Day 13: Granada, Spain to Fez, Morocco – This is Africa!

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We were joined by the rest of the Contiki group as we left Granada early that morning to catch the ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tangier, Morocco. Unfortunately, the bumpy and turbulent ferry ride made me queasy and I was happy when we finally reached land. For the return journey back into Spain, I will be definitely be more prepared with Gravel, given courtesy of Erin. Thanks Erin!



In Tangier, the first thing we noticed when we got off the ferry were the several stray cats. We all got to hang out with the local cats at the ferry cafeteria while we waited for the bus which was inconveniently put on a later ferry. When the bus finally arrived, we met our local guide for Morocco, Mohammed. The first thing he said was this is Africa! Expect things to not go exactly as planned. This was definitely the case as we left Tangier late on the bus ride to Fez.



During the long journey to Fez, we passed the time by introducing ourselves to the rest of the group. At the rest stop, we tried our first taste of Morocco, the Kefta sandwich, highly recommended by Mohammed. It was a sandwich filled with beef kabobs. Definitely worth it! It was the most delicious meal that I tried in our entire trip to Morocco.



Mohammed introduced us to Berber traditions as we passed through the picturesque countryside. The Berbers are an ethnic group indigenous to North Africa. Many live as farmers on the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The women get married at a young age, and help their husband run the farm. The women also are involved in making carpets and embroidery which are sold in the markets.





When we finally reached our hotel in Fez it was late evening. We were greeted by the staff with warm smiles and glasses of mint tea. The tea was incredibly delicious and well appreciated after our long journey. Tomorrow, we will be visiting the old medina in Fez with a local guide, a highlight of our entire trip.

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