While lunching al fresco in one of the busy restaurant terraces in the medina of Essaouira we were serenaded by local musicians using indigenous musical instruments. Cool.
Lunch and a Serenade
Blondine ordered a chicken tajine. She loved dipping the bread in the tajine sauce that is why she is only ordering tajines in this holiday. I on the other hand went for a plate of grilled cod fish with some rice and salad on the side. The fish was unfortunately dry.
I can’t remember my taste buds celebrating this lunch but overall it was nice. Thanks to the ambiance of the cafe restaurant and the entertaining local musicians. I had fun watching the musician especially with the cymbals on his forehead. I must admit, with how he moved and the cymbals hanging on his forehead, he looked a bit funny.
Here is our lunch:
Macho Encounter
After lunch we went to another café facing the square that connects to the harbour. We were just sitting there sipping our coffee and tea whilst enjoying the atmosphere and people watching when a young local guy came to our table and demanded something from Blondine. I can’t remember the details anymore, everything just went so quick. Blondine said NO and the next thing we know, he went livid. Like totally and literally, he was shouting at Blondine. Remember, this is a total stranger shouting at another stranger.
In a situation like this, the best thing to do is ignore the harasser. So that was exactly what we did, we simply ignored the young guy. He went back to his troop at the back part of the café, fuming mad and we looked at each other and said, WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?
It appears that the local male sentiment about western women here, especially blonde women are not near reality. Blonde western women are seen as an easy type of woman. It is sadly the dark side of stereotypes and the young local young guys feed on this. It is a touchy subject I understand as it points to having double standards, given the conservative culture of the country.
In summary, major turn off: Macho aggressive kids who think the world revolve around them. And I cannot stress this enough…. as a woman do dress appropriately here (skirts, dress and shorts knee-length, no cleavage showing, if possible no sleeveless strings), if you do not want to be harassed.
Here are more pictures of the cafe restaurant terraces in Essaouira:
Travel Period: April 2009
Destination: Essaouira (South Atlantic Coast), Morocco
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Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)