Friday afternoon me and six other girls from our group set out with a tour group to Africa! After bussing to the southern tip of Spain then taking a 45-minute ferryboat, we were in Africa, but still in Spain. The city of Ceuta, in northern Africa, is still a province of Spain, but after a short bus ride and a stop at customs to get our passports stamped we were officially in Morocco! We arrived at our hotel in Tetuan around 10pm Spanish time (Morocco is one hour behind) just in time for dinner. The entire trip I was very careful and only drank bottled water, but the food was delicious, very flavorful and spicy! We had a wonderful vegetable puree soup followed by a chicken and lemon strip main course in a spicy sauce!
The next day we were given a tour of the Medina (which is just another name for the city center) and spent hours walking down winding alleys, which reminded me of the Barrios de Santa Cruz in Sevilla. Tetuan, although a lovely city, still has a high poverty rate, and we saw many farmers selling their produce on the sides of the streets. Along the tour we were able to go into a spice and perfume shop and were told about the healing powers of many natural herbs and spices and were allowed to smell/test them all! Next, we went to see how the famous Moroccan rugs and carpets were made and although beautiful and exotic, I could not get one due to the very limited space my suitcase now allows. After the tour we had lunch in a beautiful restaurant where traditional musicians were playing as we ate! During lunch, a lady was giving henna tattoos, so my friends and I all got them! Afterwards, we headed to Tangier and along the way stopped at the Caves of Hercules where the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea meet. Looking out of the cave, the rock opening looks like the continent of Africa! What a lucky coincidence! Also, we stopped for a short camel ride (I was literally on the camel for less than five minutes…just long enough to snap a few pictures) and had another amazing view of the sea. Once in Tangier, my friends and I walked around, but it was just like any other big city, crowded and not that eye appealing. After dinner in the hotel we went to a Moroccan show where we heard more traditional music and saw some of their local dances. Although it was very tourist oriented, it was fun and they involved the crowd in most of the dances.
Sunday, we departed early and embarked towards the smaller, more rural town of Chef Chauen. Although it was a bit cold and drizzling there, we had a wonderful local tour guide that sounded like Yoda, and resembled the Sultan from Aladin! He said that he has “been in the television” and is on the Lonely Planet DVD! I believe his name was Habebe and he was so hilarious and just a cute little old man who seemed to know everyone in the town! All the houses in Chef Chauen were different shades of blue... it was so beautiful! The tour ended at the market where I bargained for a few gifts, but it was annoying how the shop owners hassled you to buy things, so I was glad when we left for lunch. After another delicious Moroccan meal of vegetables and meat in a spicy sauce, it was time to head back to Spain. Although this was a short and very touristy trip, it gave me a taste of the charming and exotic Moroccan culture that I hope to explore in more depth one day!
No comments:
Post a Comment