SAFI - EL JADIDA, MOROCCO
My enthusiasm for the alleged "open road" was somewhat tempered after the first 2-1/2 hours of wagging my thumb. By noon, I decided to head back into town for lunch and I met someone who told me there's a bus to El Jadida (midway between Safi and Casablanca) for $2.25. Now why didn't I think of that? You have to pay when you hitch-hike anyway (ah America, land of the free hitch!)
Squeezed into the 2:30 bus-- uneventful ride-- reached El Jadida about 6pm. To my anguish, I was found by one of those won't-take-no-for-an-answer types who insisted on finding me a hotel, bringing me to the room himself, dragging me out for a beer (my treat, of course), offering some hashish, demanding a detailed explanation of why I didn't want it, dragging me to his cousin's record shop, insisting I go in with him on some hash, sitting around with nothing to say, insisting that I stay anyway, (mortally offended that I didn't want to hang around while everyone got high), offering me some grass, borrowing 10 dirham (inevitable), etc., etc., etc., etc. This is the kind of experience that always bums me out. Luckily, I spoke with several other young Moroccans in Safi who were friendly, helpful, but not oppressive, and wished me a good trip. This pushy type, though, has no conception of why I would mistrust an instantaneous friendship-- I distrust it by nature AND by experience.
By 8:30 I finally broke away, after putting off our next appointment until noon (Mahomed gets up at 6 and could meet me anytime after that.) Went to bed slightly peeved.
PHOTO CREDIT
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