I didn't write anymore emails. I caught the night bus from Essaouira to Casablancs. The air condioning in the bus was on and I froze!!! I guess it was to show they had air conditioning or it was to keep the dirver awake. I was asked several times how I was going home. I thought it a strange question as I answered in blissful ignorance that I was flying home.
As the bus arrived very early into Casablanca and it was still dark out, I slept on a bench in the bus terminal, then got a taxi to the hotel. The next morning I did some last minute shopping and discovered that everything almost was in Casablanca markets and it was often less expensive! The next morning I caught the train to the airport. It was a strange experience because all the shops were closed and the airport seemed empty, that is until I went upstairs where it was bedlam! Air Maroc was on strike and Air Maroc runs the airport.
After many lineups and a lot of waiting, I boarded my KLM flight but all checkin was done manually since the computer systems were down. They also were delayed many hours by checking in as many passengers as possible until the plane was full.
Then arriving in Shiphol, I discovered there had been a hurricane and most flights were cancelled. The airport here was bedlam too. No flight home. Mine had left 4 hours previously but finally after another lot of hours, I managed to get a credit for a hotel room but that didn't include transportation to the hotel.Some 2 days late, it seemed, arrived home and back to work jetlagged and a story of the best and worst travel experience of my life. Sometimes ignorance is bliss!
