Day 188 - Building Dreams, Big Waves and Sunset Horse Riding in Morocco

Another familiar start to the day in Sidi Kaouki. We were up early, making coffees and enjoying breakfast at the accommodation while the village slowly came to life around us.

A few new guests had arrived overnight and, as always, the resident cats were making the rounds looking for attention. They seem to have adopted every traveller who passes through, and there is never a shortage of willing volunteers to provide pats and cuddles.

After breakfast, the kids settled into a mix of Lego and schoolwork while I finally got stuck into building the foundations of an idea that has been floating around in my head for quite some time.

It was exciting to move beyond simply thinking about it and actually start creating something. There was a bit of a learning curve involved, with some new software and tools to figure out, but the process felt familiar enough. I managed to get a solid base started before reaching a point where I needed to connect some paid services and continue testing. With the internet connection here being a little unreliable, I decided that could wait for another day. Even so, there was plenty of progress made and it felt good to see the concept beginning to take shape.

Around lunchtime we headed out looking for something to eat. The region was in the middle of a major holiday period, and many businesses were closed while families gathered to celebrate together. It gave the village a very different atmosphere to normal, with far fewer people around and a much slower pace than usual.

We decided to head out to our favourite restaurant just outside town. When we arrived, the gate was closed, which was unusual, and for a moment we thought we might be out of luck. Fortunately, the staff recognised us standing outside and welcomed us in despite not officially being open. We felt pretty lucky.

The restaurant was quiet and relaxed, and we enjoyed a long lunch together. Good food, a couple of cold beers, plenty of laughter and no rush to be anywhere. Those simple family meals often become some of the best memories of travel.

After lunch we returned to the accommodation for a quiet afternoon. The kids disappeared back into their Lego projects while I spent a little more time working on my computer. Before long, Maddie announced that she was keen to go bodyboarding.

That was music to my ears because she hadn't shown much interest in it for a little while. As soon as she said she wanted to go, I was keen to make it happen. We headed down to the local surf shop, hired a couple of bodyboards, grabbed a wetsuit for Maddie and made our way down to the beach.

We only had about an hour before we needed to leave for the stables, so there wasn't much time to waste. As soon as we got down to the water, it was obvious the ocean had other ideas. The waves were absolutely pumping. What looked fairly manageable from shore turned out to be some seriously powerful surf once we got out there.

The kids threw themselves straight into it. Emmett seemed to love the challenge and managed to catch some great waves, although he also copped a few spectacular wipeouts along the way. Every time he surfaced, he was grinning and ready to paddle straight back out again.

Maddie had a tougher time of it. Whether it was the board, the conditions or simply one of those days where nothing quite clicks, she couldn't seem to find the rhythm of the waves. Time after time she'd catch a wave only to be tipped forward and tumbled by the whitewater.

One particularly large wave delivered an impressive wipeout and unfortunately claimed a pair of goggles in the process. Understandably, she was pretty upset and took a break on the beach while she gathered herself.

After a little while, I encouraged her to head back out and have another go. One of the hardest parts of learning anything in the ocean is finding the confidence to continue after a rough experience, and I was proud of her for getting back in and giving it another shot.

The conditions were definitely challenging, but it was still a lot of fun having both kids out there together. Watching them test themselves against the power of the Atlantic Ocean, celebrate the good rides and learn from the wipeouts is all part of the adventure.

Before long our hour was up and it was time to return the boards and head off for the evening's horse riding adventure. Tired, sandy and salty, we made our way back knowing we'd squeezed another memorable family experience into the day.

A taxi collected us in the early evening and took us back out to the stables. The pace of life here is certainly different to what we're used to back home, and preparations took a little longer than expected. Eventually the horses were fed, watered, brushed and saddled, and we set off toward the beach as the afternoon light began to soften.

Kia, Maddie and Emmett walked the horses down toward the beach while I followed behind with the camera, taking photos and enjoying the scenery. The path wound through a small camping area where families were enjoying the holiday weekend, creating a lively atmosphere as we passed through.

By the time we reached the sand, the sky was glowing with the colours of sunset. The original plan had been for the kids to spend some time practising cantering, but with daylight fading quickly there was only enough time for a short session.

Emmett was determined to give it a go and managed a few exciting canters along the beach before darkness arrived. Maddie decided she'd rather save her turn for another day when there was more daylight available, which was a pretty sensible call.

With the riding finished, we tied the horses up near the fishermen's huts and settled in for tea. Looking back, it was actually a lovely moment. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, the temperature had cooled and we sat together beside the ocean enjoying a warm drink while listening to the waves roll in. It was one of those simple travel moments that probably wouldn't have happened if everything had gone exactly to plan.

Eventually it was time to head back. The walk to the stables took on a completely different feel in the darkness, with torches lighting the way and the horses quietly making their way along familiar paths. The cooler evening air was a welcome change after the warmth of the day, and the kids handled the late adventure remarkably well.

Once back at the stables, there were still a few jobs to do before the horses could settle in for the night. Everyone pitched in where they could, helping remove saddles, organise feed and make sure the horses were comfortable. It gave the kids another opportunity to see the work that goes into caring for animals behind the scenes, not just the fun parts out on the beach.

By the time everything was finished, it was quite late. We climbed back into the taxi tired but satisfied after a very full day.

Back at the accommodation, it was straight into bed for everyone. It was close to 11 o'clock by the time the kids finally settled in for the night.

It had been one of those days that felt much longer than expected, filled with a mixture of family time, progress on new ideas, good food, powerful Atlantic waves, beautiful scenery and another memorable horse riding experience.

Travelling constantly reminds us that not every experience unfolds exactly as planned, and that's often where the best stories come from. Day 188 was certainly one of those days.