The Obi Wan Club

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I usually associate Star Wars fans with spotty teenagers, balding middle aged men and other stereotypical geeks at giant convention centres in first world countries.

Apparently, I'm wrong.
The biggest Star Wars club seems to exist in Morocco, judging by the fraternity of Obi Wan we infiltrated deep in the Tangier medina.

These fans are so dedicated that they wear Obi Wan couture 24/7.

Admittedly the jellaba looks quite comfy and you could be wearing just about anything underneath and still get away with it in public. Still, the pointy hooded, brown-robed look seems less like traditional Moroccan dress and far more like rabid Star Wars fan attire. Although unsurprisingly the older Moroccan men who tend to wear the jellaba don't seem quite so spotty, balding or geeky. In fact, they look quite dignified sipping mint tea in their jellaba with bright yellow slippers (not sure why yellow is such a popular colour - must be a Star Wars reference I'm missing).

And yet each time I saw a jellaba-clad Obi Wan, I couldn't help but scrutinise to see if I could see a light sabre...

Descriptions of Tangier I'd read sounded far more seedy, artistic and decadent than the somewhat sedate, historic seaside town full of Obi Wan fan club members that we explored.

The Tangier medina was a good place to attune our spider senses and perfect the art of not looking like a vulnerable, lost tourist while anxiously searching for the riad/cafe/market/exit to the medina. The medina is relatively small and despite warnings to the contrary, the locals were really quite friendly.

An afternoon and evening in Tangier was probably enough time to absorb the city.
A seaside stroll, an *amazing* 4 course fish dinner and relaxing back in our enormous, plush riad room overlooking the medina proved to be an excellent first day in Morocco.

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Photos

Riad Tangiers
The courtyard of our riad (guesthouse).

Laundry on the terrace
View from the terrace of our riad.