Location: Essaouira, Morocco
Today started with 9:30 wakeups at anchorage in Essaouira. Passage was over, and it was time to hit the beach for our first of two surf sessions. But first breakfast. MasterChef Max cooked up some delicious raspberry chocolate muffins.
Todays plan was full of surfing; we were to all hit the beach for a few hours in the water, and then half of us would split off to sandboard while the rest were left to explore the town.
As we ate breakfast and packed lunches for a day ashore, we were treated to quite a sight: a fishing boat had pulled up right in front of Vela, and it was engulfed by a massive flock of hungry seagulls.
A few dinghy rides (courtesy of Emma) and a short walk later, and we were at the surf shop getting fitted for wetsuits. Once suited up, we hit the beach and got to surfing. Wave by wave and hour by hour, Velas crew improved rapidly into seasoned surfers.
Time flew by, and we had been hosing off at the surf shop before we knew it. The sandboarding group congregated outside, and Sensei Mac led us to our van ride.
AN hour on the road later, and we had arrived at the sand dunes. A sight to behold, the landscape was dotted by beached fishing boats, with a beautiful rainbow as the backdrop. We shredded the slopes for hours. Luke and Theo hit flips, Jesse and Ruby did handstands, and Sensei went for some wild drop-ins. We ended up competing to be on the cover of the (imaginary) World Sandboarding Magazine 2024.
Thoroughly worn out, the sandboarders began to trek back to the van when we were detoured by our guide to a small white tent. We crammed in and were treated to honey cake, mint tea, and some traditional Moroccan music.
We all got back together on Vela for a chili dinner. Tomorrow is another huge day, with more sandboarding and camel riding in the afternoon. Signing off for now.