Essaouira to Tangier

Well, that is the plan: 3 hours by bus to Marrakech then 8 hours by train. 

We are up super early, the riad does rustle up some breakfast - not as great as yesterday but still nice, especially those home-made preserves! Quick walk in the dark to the bus with light misty rain settling in as we arrive at the depot. We amuse ourselves watching everyone else arrive, some dashing in by taxi. We leave 2 mins late as light dawns. 

Basically sleep the first hour until noos-noos stop. I try to have it without sugar; I have got addicted to sugar here - apparently the average sugar consumption is 19 kg per person per year. 

It is freeway all the way until last turnoff into Marrakech which is an awful road: narrow and shared with little motor scooters which the bus has to negotiate around avoiding oncoming traffic. Very industrial as we approach and lots of colourful bougainvillea. 

The transfer from bus to train station is seamless and in fact the bus has arrived early. We don’t muck around though and board the train quickly, helped by the conductor with our luggage. It’s 1st class but 2nd class by our train standards. The half hour transfer passes quickly and we watch as the seats all fill up: it’s going to be a long haul. Thank goodness we are in 1st class because the seats are wide and comfortable despite there being the full complement of 6 people in our compartment and the luggage racks are totally full. It is raining again - has been off and off so far today - good day to be in a train! 

Travelling north towards Casablanca, we can see minor flooding in the fields. I must say, I had pictured Morocco as being hot, t-shirt weather but I’m glad I checked the forecasts before leaving home because, apart from the desert, it has been mainly cool and I have been grateful more than once for my warm jacket - like today!! 

The sun comes out and we pass fields of lovely flowers: yellow, white and interspersed with red poppies. There are also signs of the new track for the TGV fast train that the French are building.

At Casablanca we change trains but there is a delay - we leave an hour late! Very tedious. We are not scheduled to get into Tangiers until 20:20 as is!