More from Essaouira

Essaouira is superb. Today I had breakfast at the hotel, Arabic class from 8:30 to noon, then a three-hour lunch break to order shawarmas (chicken, cabbage, mayo garlic sauce, tomatos, onions, etc. wrapped in pita-ish bread) and eat them on the beach. I read a lot of "A People's History of the United States" on the beach also, but the sand gets everywhere. It's really fine and sharp, and also incredibly windy on the beach so it really sticks to your body. Then after that we had two more hours of Arabic, I came back to the hotel for a while, and then I went shopping with some friends and got a load of gifts and stuff for myself - gnaoua music from the 2006 Gnaoua festival and Moroccan reggae. I think Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley used to hang out a lot here. Shops are always playing Bob Marley covers. There's also a rumor that Jimi Hendrix wrote "Castles Made of Sand" about the beach here, but I'm pretty sure that's false because it was on the "Axis: Bold as Love" LP which came out two years before he visited Morocco for the first time. He was definitely here at some point, however. And Essaouira is not that big so there's a pretty good chance that I have walked the same streets that he did, which is pretty cool. Also on the beach there is a man selling coconut slices, which I buy every time I go there - they are unsweetened and so tasty. Until they get sandy. 

Unfortunately I have not seen any movie theaters, so seeing Harry Potter 6 even in French won't be happening. But I am very excited for the next few days. Essaouira is a lot of fun to walk around and eat in (today I had a delicious Nutella crepe made by my new friend Ahmed the crepe man) and we have an entire day off (the only one) on Sunday. I think we are required to go to a group soccer game on the beach but aside from that I will be spending the day shopping, swimming and reading on the beach. 

Today I got a super cool wool hat that's red with a Moroccan green star on top - the current flag is red with a hollow green star in the middle, but it used to be a Jewish star actually. I'm not sure when it changed. I've seen a few really cool pieces of pottery with Hebrew on them. Also beautiful bowls with fish painted on them, but unfortunately pottery would be too difficult to transport. Today we walked through the spice/fish section of the medina here for the first time. There are all these places that sell "Viagra Morocain." I have no idea. 

I have to go now and study for my Arabic test tomorrow. I hope all you loyal readers are having as much fun at home as I am here. Only a week until I come back to the States!