5/11/05
Hi,
A few nights ago in Gibraltar we awoke at 3 a.m with a roaring sound. It was
the wind! Tapestry was bounding up and down on the waves. The wind had
switched to the west, the only direction with a long fetch in the harbor. As
I
staggered to the pilothouse I noticed right away that there was another boat,
Chivas 3, RIGHT in front of us and moving our way. I reached for the horn
button and pushed for all I was worth. Nothing. When I finally found the right
button Chivas was upon us. She grazed us and by some miracle her anchor did
not
dislodge ours. By then the instruments were up and I read wind speeds just over
40 knots. Wow! Lights were coming on all around us as anchors were dragging
and people tried to adjust to the situation. It was pure bedlam for about 40
minutes. Fortunately, Tapestry held firm. Then the wind went down and we all
went back to sleep. It was a "dry squall," Something new for me.
Next day Dick and I went to town to try to get his Evinrude 9.9 fixed. I
returned at 1 and left him with a mechanic in a truck. He got back at 8 that
night, his motor running smoothly.
Yesterday we got fuel and headed for North Africa. Getting fuel meant waiting
for "Clementine," a poweryacht, to fill her cavernous tanks and then
finally getting our turn. It took hours, literally, to get fuel at Gibraltar.
They claim it is half the price of Spain at .54 Euros per litre, or about 65
cents U.S. That's about $2.60 per gallon vs. about $1.48 in the U.S. for marine
diesel, a little cheaper than Spain. It was hardly worth the three hour wait.
It was noon before we finally pushed off from the fuel dock and headed back
across the Strait. Two freighters made life interesting, but from then on it
was just the winds, gusting near 30, that kept us busy. We landed at the
concrete docks at Smir around 5:30, with nary a scratch in spite of the vicious
winds. This is a very safe harbor; the King keeps his yacht here.
Today we did the town.
Rashad picked us up at 8:30 and took us to Tetoun. Morocco used to be owned
by Spain and France. Cassablance was the French Capitol, and Tetoun was the
Spanish capitol. It became independent in 1956. People there are Muslem,
Jewish and Catholic. They all get along. Most all of the Muslums are Suni, so
they don't like to cause trouble. Nevertheless, there is always a policeman
along whenever Americans tour the "Medina" or old City. It was
fascinating. Vendors were selling everything from live chickens and parakeets
to fresh meat and fish to handmade clothing and rugs. Of course, this is the
land of the magic carpet and here, "You may grow old, but rugs never wear
out." Guaranteed for 200 years. We started out at living room size and
when we got to four by three feet, we bit. Fits nicely on the pilothouse floor.
Then Rashad said it was time for lunch. Lunch proved to be very large with
soup and then beef shish kabobs, bread filled with eggs and chicken and other
things, followed by a couscous dish and then two desserts. We washed it down
with Coke. Portions were huge. So was the price. After lunch we checked out
the spice merchant who sold everything from perfume and creams to linaments
to
cures for most everything. "Everything natural, very cheap." Right.
But the streets were simply wonderful. Narrow and winding and crowded. Huge
carts loaded with fresh vegetables and sometimes mattresses wend their way among
the vendors of oranges and strawberries and fish. Sometimes the carts are
powered by smoky engines. Bedouin women carry huge loads of produce under their
straw hats and colorful outfits. Men, too, wear head gear and full length
gowns. A man with a pack of Marlboro's sells them one at a time to passers by.
Colorful doorways line the narrow walkways. Inside, some men embroider with
silk thread. A clothes vendor dressed Julie and Eileen in traditonal garb. We
take their picture. In other shops, jewelers work with 18 k. Moroccan gold.
A
man calls us to prayers from the top of the Mosque. It is sensory overload.
A
man grills sardines over a charcoal fire. A tannery belches foul odors into
the
street. Our guide seems to know everyone, and receives calls on his cell phone
as we walk. Always, the plain clothes man is behind us, smiling and watching.
It was six when we got back to Tapestry. The "All Ships" alarm was
whaling on the V.H.F radio and security wondered what was wrong. I'm getting
a
little tired of such alarms. They come whenever someone official has something
to say and they don't go off 'till you depress the "talk" button.
Tomorrow, a day of rest and then back to Spain and the North Coast. More later.
Hank and Julie