Laayoune

24 October 2022

The bus to Laayoune was scheduled to leave at 14:00 today so I had some more time to spend in Sidi Ifni. This morning there was a very thick sea fog hanging over the town so even walking on the beach was like walking in thick fog.

This morning I met the owner of the main surf school in the town and learnt how desperate the last two years have been for his business. Luckily the tourists are starting to come back and he thinks he'll manage to keep his company going. Many of his friends; other surf school and restaurant owners have had to close down and don't know if they will be able to manage to reopen their businesses in the future.

I met the curator of the main library in the town. It was his idea to paint the information about famous influential Moroccans on the main walls to ensure that all people know about these historical figures. I was lucky to see this being produced and to be able to speak with the artists about their thoughts.

A huge wide started up at lunchtime and I got some experience of what it can be like living in these parts when the sand starts to fly everywhere. It's very difficult to keep it out of your eyes, clothes and belongings!

The bus journey took eight hours; the first hour up and over the mountains, the rest on a good, well-preserved, straightened tarmacked road along the coast. The journey gave time to talk with English speaking students, one returning from Rabat where he had just received his doctorate in Leadership and Management. We were able to discuss shared views about leadership, organisational change and the impact of the Islamic culture on organisational change. I was so grateful for their generous sharing of ideas, insights, impressions, comparisons and questions. A thoroughly fascinating opportunity. And.... we got to share dinner together. The best sepia (cuttlefish) ever and a share of Dr Havid's ceremonious chocolate cake!