4 out of 7 continents=done.
A 2 hour bus ride to Algeciras and a 1 hour ferry ride and we were in the African lands. Surprisingly, being in Ceuta is still part of Spain, but in Africa. We stayed and explored Ceuta for awhile- saw Spain from the other side of Africa and saw where the Mediterranean and Atlantic met. We took a bus to Tetuan later that day and got to the hotel around dinner time.
Morocco was different. I’m not sure if it was a good different or a bad different. The landscape of Morocco is beautiful, but the cities itself are poor and dirty. The towns we went to were small and the economy is solely based on markets and other commercial ways. It was a little depressing to walk around these small streets and see these people who are suffering so much and have little to no opportunity in the future. I felt like I was almost making a spectacle of their lives.
The system of government in Morocco also still amazes me. Women just recently gained the ability to divorce her husband with 12 male witnesses. The land is still ruled by a king who serves as both the political and religious leader.
It was a trip that I know will stick with me and one I would have never planned any other time in my life.
Day 2
We woke up early and headed to Chefchaouen, the blue city. Everything in the town is painted blue. In the summer time it keeps the city cool and in the winter retains the heat. If the floor is painted blue that means that the street is a dead end. This was my favorite of the cities. We went to a weaving factory to see how they hand weave rugs, scarves and tapestries. Later we went to a spice shop where we got to smell, try and buy Moroccan spices. My cooking skills are still lacking so I decided to skip out on the buying part.
Morocco is very strange out their government and pictures. When we went through customs we were told to put our cameras out of reach so we didn’t get in trouble by the police. The same thing happened when we saw the government building in Chefchaouen.
For lunch we ate like kings in a palace in Tangier. Food in Morocco was my favorite part of the trip. I was excited to try couscous for the firs time not in a box! There were belly dancers, henna tattoos and fire tricks during lunch which always makes for a better meal. After lunch we took a quick tour of Tangier before heading back to Tetuan.
We got back to Tetuan near dinner time which was the fantasy show. We walked into a yard of grass and watched Arab men on horseback with fire and guns, a scary trio. The dinner was incredible. We sat under a huge tent with Moroccan fabric in tables of about 10. Every course had a different show to go with it. There were acrobats, fire dancers, and belly dancers. One of the best things is Morocco’s mint tea that is served for dessert and as a welcoming. It is so sweet and severed with the best cookies.
Day 3
We woke up and headed to Tangier. We got to ride camels on the beach! After this we got to see the Cave of Hercules which was really impressive minus the vendors that decided to ruin the atmosphere but setting up shop inside the cave.
So there it is, my big Moroccan trip crammed into 3 days.
On another note:
I have decided that this is the month that my Spanish will really progress. It has improved so much, but I feel like I’ve hit a point where I’m only moving very very slowly. I have decided to push myself out my comfort zone at least once a day to improve my Spanish. Hopefully but the end of this month I see a huge improvement!
