Tangier

From the minute I stepped off of the ferry in Tangier, I knew I was somewhere different, but no less incredible. Tangier was my first stop in Morocco, and as much as I had prepared myself for a different culture, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. A mosque just outside of the port had just finished a ‘call to prayer’ and everyone was flooding out of the area. I was immediately hounded by taxi drivers and the like telling me that I was “going the wrong way” even though they had no idea where I was headed. This was the first country that my European SIM card did not work in, so I felt a little lost giving up my beloved Google Maps and data I had become so dearly reliant on. Little did I know, I very quickly learned that even data wouldn’t be able to help you once you were in the medina.

The ‘medina’ itself was where my hostel was, and getting there was a feat on its own. I tried to follow the hostels directions as closely as a could, but walking in a labyrinth of shops and cement walls that surround you, its easy to get lost. Little kids will be constantly offering you an escort to the hostel, but be warned that they expect to get paid to do so. Eventually (and with a few missed turns along the way) I stumbled upon my hostel. My first thoughts when walking in were ‘oh no’. The bathroom and shower on the main floor had backed up, and the hostel smelled like shit. Literally. Thankfully, the manager had it under control and the plumber was just on his way out. After checking in, I decided to wander through the medina and check out Tangier.

My first impression of the old Medina was – where am I right now? I had stepped into a whole different world from what I was used to, and man was I hot. I wandered around to the nearby markets to pick up a shawl – something necessary not only to keep the heat off of you, but an easy way to help cover up with the Muslim culture. I sat down at a café in the sunshine to get some lunch, and within 5 minutes I kept thinking to myself – how am I supposed to stay this covered up in this heat?! How do the locals manage? Before long, I started to hear this noise throughout the city. Ambulance? No. Siren? Well, kind of. It was the first time I would hear this sound 5 times a day for the next 3 weeks. Practicing Muslims practice ‘call to prayer’ 5 times a day. After realizing what was happening, people watching in the square around me, and starting to get a grasp on where I was and what I was seeing, I decided to head back to the hostel to make some new friends and relax before dinner.

The hostel provided dinner to the guests for a small fee, and for the first night we had a traditional Moroccan dinner – couscous (small steamed balls of crushed wheat durum) and a chicken taginearound a table with over 10 people from all over the world. A tagine is a customary Moroccan dish/stew named after the clay dish that it's cooked in, and usually contains chicken or lamb, and vegetables with many spices mixed in. I would come to have a million of these over the next few weeks in Morocco. After quickly making friends, we all went up to the rooftop terrace for a few drinks before heading out for the night. Traditionally, Morocco is a ‘dry’ country due its Muslim culture, so alcohol is not easy to come by. Knowing this ahead of time, I had prepped and picked some up in Tarifa before hopping over. Apparently I was the only one who had thought of this and after sharing my bottle of vodka (I am Canadian after all, and too polite to say no), we were on route for a night out with the hostel staff and their local friends. Our first stop was a bar with local, live music before we all ventured down to the nightclubs to dance. Going out in Tangier is relatively easy to do, but you will need to get out of the old medina and into the city center to do so. There are lots of bars, restaurants and nightclubs along the main waterfront around Chellah Beach, so venturing out of the old town will give you very different feels.

The main sights to see in the old Medina in Tangier are the Grand Mosque, all of the Berber carpet and textile shops, and the Kasbah (a fortress if you will). You will feel no shortage of hospitality by the Moroccan and Berber people, so be sure to go into their shops, have tea, and let them share their story and impressive artistry with you.

For a day trip from Tangier, head out to see the Hercules caves. The caves are essentially huge grottos on the West coast of Morocco (~1 hour from Tangier, reachable by cab or car). You can wander into the caves and check out the nearby Atlantic Ocean for an easy and beautiful day trip outside of the hustle and bustle of the city and medina.

Many cities are accessible via Tangier either by bus, train or ferry, so Tangier is a great start/end point for Morocco if you are in Spain and want to get a taste of a different culture relatively easy. To get to Morocco-Spain or vice-versa, you can book a ferry ticket online and show up to the terminal. You will go through a border crossing ON the boat (it’s a bit weird, and not well told), so be sure to get a stamp on your passport before you get off the boat! Tangier is still quite ‘Westernized’ unless you’re in the old Medina, so heading down south to some of the more classic Moroccan cities will give you a very different feel compared to Tangier, and will give you a better taste of the ‘real’ Morocco. In general, 2-3 days in Tangier is plenty before heading elsewhere.