Fascinating Morocco

---

MOROCCO







We arrived on the African continent in Tangier after an interesting ferry ride across the Strait of Gibraltar. The Moroccan police were very disorganized in stamping our passports. It took the entire 45 minute journey to stamp everyone’s book after much pushing and shoving in line. I know that many of us think that Americans can be rude, but they are among the most polite when it comes to waiting in line. We all know to go to the end of the line, but over here, it’s the strongest that survive the crowds. They will push you out of the way in a heartbeat. Even the well dressed women and kids.



Leaving Tangier we drove south through the country towards Fez. Oddly enough, I had the best meal of the trip thus far at a service station, rest stop. They had their own butcher shop and large patio outside which served the best, authentic Moroccan food. I had lamb chops and fresh bread, both of which were to die for. Who would have thought that you could get great food at a rest stop?



It was a long day of driving to Fez, but we were up early the next morning to go to the Medina, or old city. 250,000 people live in this ancient city surrounded by a large stone city wall from centuries ago. No motor vehicles are allowing within those walls. It is full of tiny, narrow streets and mazes. People push carts or they have their own donkeys or mules to carry their goods to their shops. As our guide describes it, it is an “in your face experience”. Full of sights, sounds and smells. Some good…some not so much! There is everything imaginable for sale from rugs, spices, clothing, leather, food and God knows what else! The vendors are persistent and really annoying. You have to remain looking uninterested and not make eye contact or you’re a goner. The rug vendors pull you aside and do their best to hard sell you. I didn’t take any money with me due to all the reputed pick-pockets. We visited a leather tannery which smell like crap but was quite interesting. They give you sprigs of fresh mint to hold under your nose so you don’t have to breathe the foul smells. It’s amazing the conditions that they work in, standing in vats full of water with limestone and pigeon droppings. Yes, that’s right! Apparently something in the droppings helps remove the wool from the hide. It’s incredible what you learn from being in a different culture.



Driving from place to place is fascinating as you see how the locals live and farm. Many of the cattle are grazing right in the side of the highway with no fences in between. Either they are smarter than they look, or if hit, their owners pull them off the road and butcher them quickly. Nearer the cities, there is construction everywhere. Homes are being built all over the place. Many of these housing developments appear to be unfinished but they just don’t clean up the construction debris or pave the streets in many places and landscaping isn’t in the plan at all. Even in the smaller towns, you will see a butcher shop with the meat hanging outside and men sitting at a café. You don’t see women at any of the outdoor cafes, even in the big cities. It’s not that they aren’t allowed, it just seems that they have other things to do or places to go.



After our trip to Fez, we travelled to Marrakesh which in my opinion is much nicer. It’s a mixture of old and new. It has prettier streets and a safer, more friendly environment. There we visited their Medina, which was much smaller but crowded with people and donkeys and cars. From there we went to the main square which holds a lot of restaurants, vendors and snake charmers, all begging for your business. At night, many of the food vendors set up portable restaurants with tents and tables and you can pick your style of food. They had vendors for fruit, snails, meat, seafood and everything else you can imagine. It looks like a big festival each night. Much to my surprise, the food in Morocco has been the best so far, but soon we go back to southern Spain to Seville and I hear that the food is fabulous.



Yesterday, we went to a Berber village to visit a family in their home. They served us the traditional mint tea and home-made bread. They make their own butter and honey which we had with the bread. They live very simply in adobe homes. They have an open fire oven and very few amenities. I have to say that it made me very grateful for what I have.



As I’m writing this, I am on the bus after just leaving Casablanca. Other than the great view of the Atlantic Ocean, it was very disappointing. It is a huge city of concert with 5 million people living there. I’m glad that we aren’t staying there. Soon we will be in Rabat where we will spend the night, then it’s back on the ferry tomorrow morning for our trip to Seville for 2 days.

---