James got up early and headed for Essaouira. I made a final email run, then spent the rest of the morning wandering through the souqs again. After three days of bargaining I finally reached an agreement with a shop keeper for an antique berber(?) lock (price 1,800 to 356 Dinhar). But other than the lock I didn't buy anything, just went out to soak up the atmosphere one last time.
Met Amy and some of her Peace Corps friends (Pamala, Trisha, Tristan, Alison, and Lindsay) at the train station. Had trouble getting a taxi because none of them at the bus station were willing to use their meters (hint never catch a taxi from the bus or train station in Marrakesh - walk to the street then catch one). We never did get one to use the meter, but did get one to bring the price down to slightly more than double what it should have been, and the others weren't as keen on being stuborn. Caught a bus to Essaouira.
Essaouira: tons of foreigners, similar to Chefchaouen in its relaxing atmosphere (not quite as relaxed - especially in the shops), but lacking the authenticity. The medina, city fortifications, the harbor area, and souqs all feel genuinly Moroccan, but the central / cafe area feels fake, more like Disneyland. We had a great Italian diner at Dar Baba (a restaurant Trisha and Alison had been to many times before). I briefly met up with James before heading off to sleep.
