Location: Essaouira, Morocco
Our 44th day on Argo marked the halfway point of our journey. No longer can we give in to the temptations of mediocrity, as the pinnacle of training onboard Argo will shortly prove fruitful as we approach the Atlantic crossing. This morning’s sunrise over the Atlantic quickly gave way to a peaceful anchoring outside of the city of Essaouira. Our day was full of exploration into the heart of the Moroccan markets. Our negotiation skills were quickly put to the test as hundreds of vendors made their best pitches in order to convince us why the quality of their monkey feet or eel soup was far better than that of rival traders. With the exchange rate of US dollars to Moroccan Doll Hairs finally leaning in our favor, the presence of monopoly money gave us the opportunity to buy necessary items like handmade gifts, spices, and silk Jedi robes. As Essaouira is the wind capital of Morocco, tomorrow seems like the perfect opportunity for windsurfing and kiteboarding lessons. However, the wind in the region has been nonexistent since we left Gibraltar. Fortunately for us, however, when every door of opportunity closes, a new one opens. Let’s just hope that door brings us camels or magic carpets.