FokaiIreland:FootprintsInMorocco

IN DECEMBER 2007 A SURF TRIP TO THE TINY TOWN OF TAGAZUTE , MORRACO HAD CROSSED MY PATH . FORTUNATLY ALL THE STARS AND MOONS WERE ALINED SO THAT FOOT PRINTS COULD BE MADE …UPON ARRIVING TO AGADIR AIRPORT, MEMORIES OF THE WAY TRAVEL IN  MICRONESIA BACK WHEN I WAS A KID WENT RUSHING THROUGH MY BRAIN .. EXITING THE PLANE TROUGH ITS TAIL END THEN DOWN SOME STAIRS CONNECTED TO A OLD GMC THE WARM SMELL OF MOROCCO HAD HIT ME LIKE A 1986 SENTRA WITH ITS AIR FAN ON FULL BLAST, MY BOOGERS DRIED UP INSTANTLY . AS USUAL I PICKED THE WRONG LINE TO GET INTO ! THE GUARD AT THE POST ASKED ME WHERE I WAS STAYING ? I HADN’T A CLUE! THEN HE ASKED WHO I WAS WITH ! I GAZED TOWARD THE EXIT OF THE TERMINAL AND POINTED TO MY HOST WHO HAD TWO HANDS IN HIS POCKET AND A BIG OLE SMILE ON HIS FACE ..JASON CONIREY I SAID , PUZZED HE LOOKED OVER AND GAVE ME THE O’ HELL NO IM NOT LETTING YOU INTO MY COUNTRY LOOK … THAT WAS IT I THOUGHT , THEN THE FINAL QUESTION ” WHY WAS I  HERE !” I TOLD HIM ,TO SURF! INSTANT JOY WAS THE EXPRESSION ON HIS FACE . HE TOO WAS A SURFER, WITHOUT ANY MORE DELAY HE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS FLAT FOR THE SIX WEEKS, BUT THE BIGGEST SWELL TO HIT HIS ISLAND HAD JUST ARRIVED . ONE OFFICIAL MOROCCAN STAMP LATER AND HE SENT ME ON MY WAY ..”.IF I MY COMMENT THAT WAS A FIRST BIG FOOT STEP ON THIS JOURNEY BUT NOT THE BIGGEST “… RIDDLED WITH EXCITEMENT THE PATH HAD BEGUN …. THE FIRST NIGHT WAS UNEXPECTED. IT WAS RIP CURLS END OF THE YEAR STAFF BLOW OUT SO THINGS WERE A LITTLE ON THE POSH SIDE ..BIG HOTEL , OPEN TAB , HUCCAS AND A PARTY ON THE BEACH WITH COMPLEMENTRY  CAMEL RIDES …MIND YOU MOROCCO IS  MUSLIM BY FAITH, SO ALCOHOL IS A BIGG NO NO . YET WHEN THERE IS BUCK TO BE MADE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE..SO BEING THE CURIOUS I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE CAMELS , MADE FRIENDS AND AWAY WE WENT!!! IT WAS PRETTY COOL BUT MY CAMEL LOST ALL CREDIBILITY WHEN I FOUND OUT HIS NAME WAS SCOBBY DOO.  AS THE NIGHT PROGRESSED, CRAZY THINGS WERE GOING ON BUT I WAS LOOKING FOWARD TO THE SURF SO AFTER A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP THE REAL TRIP BEGAN . OUR DESTINATION WAS ABOUT A HOUR OUT OF AGADIR , TAGAZUTE TO BE EXACT …..WE HAD FRONT ROW SEATS TO THE BEST RIGHT HANDER IN TOWN . DOUBLE OVER HEAD BACKED WITH POWER AND PLENTY OF ROCKS TO TO LEAVE FLESH ON, ANCOR POINT HAD DELIVERED!!!                         

 …NAMED BY JIMI HENDRIX THIS POWER HOUSE WAVE WAS HOST TO AN OLD RUN DOWN TUNA CANERY . AS FOURTUNE WOULD HAVE IT THE TUNA DEPLETED BUT THE GROWING POPULARITY OF SURFING HAD BROUGHT NEW LIFE AND INCOME TO ITS LOCAL COMMUNITY……ITS TRUE WHEN GOD CLOSES THE DOOR HE ALWAYS LEAVES A WINDOW OPEN. STRAIGHT AWAY I JUMPED RIGHT IN ! LUCKILY IM OF COLORED DESENT SO BLENDING IN WITH THE LOCALS WAS EASY …OR SO I THOUGHT ! SIZING UP THE BREAK I NOTICED WHO WAS THE TOP DOGGS OUT IN THE LINE UP. STRAIGHT AWAY I NOTICED SOME CALIFORNIANS GETTING A WOOPING … THEN OUT OF THE CORNNER OF MY EYE I SAW MY WAVE . I TOOK MY BALLS AND PUT THEM IN MY POCKET FOR SAFE KEEPING AND PADDLED TOWARDS THE PEAK ..SOLO BABY !  NO ONE IN SIGHT OR IN MY WAY – I PROCEEDED TO PROCEED … DOWN THE FACE APPROCHING THE BOTTOM TURN THEN  DISASTER…. BIG ASS LOCAL DUDE CAUGHT INSIDE, THE SAME FELLA WHO SHOWED THE CALI BOYS THE DOOR ….WE EXCHANGED WORDS AT FIRST BUT THEN REALIZED BIGGER THINGS WERE AT HAND ! ANCHOR POINT AND HER SIX BIGG SISTERS WERE COMING OUR WAY ! HOLDING YOUR BREATH WAS TOP PRIORITY, THE FLESH RETENTION WAS NEXT ….AFTER THE BLUNT OF THE BEATING WE WERE NECK AND NECK AND SURVIVAL MODE KICKED IN , WE WERE HEADED TOWARDS THE CLIFF LINE I CHOSE THE HIGH LINE BUT WITH IN SECONDS MY ONCE ENEMY WAS NOW MY SAVIOUR …..”FOLLOW ME”  HE SAID AND LIKE A SHEEP TO A SHEPHERD I LISTEND. THE CURRENT TOOK US AROUND TO SAFTEY! IN THE FAMOUS WORD OF TOYOTA ” O WHAT FEELING ” .. AND ON THAT NOTE STAY TUNED FOR THE SECOND HALF OF FOOT PRINTS IN MORACCO .. ENJOY THE PICS .

 

ADIOS TONE DOFI OUT .