Essaouira

Essaouira is such a pretty place with a lovely Medina. It was rather spoilt for me though as yesterday I had my little camera stolen. We were standing outside the Riad and a man ran past and pulled it from my neck. It was in a camera case hanging around my neck with straps. He yanked it and it just came away. He was chased down the laneway by a kind British Ex pat but unfortunately he got away. I feel that little camera has been cursed and I will not be getting another one. Time to think of something different. The worst of it was not so much the loss of a small video clip I hadn't downloaded but making the report to the police. That was done in the afternoon today after doing a tour of the old Medina. Khalib came with me and was terrific in helping me get through the process. First of all we waited 50 minutes before they said they would do the report. I was lectured numerous times about not reporting it the previous evening (well I took my cue from Khalib, lesson learned) and it was a very lengthy affair with numerous questions asked including my mother and father's names. My father has been dead for 20 years but I was not going to argue with them. I really could not tell them much about the thief. It was at night and he ran past me in a twinkling of an eye. Reports were done in Arabic and French and multiple copies were signed and witnessed. Then it became all very pleasant with questions asked about Kangaroos, and had I eaten them and would I look after them if they ever came to Australia.

This was taken in the morning before lectures. It is at the port. There are numerous fishing boats in the water as well as those out of water. There were also numerous cats and dogs here. They all seem pretty well fed. We were told by our local guide that Moroccans don't usually keep dogs because of a dependency that might develop but they might have a cat. I have never seen so many cats - there may even be more cats than people in Essaouira.