Day Trip {Tangier, Morocco #2}

So I went back to Tangier -- and it was just as amazing as the first time around!  My mom came to visit and another friend had her niece visiting so the four of us ladies took a day trip to Morocco.  And oh man was it an adventure -- and I think the best way to describe our day is to do a little time line, so here it goes!

6:00am -- my mom and I are up and out the door to go pick up my friend (C) and her niece (L) and it is POURING rain, like can barely see, step outside for one second and get soaking wet -- pouring rain.  But we haven't heard anything about the ferries not running, so off we head towards Tarifa.

8:00am(ish) -- we make it to Tarifa in one piece but it was a slow drive with all the rain and wind.  We are shocked to find out our ferry is actually crossing but we are happy and figure we can handle a little rain!
A little note: so the crossing between Tarifa and Tangier is only 8 miles, but because of where these two countries are -- between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the winds and crossing can get pretty bad.... (remember this) 

9:00am -- our ferry leaves and the ride is pretty smooth, but in true Spanish fashion we left late.  We were all talking and having fun so I don't have any idea what time we actually left!
Always remember to get your passport stamped ON THE FERRY or you won't be allowed into Morocco and it'll create a big mess!

10:00am(ish) -- Morocco is a hour behind Spain so once we finally made it to Tangier, we met with our guide, Jamal (who we used last time too and again, he was amazing).  The first part of the day is the driving tour so off we went as we made our way out of the harbor area and through the city.  We saw the Grand Mosque and went up into the hills where all the government officials and those wealthy enough to afford massive mansions live.... we then drove towards the lighthouse where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic (and on a clear day you can see Spain and Gibraltar).  There is also a lighthouse, but you can't access it so it just makes for some fun pictures!

tiles on the Grand Mosque (gorgeous)

11:00am(ish) -- At the lighthouse lookout area there is a restaurant and so we had a traditional Moroccan snack -- mint tea and some thicker crepe thing covered in almonds.... so I enjoyed my mint tea!
Thus far we had been super lucky with the rain -- the only time it seemed to rain was when we were in the van, but we did have a few thunder crashes while we were driving towards the lighthouse so we were happy to take a snack break and wait out the rain!

12:00pm -- we headed to the Hercules caves -- the wind created some cool waves and sounds within the caves, but made for dark pictures of the rock formation that looks like Africa (so go to my first post on Tangier to see better pictures).  The rain finally let up so it was now.....

from above the Hercules Caves

12:30pm -- time for our camel ride!  Once again we completely lucked out and it was not raining at all for our ride -- but ALL of our camels decided that they needed to take their weekly pee the minute we got up on them.  It was hilarious as one camel after another just started peeing and well, they sure pee for a long, long time.  We also went on a much longer ride than last time and all we did was laugh and laugh some more!

1:00pm(ish) -- we drove back into the main part of Tangier for the walking tour.  We managed to be in the main square when the call to prayer occurred and it was quite the cultural sight to see... almost every single person moving in one direction towards the nearest church.  People were putting out large carpets outside the church, removing their shoes and dropping to pray.  It was obviously not appropriate to take pictures or even stare, but it was such an experience to witness and so very different from my own culture that all I wanted to do was sit and stare in awe.

1:45pm -- after purchasing my massive (but extremely inexpensive) quantities of spices, we made our way to an insanely yummy lunch where we were served SEVEN courses (not counting more mint tea)!  We started with the most amazing farm bread dipped in various things (lentils, eggplant, harissa (amazing red pepper paste)), then we had soup, then pastilla (without almonds for me), a couscous/vegetable dish, chicken kababs, fruit and then finally dessert -- we were all so stuffed and practically had to be rolled out of the restaurant!  

3:15pm(ish) -- we continued our walking tour, walking through the area where people live (the medina and kasbah areas), seeing all the gorgeous doors and tile work.  We got to peek into a communal bakery which people use if they don't have a place in their own homes to bake -- it smelled so so good!  And I got to practice my French with the people baking their bread that day!  We continued to explore and shop -- making our way back to the market.
I love this part of Tangier, the small winding streets and very maze-like layout but man is it easy to get lost!  I was so happy to have a guide.  But once again, we never felt unsafe or in any danger.  Everyone was extremely nice and welcoming -- we didn't feel like we got harassed to buy things, but we sure had fun bartering for things we did want to buy!

view of the bay from a restaurant in town

5:00pm -- we made our way to the ferry after a long and fun day.  We were all so happy to sit in the terminal area before we loaded the boat -- we had so much fun laughing, reminiscing about the day and looking at all of our pictures!

