Hotel Golden Beach Tetouan

... and a half hours listening to shop keepers try to sell rugs, oils and spices. The most time was spent in the rug shop where we were all separated into groups of four and taken to separate rooms where they laid rug after rug in front of us and asking if we wanted to buy them. I was lumped into the “Canadian group” since I’m the only American. Though in retrospect I think they were trying to single us out because Americans are notorious for buying ...

... They speak Arabic, French and then are learning spanish.   In Tangers: -Brief shopping excursion/free-time -Visit to an center for women who've suffered domestic abuse/having a hard time.  Here they had weaving, sewing and craftsman type skills that the women can learn to obtain a job else where and a store where they sell the things that they make.  There is also a place to learn reading and writing in various languages.  

... streets to explore, and ended up eating some delicious tagine and couscous - our favorite :) Around 4:15am I was half awake listening to the first prayer call of the day when a few drips and and a torrential downpour got us moving inside at lightening speed - backpacks, sleeping bags and shoes flying. We actually had to sleep in the lobby of the hostel because they had no more rooms. madness. We moved to another hostel ...

... was time to get on with the cooking duties. With such a simple meal to prepare and cook the four of us hooked in and it took about an hour to prepare and cook. As it turned out we over catered on the rice but all else was good.<br><br> After dinner most of the group stayed up and had a few drinks before retiring for the night. Luckily our group were advised that we would not need to get up early in the morning as we were having a bit of a sleep in.

... would get lost, and it was evident once we reached the top of a hill near the old Spanish buildings that overlooked the Medina. Around us was a labyrinth of small alleyways in no particular order. Achmed, our guide, lead us to: an area where the sheeps wool was being prepared for and dyed, a carpet shop (where we were given a demo and asked to buy one....we didn't), a spice ...

... which included a band that you could play with, a man that danced to a drum and clicked his finger tambourines, and a fire twirler that could do tricks with a candle. After lunch we went to a traditional market where you could buy rugs, ceramics, instruments, knives etc. that where all hand crafted and the best part was you set your own price. Haggling is a part of their culture so it was fun to play the game. I bought a bowl for mom...asking price was 45 euros, I bought it for 20 ...

... a man virtually impossible to speak to women) means that I can only have the vaguest idea of what life is really like here. Nevertheless it's been a colourful and fascinating experience and has made me curious to know more - hopefully I will visit another time. A couple of random thoughts and comments: Food - I was a bit disappointed with the relative lack of variety of food (I can only comment on restaurants and eating houses) - generally it was a choice of tagine, tagine ...

... school Monday-Saturday and Sunday is day of rest, but not like rest in Spain where NOTHING is open. We walked up stairs and hills all throughout the tour, and it ended in a weaver's shop. Which was very cool, like the rugs in Tetouan. They make a lot of wool products in the village: clothes, socks, hats, their cloaks, rugs, etc. Now we had 2 hours of free time to look around in the shops and see what we wanted before lunch. I shopped a bit and got ...

... free directions it is perfect. You just have to stick to your same answer as no, I am not interested. The city itself is quite small and the main part of the medina is a plaza called Plaza Uta El Hammam. It is a beautiful little square and we are staying a few short meters off the square. We went and had some dinner in the square at a little cafe. The food was fantastic and cheap. There is nothing better then paying about 5 dollars for a ...

... No matter how bad things get, we are still British! Well thank god for that!!! We paid the 13.5 euros to take the scariest cable car ride to the top of the Rock of Gilbralter; it was one of those had-to-be-done excesses. My knees turned to jello as we ascended, and I found only marginal respite in reading the sign that stated that the cable car was made in Switzerland. At the top, the Barbary Apes (monkeys) where everywhere, and how cheeky they were ...