On 25th January 2016, I was on my third and final day in Essaouira.
“The camel and his driver — each has his own plan.”
African Proverb
The day started badly and it was my own fault. Entirely without question my own fault. After an excellent breakfast in the Riad Chakaris the plan was to visit the beach.
This meant walking once again past the fishing port and this morning by chance straying into the boat building yard. I was admiring the boats when a man appeared and beckoned me over. I wasn’t sufficiently alert and wandered across and he invited me inside a wooden picket fence to take a closer look.
To be fair he gave me an informative ten minute tour of the yard but then at the furthest point from the fence he asked me in a rather threatening way for 200 dirham (about £15). I said no way but he was big and smelly and intimidating and blocked my way. I stood my ground but even so eventually handed over 50 dirham which was still too much and money that I would have preferred to give to a street beggar rather than a thief. Lesson learned!
Have Bag, Will Travel 
“big and smelly and intimidating”, exotic places indeed!
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Got to take the rough with the smooth.
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I LOVE that header image!
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Essaouira is very photogenic Sue.
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So I have heard!
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Same again. On arrival at the car-park at Dunne’s River Falls in Jamaica in our hire car we were accosted by a charmer who said he was the official in charge of the site and would escort us to the entrance which he did, politely asking for the car keys as he did. Foolishly, we handed them over before we had time to suss out what was afoot. Eventually, after a heated stand-to and with fear of a knife attack (this was Jamaica in the sixties) we paid for their return. Never again, we swore, and it put us off the Caribbean for ever.
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I am always wary of scams since I was robbed in Barcelona.
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