sweetravels: Sleepy Days in Asilah

At the end of a 14 day tour, I decided to visit somewhere different from the standard route. After a long four and a half hour train journey from Casablanca, I arrived in the small town of Asilah in Northern Morocco.

I was told before the trip that the journey would take about four hours. I had no idea as where to get down and that did start to worry me after four hours on the train. The sign post in each stop is a little hit and miss, often non existent. It might have helped a little if there was an announcement, I could at least make out the name Asilah if I don't understand the rest of the message. With some sign language, I asked a couple of passengers including the cleaning lady for information. All were helpful and seemed to understand except no one was right. Then the train conductor came to my rescue. He instructed his assistant to inform me when the train reached Asilah. Relieved.

The next day, a five minute stroll into town I was approached by a fisherman, Mostafa. He told me he was not a guide only later for me to find out he was one. That was his side income, he said as he walked me round the medina. It has been 3 weeks of windy weather making it impossible for fishermen to go out to the sea. The sun struggled to come through everyday. Mostafa is a Muslim but not practicing. We later sat down by a road side cafe for me to have a coffee. Due to health problem he is allowed only water and declined my offer to buy him a drink. Meantime, a man who appeared to be in his sixties was delivering a speech to an empty street. The man was once a poet according to Mostafa. Something must have gone terribly wrong in his life, very sad.

Asilah is a sleepy town in late autumn. It's as if everyone has left the town and gone on extended holidays. Those who stays only wakes up when summer comes. My jeans that I washed the night before has dried. But those neighbour washings opposite my hotel room are still out on the balcony after two days since I arrived. Asilah seems somewhere out of the ordinary in Morocco. Perhaps it is, one can enjoy a good paella here. It's a popular day trip destination among Spanish tourists for a glimpse of Morocco.

Mostafa, the fisherman and my guide

Asilah reminds me of Seaton, a seaside town in England. But only so much more laid back here. Folks moved in unhurried pace. Traffic are slow and few. I met a man who paints, almost everyday I bumped into him. He would show me his latest works and explained the subject in full enthusiasm. After that he was happy to leave me alone. People seemed content with doing nothing, they sat on the wall of the medina, watching the changing colours of the sea. Shop owners did not seem desperate for business. No one followed me to sell leather wallets. There has been an increase in tourists from Mainland China after visa was waived followed by the King's recent visit to the country. I met Chinese tourists every day. Locals learned to greet Chinese looking tourists " nihau ".

The sun finally came out on my last day in Asilah. Maybe I'll have another paella, it's a nice change after a dozen of tagines in the past weeks. Then I'll catch the train to Fez, more tagines await.

November 3-6, 2016