Morocco!!

Onto Morocco. We boarded the most futuristic train I'd ever seen (it was electric, quiet, fast, brand new and we were the only passengers in our car), passing the Gibraltar Rock on our way to Algeciras to catch the ferry to Tangiers. (I was a little disappointed not to get closer to the Rock) Once on the ferry, you must get in line for the official to stamp your passport to enter Morocco. There was one customs guy for a couple of hundred passengers. I stood in line for the whole 2 hours with my group, and got not a little seasick. (I did NOT throw up!) The ferry docked and was unloading before I got my passport stamped. Nuts.
We got to the hotel and met our new tour leader, Mohammad. What a charming guy! Farewell to David, who headed home to be with his family for the holidays.
Tangiers is a big city, full of cars, buses and donkey carts. We got to the souk -- an open air marketplace, common in North Africa, set up during the caravan days. They are now permanent shopping areas, selling everything from clothing and food to souvenirs and jewelry, crammed next to houses, cafes and bakeries. We were warned, as we approached the souk, to listen for the call "Balak!". Through the narrow passageways, delivery men with donkey carts, large hand carts and motor scooters rush by loaded with goods and call "Balak!" or "get out of the way!!". You must move off to the side, if you can, or you have the possibility of getting bumped or worse.

We got a little lost and ended up in some very quiet neighborhoods.



There were some beautiful graffiti drawings of cats and the colors of the walls and doorways were subtle and gorgeous. We got to the coast and saw where the Atlantic and Mediterranean meet. Wow.

I had my first tangine -- a kind of stew baked in a traditional conical shaped pot. Everyone got their own little pot -- mine was a meatball tangine, cooked with potatoes, squash, carrots and onion. The vegetables were fresh, the meat tender and the sauce divine. I felt I am going to happy here.