salt water after getting a face full of wave; mint tea; verbena - this is the taste of Morocco to me; fresh oranges and bananas - the best I've ever had; falafel; hummus; fresh everything; tagine; pizza; brownie sundae

A CACOPHONY OF TOUCH/FEELINGS:
sand between the toes; how soft the sand is when you first sit down, and how it compacts and hardens as you stay there; the sticky feeling of your skin and hair after you get out of the ocean; cold water; hot air; powerful waves; sore and tired muscles; even sorer muscles!; nap on the beach cocooned by the warm air and soft sand; belly flop into the surf; sun burn; sand in your teeth; sun rays; fog/mist; wet and cold wetsuit; then the warm wetsuit for a few moments (wink); cool evenings; stretching; that feeling of weightlessness when you catch a wave; cold fingers - loose rings - had to take them off so I wouldn't lose them in the surf!; the tickle of a beetle crawling on your foot; fear, nervousness, excitement, pride, joy, happiness, relief; bruises; scrapes; relaxation

A CACOPHONY OF SMELLS:
ocean; fish; salt; dirty engine; burning trash; rotting carcass of a large, unidentifiable marine creature (> 1 meter); mint; dinner!; camels; horses; cigarettes; bleach; clean sheets

A CACOPHONY OF SIGHTS:

View from our balcony

 View from my spot on the beach - note the camel...

Pretty rocks and sand

The top floor of our hotel/hostel (Jaime doing some grading)

Fishing boats on the beach

Goats in a tree

Rich, Jaime, me, Jo (our instructor), and Will

Check out the size of that wave!