Nicholas Quirke was not happy with his technology on 8th December when he had been unable to connect to the internet and publish his blog from the 7th, which had been quite a day and had provided him with some amusing anecdotes as by the end of it he was exhausted after having walked a total of 23 kilometers in the Sun and wind. His day started with an altercation with a local Berber barber who had enticed into the little salon to tidy up his goatee for the agreed price of 40 Dhiran. Despite it being a relaxing experience and enjoying the scent of the pomades and oils he was pampered with, Nicholas was not happy when the wily barber then asked for 150 Dhiran. He argued that they had agreed 40 but eventually crumbled and ended up giving him 100. They had also met with Holly and Kamal to walk to the ranch at Diabat tho see the horses and further on to view the mournful ruins of the Sultans Palace. On their return they stopped at Ocean Vagabond, where hungry and hoping for supper he discovered the Vegan option was limited to chips and he found himself playing the Vegan Victim role, always an enjoyable moment for him. He met with more of Richard and Eileen’s friends and was delighted to be reacquainted with Diane and Aly. Though tired he ended his day trying to get his blog out but frustrated by his failed efforts went to sleep in the hope of more success in the morning before he and Eileen left for Marrakech. He tried to get out his podcast, blog and update but again he was thwarted by the data flow. It was an early start as it was a 3 hour journey to Marrakech by coach and one he was looking forward to. Plans to see The Marjorele Gardens, Jemaa el-Fna Square the Souk and the Saadian Tombs were made. They were determined they would not succumb to any attempts to defraud them of money and were rigorous, once in Marrakech, that prices would be negotiated before they spent. Their first visit was to the Marjorele Gardens, the Berber Museum and the Yves St Laurent Museum. The gardens were exotic and beautiful, as were many of the vain butterflies who posed in their finery against the blue buildings.  Lunch in the grounds and then they headed to the square to see the snake charmers, the monkeys and the chancers.  Nicholas was trying to curb his people pleasing but before he could protest, he found himself with a snake wrapped around his neck, staring into the eyes of a cobra and having 400 Dhiran asked of them. Eileen stood her ground and they got away with only 100. The Souk was colorful and lively though they eventually found themselves commandeered through the streets to a venue they realised they did not want to see and as a result they missed the opportunity to see the Tombs or the Ben Youseff Palace. Their last act, before tea in L’Adresse to see the sun begin to set, was to negotiate a fair price for a woven bin, Eileen’s bargain of the day. It had been a fun day and they were full of talk on the journey back to Essaouira and already making plans for Nicholas’s return and a night in Marrakech to catch the sights he had missed. Home to bed ans another early start on Sunday.