26 Oct 2004. El Djadida.

Having handed over a sizeable bundle of dirhams to Yousef - I'm not sure what for, but he suggests it has something to do with "friendship" - I get the hell out of Casa and rumble off down the coast to El Djadida. I ride around the town twice without seeing anything that looks like a hotel, so I aim for the beach and stand (sitting is for people that haven't just ridden 150 miles) gawping at the Atlantic and smoking fags. The sea is enormous and so is the sky.

After a while a twenty-something on a BMX comes up and introduces himself. Hello Abdul. 15 minutes later I'm in his house being invited to dinner with his family.

One minute later I'm offered a room for the night. Half an hour after that Abdul and I are fishing, in the late afternoon sunshine, from his boat. It's a lot of fun. I catch three and there is much laughter.

Later we eat and then get to smokin'.
The next morning, though it's Ramadan, I am brought coffee and bread and honey. On my way out Abdul's mum says I am now one of her children and I can stay whenever I like. I don't know what to say so I pocket the silverware when she's not looking* and scarper. Dear M'Barek family - Uh, thanks!

*not really