At a few minutes past 6 in the morning, I would get out of the bed in my hotel room, and 'sneak' out through the pool area into the wide promenade that runs along the sandy coastline of Agadir in Morocco.
It would still be dark, and surprisingly cold. The promenade is lit during the night by floodlights. You can see seagulls flying around in their light. There's a permanent noise created by waves coming in from the Atlantic ocean and breaking up on the beach. Far away perched on top of a hill lie the ruins of the old kasbah that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1960. On the slope going up the hill, huge, well-lit Arabic lettering proclaims, as a talisman against any further disaster, the three entities that are most dear to Moroccans: "God, the King, the Country".
This was the setting for early morning runs that I used to do when I spent a few splendidly wonderful days in Agadir with my family. I made it a point to run almost everyday, to make up a bit for much too many calories that I was consuming at the hotel. I have to say the strategy worked well, as I hardly gained any weight at all during my stay there...
The unusual ambience gave rise to a couple of memorable runs. I wasn't alone. Morocco is a bountiful haven of long distance runners, and Agadir has its good share of afacionados. That's apart from many foreign visitors who like me wanted to keep up their training schedule while on holiday.
The promenade runs for several kilometres along the seashore. I would run all the way towards the yacht marina, along the quays for the marina, up to a point where it was impossible to go any further, and turn back. Sunset and sunrise are very rapid affairs close to the tropics, with hardly any twilight to speak of, so even though I would start my 10km run in pitch darkness, on my way back the lights would be switched off, the road clearly visible, and by the time I reached the hotel the sun would already have come up.
Some stretching, good morning to the guard sitting at the beach front entrance to the hotel, a quick shower, breakfast, and another enjoyable day exploring this region of Morocco.
Au revoir, Maroc!
It would still be dark, and surprisingly cold. The promenade is lit during the night by floodlights. You can see seagulls flying around in their light. There's a permanent noise created by waves coming in from the Atlantic ocean and breaking up on the beach. Far away perched on top of a hill lie the ruins of the old kasbah that was destroyed by an earthquake in 1960. On the slope going up the hill, huge, well-lit Arabic lettering proclaims, as a talisman against any further disaster, the three entities that are most dear to Moroccans: "God, the King, the Country".
This was the setting for early morning runs that I used to do when I spent a few splendidly wonderful days in Agadir with my family. I made it a point to run almost everyday, to make up a bit for much too many calories that I was consuming at the hotel. I have to say the strategy worked well, as I hardly gained any weight at all during my stay there...
The unusual ambience gave rise to a couple of memorable runs. I wasn't alone. Morocco is a bountiful haven of long distance runners, and Agadir has its good share of afacionados. That's apart from many foreign visitors who like me wanted to keep up their training schedule while on holiday.
The promenade runs for several kilometres along the seashore. I would run all the way towards the yacht marina, along the quays for the marina, up to a point where it was impossible to go any further, and turn back. Sunset and sunrise are very rapid affairs close to the tropics, with hardly any twilight to speak of, so even though I would start my 10km run in pitch darkness, on my way back the lights would be switched off, the road clearly visible, and by the time I reached the hotel the sun would already have come up.
Some stretching, good morning to the guard sitting at the beach front entrance to the hotel, a quick shower, breakfast, and another enjoyable day exploring this region of Morocco.
Au revoir, Maroc!
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