Christmas in Spain - Morocco

Two different countries plus two different languages (plus Germany and German, of course) just wasn't enough - we wanted another continent! Actually, we were just so close to Africa we couldn't spend a week in Southern Spain without a day trip to Morocco. We had seen the hazy mountains of the African coast from Gibraltar. Now we were going there. All the travel books we read and the staff at our hotel recommended we take a guided tour so that is what we did. We got up early and were on the bus at 6:30. It picked us up right outside our hotel. It picked up people from a few more hotels and then headed east to Tarifa, Europe's southernmost town. From Tarifa we were able to catch a fast ferry to Tangier, Morocco. The fast ferry takes about 35 minutes to cross the Strait of Gibraltar from Tarifa to Tangier.






Riding this ferry meant that we had now traveled by car, bus, plane, train and boat!

A little breakfast on the ferry.

And here we are entering the port of Tangier! Africa! Now let me be totally honest. Saying you have been to Africa when you really have been to Tangier, Morocco is like saying you have been to Mexico because you have been to Tijuana. But nonetheless we technically have been to Africa now and let me tell you - even Tangier is another world!

From here we were herded onto another bus. One of the reasons suggested for going with a tour group is that the ferries are greeted by scores of Moroccans asking to serve as your guide for the day plus many many others trying to sell you stuff. Since we were already in a group we weren't bothered - at least by the guides.

As the bus took us through the British, French, Spanish and American districts of Tangier we learned that Tangier and Morocco has only been independent since 1956. Tangier was maintained as a international city - ensuring entry to the Mediterranean Sea was open. The British tried to get control at several points, meaning that, controlling Gibraltar to the North and Tangier to the South they could control traffic into and out of the Mediterranean. However, that never happened. When it was an international city the British, French, Spanish and Americans maintained a presence there and that is why those districts remain in Tangier today. Each district even still has a school taught in its own language. Although Arabic is the language of Morocco, most Moroccans also speak French and many have a working vocabulary in English as well.

Our first stop was to ride camels - yes camels!! Ok - it was touristy and a bit cheesy but hey we were in Africa and how many times do you get a chance to ride a camel? It was really fun!

Ellen's turn!

Ask Jeff to tell you the story about these fez's sometime...

After our camel rides we got back on the bus for some more touring. This is a view across the Strait. And this is the entry into the Casbah. We parked the bus and were on foot at this point. Besides the camels and the ferry ride this was the best part of our day! This also made it clear the other reason (and the best reason) why it isn't wise to come to Tangier the first time on your own. The streets of the Casbah are unbelievably narrow and there is no obvious rhyme or reason as to how they are arranged. They wind and turn - someone unfamiliar with this area of the city would be lost in about 3 minutes! We learned that the Casbah was built like this intentionally. If enemies were to invade they would not easily work their way through and only the locals would be familiar enough to escape or mount a counterattack.

There is someone's dinner - or perhaps they are for the upcoming New Year's or Abraham's day celebration. I think they knew it because when we saw them being taken down the street (and we saw this several times) they were protesting loudly!

The snake charmer was amazing! And when they asked for volunteers to hold a snake (not the cobra - another one) Joseph and Daniel's hands shot up so fast I thought they would go into orbit!

Next we headed for the Hammadi Restaurant to have a traditional Moroccan meal complete with live music and dancing.

Food in our tummies, restrooms - we were ready to get back to the hustle and bustle of the Casbah!

This one really did not want to become someone's dinner. It kicked and carried on. We couldn't get by - the street was so narrow!

A visit to a rug and gift store then to an herbal medicine/cosmetic/spice store and we were on our way back to the ferry.

The sun was already setting when we arrived back in Tarifa and we still had a bus ride ahead of us. It was a full day and a wonderful day! We were glad our first forray into Africa was with a tour group but it there is a next time we would like to avoid the focus on shopping (rugs, herbs) and see/experience more of the culture, people and the land. I hope there is a next time!

Stay tuned for Christmas in Spain: Granada!