We returned to the boat about 4 weeks ago, the first couple of weeks were spent recovering from horrible colds we seemed to pick up as soon as we got back to Morocco.
The second 2 weeks have been spent madly doing the most urgent things on our long to do list which we had put off doing since we arrived because we thought we had plenty of time as we were going to be here for 6 months! In fact we spent a week in Marrakesh, 2 weeks in France and 6 weeks in London so nothing has really got done at all!
Now we are preparing to return to London again, hence the urgency to get some jobs done. Our dear friend who had all the medial problems last time we were there is now seriously ill. Not only has he been diagnosed with several different cancers he is also battling a perforated bowel. His wife, who had the car accident while we were there, still has a cast on her arm and so is not driving and has also managed to sell their flat so will be moving soon. It seemed like a good idea to go back and help.
The marina has been very quiet since we returned, In fact there are only about 3 other boats with occupants on them and they are all French speakers. So there is not much in the way of socializing.
We did have a visit yesterday from a local who contacted us via our website. He was a radio amateur, like Alan and also a bit of a sailor. He comes from Rabat but lives in Tangier where he works as a radio journalist. He was visiting family in Rabat over the weekend and asked if he could come and visit. We had a lovely half hour talking over coffee and delicious Moroccan pastries he had bought with him. His English was excellent and it was lovely to be able to talk with a local.
Alan took an unexpected plunge the other day when he forgot where he was and walked off the pontoon! Luckily he was in old clothes and had no shoes on. We had washed the storm shutters so we could put them away (they've been on deck for the past 5 months!)and he was passing them up to me from the dock. He was looking at something on the boat and next thing I knew there was a splash and he's gasping and flailing around in the water. The water is not very appealing as it's the colour of hot chocolate, it was also cold at 16 degrees and he was wearing track pants which water logged immediately. Luckily we have an emergency ladder on the back of the boat because I don't know how he would have got out of the water otherwise there are no ladders around. Maybe they don't expect people to go for a dip! Anyway he was fine, if a tad embarrassed!
While we were in London last time Alan bought me a Kindle electronic book reader. In case you don't know what they are, it's a thin computer about the size of a paperback and can hold many hundreds of books in electronic form. Many older books which are out of copyright can be downloaded for free but new books are also now available in 'e' format and can be bought on the internet and downloaded directly to the Kindle (assuming you have internet access) I have also bought about 5000 assorted books from ebay which came on CD's. These have now been downloaded to the computer and I can browse my electronic library and chose which books I want to read and then transfer them to the Kindle. I think 5000 books will keep me going for a while! I am taking about 70 to London. Alan said any more and it would be too heavy:)
It is a real delight to travel with, no heavy books weighing the luggage down. And for those of us who rely on book swaps to update reading material, we no longer have to rummage around dog eared grubby books. Here in Rabat there is nothing to chose from, the only books in the book swap are ones I have left there!
