Aselamu aleikum everyone,
I have returned from an amazing weekend in Tangier, the most northwestern city in Morocco. We left Rabat at 8:30am via train and arrived in Tangier a little before 1pm. The cost of a one way first class ticket is 150MAD, or around $18USD.
Tangier is an amazing city, formerly a designated International zone during the colonial period, it is an eclectic mixture of Sub-Saharan, Moroccan, Spanish, and French influences. This is accentuated by the large number of expats living within Tangier, and a high number of African migrants, seeking to continue on to Europe.
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We rented an apartment for the three nights we were there, for about $20USD per night per person, and for the 7 of us, we had plenty of room and were able to have a little more freedom than we would in a hotel.
Immediately after checking into our apartment we headed right for the beach, which was about ten minutes down hill from where we were staying, a little more trash than American beaches but the ocean was nice, but much colder than I thought it would be. We also saw camels on the beach that tourists pay to take pictures on.
We tried to go out that night, but similar to what I have experienced in other parts of Morocco, there isn't much of a nightlife around here.
The next day we went horseback riding , for less than twenty American dollars, we were able to ride for an hour, first in a corral, and then I made the decision that I would make my own decisions, and continued touring the area on my own, and as always, there was no one here to tell me that I couldn't.
After horseback riding we went to the Medina in Tangier, smaller then the one in Fez, and then explored the Kasbah, a fort facing the sea, from which you can see Spain across the Mediterranean.
On Saturday we left the main city and went to the "Grotto de Hercules" which according to legend is the cave that Hercules slept in after parting the continents of Africa and Europe, it is an awesome sight that opens out into the sea, it is said to be the end of the world.
We climbed down the rocks from the viewing platform, and towards the entrance of the cave (We saw no one else doing this, but again ,no one to stop us). I am so glad we decided to climb down, after emerging from the cave we were on rocks overlooking clear water and were able to jump right in and swim for awhile.
We also went to Cap Spartel, the actual Northwestern most point in Africa, where there is the lighthouse that is the first thing ships see when crossing from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean, you were also able to see across the water, Portugal, Spain, and Gibraltar.
I thought Tangier was incredibly clean, and the people to be very friendly and not too pushy, I was offered Hashish here more then any other city I have been to, but I think that is because of the large tourist population, as always I declined.
After arriving back in Rabat, two friends and I attempted to located a Catholic Church, with a 7pm service, we thought we had located one, but our taxi driver had no idea who Saint Francis was and instead took us to the a few other churches, none being the one we wanted....will try again next Sunday and maybe try to catch a weekday mass.
Allah Ma'ack
Kevin
Arabic Word of the Day
حليب- Halib- Milk
I have returned from an amazing weekend in Tangier, the most northwestern city in Morocco. We left Rabat at 8:30am via train and arrived in Tangier a little before 1pm. The cost of a one way first class ticket is 150MAD, or around $18USD.
Tangier is an amazing city, formerly a designated International zone during the colonial period, it is an eclectic mixture of Sub-Saharan, Moroccan, Spanish, and French influences. This is accentuated by the large number of expats living within Tangier, and a high number of African migrants, seeking to continue on to Europe.
.jpg)
We rented an apartment for the three nights we were there, for about $20USD per night per person, and for the 7 of us, we had plenty of room and were able to have a little more freedom than we would in a hotel.
Immediately after checking into our apartment we headed right for the beach, which was about ten minutes down hill from where we were staying, a little more trash than American beaches but the ocean was nice, but much colder than I thought it would be. We also saw camels on the beach that tourists pay to take pictures on.
We tried to go out that night, but similar to what I have experienced in other parts of Morocco, there isn't much of a nightlife around here.
The next day we went horseback riding , for less than twenty American dollars, we were able to ride for an hour, first in a corral, and then I made the decision that I would make my own decisions, and continued touring the area on my own, and as always, there was no one here to tell me that I couldn't.
After horseback riding we went to the Medina in Tangier, smaller then the one in Fez, and then explored the Kasbah, a fort facing the sea, from which you can see Spain across the Mediterranean.
From the Kasbah
The Kasbah
We climbed down the rocks from the viewing platform, and towards the entrance of the cave (We saw no one else doing this, but again ,no one to stop us). I am so glad we decided to climb down, after emerging from the cave we were on rocks overlooking clear water and were able to jump right in and swim for awhile.
From The Platform
From Outside, Notice how the opening is shaped like Africa, including Madagascar
The Berber people carved millstones from this cave
Where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean
I thought Tangier was incredibly clean, and the people to be very friendly and not too pushy, I was offered Hashish here more then any other city I have been to, but I think that is because of the large tourist population, as always I declined.
After arriving back in Rabat, two friends and I attempted to located a Catholic Church, with a 7pm service, we thought we had located one, but our taxi driver had no idea who Saint Francis was and instead took us to the a few other churches, none being the one we wanted....will try again next Sunday and maybe try to catch a weekday mass.
Allah Ma'ack
Kevin
Arabic Word of the Day
حليب- Halib- Milk
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