Location: Agadir, Morocco
There have been many unfavorable wake-ups on Argo, but this morning was slightly different. After the 12-hour voyage from Essaouira, some of the watch teams had barely gotten their maximum six hours of sleep when I had to wake them with the not-so-pleasant news that we were being boarded by customs officials again, we had to fill out the same Moroccan customs form for the third time, and we had our oceanography midterm in 20 minutes. And, oh yeah, Happy Halloween. But, as Sam would say, No worries, mate. After the midterm, we were cleared to leave the port and free to explore the city of Agadir. We learned quickly that it was a definite tourist spot, as the beaches and shops were packed with people. Some of us went to the local zoo to see some gazelles and more monkeys, while others got their bronze on at the beach. Heading back to Argo, the wind had picked up quite a bit, foreshadowing our surf day tomorrow with the expected 4-meter swells. If that wasn’t scary enough, when we got back to Argo, people were putting their costumes on. And yes, some were very terrifying (and not in a good kind of way). Having our limited wardrobes on Argo, if you were making a costume, it had to be quite creative. They ranged from pirates to liberals and bums, while the funniest may have been those who decided to dress up as each other. Although we can’t trick-or-treat, we are about to have a pumpkin carving contest between watch teams, and I fully expect to watch team three win by a landslide.