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| The cart hardly fit down the narrow streets |
Chris and I decided to visit Paradise Beach- over 5 kilometers away from Asilah with beautiful scenery and surfboards to rent (supposedly). At the advice of a local, we haggled for a ride on a two-wheeled horse cart. With the price agreed upon, we hopped on Yaseen's cart pulled by his horse Carlos. Carlos protested work with tail flicks and pinned ears, but he knew every bump and turn in the road. He didn't shy a single time at any of the big scary vehicles that buzzed, honked and roared past him from all directions.
We wound through the narrow streets of town, cantered on a two lane highway, crossed fields of crops and squeezed through a busy market on the way to the beach. The sunny ride was made even better by our chats with Yaseen in an awkward combination of broken Spanish, French, and English. He and I talked horses while Chris attempted to take a nap- a futile endeavor on the bumpy ride.
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I convinced a local guy to let me ride his young stallion who I galloped bareback down the beach. A life goal was achieved. I think I freaked him out a little because when I came back he was carrying on about how I would fall off.
When we jumped back onto Yaseen's cart to head back, a random local guy hopped on the cart with us. Since this is a pretty normal thing, we thought nothing of it until Yaseen told the guy to get off. While we couldn't understand his words, we knew by his tone that he didn't like that guy.
Once off the cart, he began asking us if we wanted a ride back to town in his car, it would be faster that way. As soon as the guy stepped out of the way, Yaseen asked Carlos for a fast trot. We were on a winding dirt road with huge drop offs down to the sea on one side. I knew Carlos knew the way, but I was still a bit nervous going fast next to the cliff.
Yaseen then told us, that guy would not have taken us back to Asilah, he is a crazy guy. I looked back to see the guy running behind us trying to catch up. His car was only another quarter mile away.
We clung to the cart for the a very bumpy fifteen minutes until Yaseen felt confident the crazy guy couldn't catch up with us even in his nice car. With the danger over we relaxed and enjoyed the ride home.
Once off the cart, he began asking us if we wanted a ride back to town in his car, it would be faster that way. As soon as the guy stepped out of the way, Yaseen asked Carlos for a fast trot. We were on a winding dirt road with huge drop offs down to the sea on one side. I knew Carlos knew the way, but I was still a bit nervous going fast next to the cliff.
Yaseen then told us, that guy would not have taken us back to Asilah, he is a crazy guy. I looked back to see the guy running behind us trying to catch up. His car was only another quarter mile away.
We clung to the cart for the a very bumpy fifteen minutes until Yaseen felt confident the crazy guy couldn't catch up with us even in his nice car. With the danger over we relaxed and enjoyed the ride home.