Dar 23 Tangier

... br>from Africa into Europe was one of the strangest and coolest moment in the
trip! The port down below looked like Splits, with lots of big ferries moving
in and out, and some hilly land nearby that looked like Marjan.

We popped into a
bar near our hotel, called the American bar but decked out with British
memorabilia inside.

We ended up
chatting with a self proclaimed ‘businessman’ who finished off a mysterious
discussion with an Englishman ...

... I was in Tangiers!!!
First stop at an old Castillo to see the camels. Hell, I didn't come this far not to ride one, and at only one euro, a bargain,(it was a bit wobbly though)
Next the coach took as through the international areas where Britain, France, Spain and the US had there own areas, a little like in old Shanghai.
We head towards the casbah and the coach stops and we all get led to a nice area with an enormous fountain and watched the local people ...

... many many hawkers and souvenir shops. We've been told to bargain for everything. Never pay full price. Surprisingly French is the main language of shops and instructions although everyone seems to have some English at least. There's a lot of new development, very few monuments or squares, no memorials to Columbus, lots of really old cars and if you use a pedestrian crossing you do so very carefully. The drivers only stop if they think you're ...

We left Algecira on a ferry, passed by the Rock of Gibraltar and then after an hour or so of cruising pulled into port in Tangier Africa!! The Port welcome sign in French and Arabic was the first indication of how different Morocco would be. There were also countless very persistent touts, the most original of had a fake badge and tried to tell us he is special tourists police and that to be safe we should stay at Holland Hotel ...

... chests, and from what I can tell they just threw me in with this group. We were dragged on a "special walking tour" of the old town, which in reality meant being brought to certain designated shops and being pressured into buying something for a ridiculously high price. Our lunch was included, but when we arrived I was told to go and sit in the corner on my own because I didn't have a reservation. This suited me fine because ...

... franciscanos, nao quis deixa-la entregue a propria sorte como o individuo que e convidado a comer e mal acaba levanta-se e da o gas. Era no Pequeno Socco, mesmo ao lado do Porto. A minha primeira Medina, adorei. Logo à chegada, a invasao dos primeiros prestadores de serviços. Todos têm alguma coisa para oferecer, entre visita guiada, à chocolate de fumar, a carro para alugar, restaurante mais barato, as vezes parecem tao desesperados que estariam ...

... gallery with rotating exhibits, and there are several artistic cooperatives where the women themselves sell their own handicrafts (instead of being exploited by middlemen who jack up the prices but don't give the artists their fair cut). Add to that that the lovely and compact medina looks out over the water, and you have a pretty good combination of positive things. While I was here in Tangier, I met up with some lovely ...

... on the table, then a bland potatoy tasting soup was served. It was pretty good. I thought that was all we would get, considering that is all I eat in Spain. But then the entree was brought out, with lemon-peppered chicken kebabs, some potatoes, and veggies!!! The chicken tasted outstanding!!! And for dessert was a refreshing dish of fruit!!! After dinner Melissa, Marissa, and I went to our room and were off to bed!! Have to be up for breakfast at 8 and on the bus by 9!!!

... knees while their legs are bent under them. They get their backend up first before raising their front which requires you to hold on tight. The reverse holds true when they put you down. Lee and I both got up on the camels and thought it was quite fun and a good deal for only one Euro. We knew it was super touristy but it didn´t matter. Ali gave us an informative and interesting running commentary while we were on the bus. We were already quite impressed with ...

We were on the bus to Fes, and I really needed to pee. As the sun came up, the bus got more an more crowded. The stops were too short however, and I definitely didn't want to get stranded in some small town. I sat next to both men and women who seemed to move closer to the front with every opportunity- like leapfrogs they hopped. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to whom the bus driver stopped for. Some people waved desperately, but he left them in the dust. Others ...