Africa's Windy City

Essaouira, about 300 miles south of Casablanca on the Atlantic coast, is supposedly the windiest city in Africa, and during my stay here it certainly seems that way. It was very windy the past two days, is very windy now, and likely it will be the same again tomorrow. The wind is relentless, and is said to have driven people mad. Other than being one of Morocco's premier tourist spots and a haven for artists, one claim to fame of Essaouira is that Jimi Hendrix spent some time here back in the 1960s. Some say that his Essaouira visit was the inspiration for the song, "Castles Made of Sand," but as it turns out that song was written in 1967 and Hendrix didn't visit Morocco until 1969. My hotel room here is pleasant enough, but due to budget constraints I chose the one with the "mini view," meaning that I get a sea view while standing in the middle of the room, or if I sit straight up on my bed, on top of two firm pillows, I can just manage to see the Atlantic beyond the 20-foot wall of the old city. Twenty dollars more would get me Room 12, the exact same as my current one, save that it is two flights up and thus has an unobstructed "panoramic view" of the sea.