Escape to North Africa

My friend and I decided to plan a trip to Agadir because he's been feeling down since he’d gotten back from his US tour. (That must be the poshest sentence I've ever written) … Going back home from holiday is one thing but going back to London’s weather… totally different feeling. We wanted somewhere warm but not too expensive. I initially got the date wrong, thinking it was the 12th, but realized a couple of days before that it was on the 2nd. This explains why my mum keeps calling me dopy with less hesitation as I get older. He came down from Scotland and it took me a few minutes talking to him in the car to adjust my listening skills to his accent before he headed off the following morning. By the way Scottish slang is quite unusual.

I remember spending a good twenty minutes before take-off, sitting in the plane with my friend's 'noise-cancelling' headphones on, blasting Miley Cyrus' 'Party in the USA'. I was determined to make him understand that the next few days with me were going to be some of the weirdest of his life and belting out Miley's music was just the beginning. Judging by the look on his face, he wasn’t prepared for what was coming his way.

When we finally landed in Agadir, the feeling of the sun's gentle heat on our faces was absolutely exhilarating. If I knew how to cry, tears of joy would have streamed down my face! I couldn't contain my excitement about the weather, and I remember shouting, 'There's sun!' The flight attendant, wishing us well on the way out, gave my friend a knowing gaze that seemed to say, 'Good luck dealing with him.' The airport was small, and the passport control staff looked grumpy (like in every country), but the heat just made me smile.

We booked a taxi online and headed to the hotel, and right away, I noticed the difference between Agadir and Marrakech. Agadir was cleaner and more developed, kind of like when Dubai's luxury was just starting out. No sketchy taxis that made me worry about getting robbed (just my phone and camera, really). From the taxi driver that took us to the hotel to the dozens of people we met in Agadir throughout the week, everyone made it clear that Agadir is the superior city over Marrakesh, all seemed so proud and passionate about their hometown. It's always great to meet locals who truly love where they live.