So here is where things get REALLY interesting....

6:00pm -- our ferry was supposed to leave at 6:00, but it most certainly did not.  It soon became almost seven before we finally asked someone when we were actually leaving -- we left probably about 7/7:15-ish.

7:30pm(ish) -- we are all having a blast on the boat, laughing and talking (drinking wine -- no alcohol in Morocco) when the boat started rocking pretty good.  Big, huge, gentle rocking like a roller coaster so we were joking and putting our hands up and laughing -- I am pretty sure half the boat was videoing us acting like idiots.... when things quickly went sour.  All of a sudden the rocking was much more violent and fierce, waves were crashing up over the boat and people were screaming (us included).... and then EVERYONE started getting sea sick.  And I mean just about everyone -- a good 75% of the boat was sick and miraculously no one in our group of four got sick, which was good because we went into help-mode.  Right next to us was a mom and her two young sons, all of whom were sea sick.  I ended up with one of the boys on my lap while the mom and the other boy went to the bathroom to throw up.  My mom started handing out cold, wet paper towels to people who were sick.  L started helping clean up some of the mess created by all the sick people -- because when some of the workers are also throwing up, you know its bad.  C held down all of our stuff making sure nothing went flying or got broken, while I was still with the one little boy (who eventually fell asleep).  Everywhere you looked, someone was getting sick.... the bathrooms were full of people throwing up.  One poor mom was nursing her baby and throwing up at the same time.  It was insane.  It took us over an hour and a half just to go the 8 miles across the water.... we finally docked, we helped the mom and her sons off the ferry while our group of four were literally the last ones off the boat and through customs.
There are pictures and videos of this insanity but you don't want to see them :)

10:00pm -- we finally are back in Spain and made it to my car.  We still have a two hour drive home, again in the rain and dark... and thankfully everyone stayed awake!

12:00am(ish) -- my mom and I finally pull into our driveway after dropping off C and L -- we touch nothing as we walk into the house, and immediately jump into the shower!  Then fall into bed, still in awe of our crazy, insane, amazing and wonderful day!

Once again I had a wonderful time in Morocco and seriously need to go back for more -- but this time to a different area and for more days!

Day Trip {Tangier, Morocco}

Last weekend we took a day trip to Tangier, Morocco.  I had originally said I didn't need (or want) to go to Morocco, but I am so glad I did!  I have traveled to many different cities and countries and this is one that I will never forget and also one that I will return to one day.

Tangier is a very up and coming city.  It has been governed by many (as many as nine at one time) countries in its past but now solely belongs to Morocco and the current king wants to restore Tangier to its former glory -- this is very apparent by all the construction in the newer parts of town as well as the brand new pier being built.  But Tangier still holds its old world charm and history especially within the walled old town (medina).  Tangier was ruled by France in more recent history; therefore, many Moroccans speak French in addition to the first language of Morocco, Arabic.  I thoroughly enjoyed using my French throughout our day (and loved that the Moroccans were more than happy to let me practice).  Although four months in Spain has greatly confused my poor brain -- I would often use a French/Spanish mix -- oops!
  
I highly recommend taking a day trip to Tangier if you are in southern Spain.  It is very easy to get to: drive to (or stay in) Tarifa which is about an hour and a half from our house, park and walk to the ferry terminal, and then take the so-called 35 minute ferry to Tangier (more on the ferry later).  The ferry will drop you very close to the old town so it is easy to do without a car.  We opted to go with a local tour guide - Jamal from JC Private Tours and I am very happy we did.  While I never felt unsafe in Tangier, the medina was very tight quarters and very maze-like making it nearly impossible to explore the area while also knowing how to get back to the starting point.  Our group was five adults, one kid and two toddlers -- all friends from Spain which made everything more personal than a large 30+ person tour.  I will warn you though, you are on a tour and at times, it felt very much like a tour.  However, I would still go with Jamal again -- he will personalize your tour for you depending on your group and wants/needs.

