"Time to Dispose of" in Morocco

This weekend I added both another country and another continent to the list of places I have been. Going to Morocco certainly was a different experience than my other travels thus far and it was an incredibly valuable and great weekend that will be difficult to really express in words. But I shall try my best to fill you all in. 

We left Cordoba on Friday morning and took a bus to Sevilla where we were meeting up with our tour group for the weekend. Not only was the tour probably the most economical way to go, as it was incredibly well priced and all inclusive (hotel, food, travel from Sevilla) but I would have had no idea where to go and how to get there in Morocco. Our tour guide was an incredible asset to our journey. He also provided the very entertaining phrase that is now the title of this album as he frequently told us that we would have "time to dispose of" in the ferry station, in the market place, before dinner, etc. 

From Sevilla we took a bus to Algeciras where we got the ferry to Cueta. The ferry was quite the impressive boat. Someone commented that the inside of it was like the airplane and airport combined and put on a boat.  The boat was fast and we watched Africa come closer.  And then we were on the African continent. Upon landed in Cueta we were technically still in Spain though (it is one of two cities in northern Africa that are Spanish strongholds). 

We got on a bus and then had to head over the border. Already the view out the bus window was quite different then what we had become accustomed to in Southern Spain: the people we saw, the condition of buildings and roads, slight starkness of the enclosed border cross station. We were there for an hour getting all of our passports stamps and then we went onward after sunset and in darkness arrived at our hotel in Tetuan. We then had a rather delicious dinner, brushed our teeth with bottled water, and turned in early to bed for one of the best night's sleep I have had in quite a while. It was only about 10pm when we went to bed, but surprisingly enough that time was after a two hour time difference between Spain and Morocco. The first hour was because Morocco does not observe daylight savings, but that second hour was a complete mystery to me. 

The next day we awoke to a delicious carb-filled breakfast, then got on the bus to head into the city for our first sights in daylight. 

TETUAN

Our tour in Tetuan was of the old city or "Medina."  We walked through markets, down narrow muddy streets, and past tiny hole in the wall shops. Stray cats wandered everywhere and were a part of the life in the medina.  It was still pretty early in the day when we arrived, so the shops were still in the process of opening and not many shoppers had arrived yet. Shopkeepers sat in their shops and crafts man worked, looking up to watch us as we passed by. It seemed like we were quite the site as this was not a typical tourist destination. Different areas were dedicated to different types of crafts: leather work, wood work, etc.Then there was also the flea market. As we passed through the flea market, one of our guides said, "Flea market, today no fleas." What a very comforting statement. It was here that the phrase "one man's trash is another man's treasure" came to mind. The entire place really seemed to be filled with trash, yet it was on sale and must be purchased by somebody. 

Other stops in Tetuan included a spice shop and rug shop where the owners explained to us their products. These stops were both very much sales pitches, but also certainly informative of the culture and lifestyle of this city. After our tour, we had our first truly touristy event of the day: lunch. There were performers, music, and a bunch of us got henna tattoos. 

After lunch, it was back on the bus and on our way to our second destination: Tangiers. It was about an hour long drive and I was rather surprised by the scenery we passed through. The green mountains was not what I was expecting from Morocco given the Sahara in the south of the country. Since we were in the northern mountainous region, we were surrounded by farms. Many of the farmers could not afford to take time to go into town to sell their goods, so we would see some women and children sitting along the road to sell their cheese, crafts, etc. 

We drove through the city of Tangiers and the guide pointed out the biggest Mosque of the city just around the corner from the cities Catholic church. Though officially Morocco is an Islamic nation, other religions are present and tolerated. Our guide made a point of telling us that the islam, christianity, and Judaism, were all living side by side harmoniously. Our ride continued on through the city up into the hills where the richest houses of the city are including the king's summer house and a summer palace for the King of Saudi Arabia. Then we drove over to the site where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic. 

After the lookout, we drove a little further past some great ocean views and then had an opportunity for a Camel Ride by the Ocean! That is right, I have now rode on a camel. Granted it was only in a short circle, but that is what you get when you only pay one euro. 

After riding we climbed down to the beach and touched the Atlantic from the eastern side. I could not believe how blue it was. It was absolutely gorgeous. 

After the beach side time we went back into the city and checked into the hotel. Then a bunch of us headed out to find the Tangiers market where we mastered the art of haggling. (I got a necklace for 2 Euros/20 durham.) We also walked by an overlook where you can see the Spanish coast a mere 9 miles across the straight of Gibraltar. 

On our way back to the hotel for dinner we passed many cafes and shops where we noticed tons of men sitting for coffee at outdoor tables. They were all sitting with their backs to the shop, facing out to the street. No one sat on the other side and there were no women there for this  evening refreshment. 

After dinner we went to a cultural floor show which was quite the tourist trap rip off and then went back to the hotel for bedtime. Unfortunately this night's sleep was not as successful as the night before as I found a bug and a couple of hairs in my bed when I pulled back the covers. I decided to sleep on top of the covers. Oh well. 

The next day we visited my favorite city of the tour. We had another carb filled breakfast and then drove the tour hours through gorgeous mountains to a small mountain city: Chefchouen. 

CHEFCHOUEN

As you can see, the entire city was blue and i thought it was gorgeous. We had the most ridiculous tour guide (pictured below) and he explained  that the blue was to ward off mosquitos and demons. Many people referred to this tour guide as yoda. He talked like yoda and slowly walked through the small streets making hilarious comments. 

We went to another rug shop in Chefchouen and this one was much more successful at making sales (they had pretty remarkable prices that even college students could afford, and everything could be haggled down). Then we had lunch at a lovely restaurant that felt like a home and a family dinner type environment. 

This city was also not much of a tourist attraction. The tour had been great because it brought us to what I believe is the real Morocco for this northern area of the country. And then the tour had come to an end and we were back on the bus to head to Cueta, take the ferry to Algecieras, and ride on to Sevilla. 

We got back to Sevilla after the last buses and trains had left for Cordoba, so with our tour guides help we had arranged for a private bus to pick us up in Sevilla and bring us home. Since there were so many of us on the trip, it was not too expensive and very much worth it for the night's sleep in our own beds before classes the next day. 

All in all a wonderful trip that has taken me forever to tell you all about (sorry about that, but now, on May 4th, it is finally finished).  I shall try to keep the posts coming in a slightly more timely fashion. 

Hope all is well. 

Adios