So, our day!  Because we were visiting Morocco during Ramadan, they are two hours behind Spain* and shops open later to accommodate everyone partying/eating all night and sleeping as much as they can during the day -- we took an 11am ferry to Tangier.  The ferry claims it is 35 minutes, but I swear it was at least an hour each way and oh so rocky (don't forget your Dramamine).

We were met by Jamal when we got off the ferry and immediately started our driving tour.  We went past the Grand Mosque (as non-Muslims, we were not allowed in) and drove past all the insanely gorgeous and large houses of Moroccan and Saudi Arabian royalty.  We went up to the lighthouse to see where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean.  The views were simply breathtaking.

We then went and had our camel ride (one of the very touristy parts but oh so fun) -- we basically just pulled over on the side of the road and hopped on some camels in a dirt parking lot, but it was still such a unique experience and I was laughing (and hanging on for dear life) the whole time.  I am also pretty sure my camel was trying to kill me because he/she kept getting way too close to the very steep edge for my liking.  When I remembered to look up, the views were again just stunning.

We then went to the Hercules Caves (again gorgeous -- seeing a theme about Tangier yet?) and legend has it this was where Hercules used his super-human strength to create the Strait of Gibraltar and also slept here before completing one of his tasks.  The caves are part natural and part man-made and have the famous "Map of Africa" sea opening.

It was then on to lunch where we had only a few places to choose from -- given that it was Ramadan, the only people eating during the day were non-Muslims.  Our restaurant was fine, but again -- we didn't have a lot of choose from.  The bread was unbelievably good and I could have easily eaten it for my whole meal.  If (when) we return, I would love to enjoy a smaller, more authentic Moroccan restaurant.

The second half of our day was spent walking around the medina.  We started in the kasbah (walled in, protected residential area near a castle).  The streets (I use that term loosely since it was much more like walkways) were about the width of two people and everywhere you turned there was color and something new and exciting to look at.  I could have easily gotten lost just staring at all the gorgeous doors!

Then onto the souk which was incredible.  Picture taking was difficult because there were a lot of people (buying food for the nighttime festivities) and stopping to take a picture was not possible.  Also, always ask before you take a picture of someone, but feel free to take general pictures of the market.  We saw stall after stall after stall of fruit, spices, olives, meat -- it was all available.  The meat stalls were not my favorite (animals hung to show that they were killed and cleaned property according to Islamic law), but still worthwhile to see a glimpse into the culture.  We saw men spinning cotton/silk (who knows) for their kaftan shops gearing up for the end of Ramadan celebration.  I wish we had bought more spices because oh the smells -- I could not get enough!  A reason to go back, that's for sure.

And then sadly, our tour was over and we were back on the ferry to Spain.  I loved Tangier and loved our day there.  Everything is gorgeous and colorful and flavorful!

Part of our tour did include going into an "art gallery" (large store) where we could buy various items -- lots and lots of rugs, lots of jewelry, various items made using cedar and more.  It was not required that we purchase anything, but it felt like we should.  We wanted to buy a few things, so maybe that was why we felt like we should, who knows!  I would have preferred to shop for these items in the smaller stores within the souk but again, we were on a tour and again, I would still recommend it.

A little information on being a tourist in Morocco -- you will get bothered to buy items.  But know how to firmly say no and show little interest in the product (don't ask "how much") unless you truly want it and you will be fine.  Don't pay full price for anything -- bargain on everything (except food and spice stalls have fixed prices).  We weren't require to dress modestly, but I felt much more comfortable doing so.  Overall Moroccans are very nice and friendly people; they loved Serafina and often patted her head if we were stopped looking at something.  We opted to not bring a stroller and instead used a hiking backpack/carrier with Serafina and I am happy we did -- she loved it!  (Our friends did bring their stroller and that worked out great too).  I don't recommend letting toddlers walk around the souk -- lots of people, lots of low hanging items and just safer to be in a stroller or carrier.  But I never felt unsafe and I think that was in part to being on a small tour with a local guide who is well known in the town.  Morocco uses the dirham as their currency, but we were able to use euros for everything.

Anyone else been to Tangier -- what did you think?  Any other places we should visit in Morocco or Africa -- leave me a comment!

  


*Another lesson in time-zones: Morocco is on Greenwich Mean Time (as Spain should be, but isn't -- see this post) so they are always one hour behind Spain.  However, if Ramadan occurs in the summer months, the time changes back another hour to have an earlier sunset... So until the end of Ramadan, Morocco is two hours behind Spain.