“We’re not dead YET!” We have said that over and over again in this very touristy city, as there are no traffic lights, no “Walk” or “Stay” signs. The formula here for crossing streets – even wide boulevards with lots of traffic coming! – is to start walking (at a crosswalk, or not) into the street, hoping and praying that every car will wait until you have crossed. Our taxi driver did this as we drove from the airport, and we just thought he was being polite to jaywalkers. But it is just how you do it here! We are NOT dead yet, but every time we cross the street, we feel pretty vulnerable.
So, Chicago is called the Windy City – not particularly because of the wind, but due to politicians in the past who talked too glibly as well as too much. But Tangier is truly the Windy City. As we have walked along the Mediterranean, there have been places where we have almost been toppled, the wind is so strong. In other places, it just howled past our ears. Tangier is on the Strait of Gibraltar, but we did not experience wind like this in Gibraltar, nor in any of the coastal cities of Spain.
Morocco has a special connection with the United States, as it was the first country in the world to recognize the newly-formed US in 1777. Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah became the first monarch to help the US. Since the US did not have a Navy at that time, Morocco’s aid was vital for shipping and trade in the Mediterranean, and American ships were also threatened by Moroccan pirates. Tangier is home to the oldest US diplomatic property in the world.
One tip we can give travelers to Morocco is to bring your ATM card. You can look at the Getting Cash section on our Tips for Traveling the World page about ATM cards from banks that will reimburse your ATM fees. We use one of those accounts rather than going to a money changing company, though we rarely have to deal with cash, as credit cards are taken nearly everywhere around the world…but not so much in Morocco. As soon as you get here, go to an ATM and get a few hundred Dirham (MAD). Right now they are worth 10 cents US, so a 20 MAD bill is worth $2. That makes it easy to figure out what prices are, if you are used to US currency. None of the taxis we have used have had a credit card machine, and even the Uber equivalent here, an app called InDrive, doesn’t allow you to pay by credit card, but instead calls a driver who will expect to be paid in cash. Many of the sit-down restaurants also won’t take credit cards. And take note that from our experience, businesses that accept credit cards will accept Mastercard or Visa, but not American Express.
Tangier! What is it like? The first impression one takes away is how orderly and clean everything is. It seems to be well-tended, and we have seen lots of workers picking up trash. It is a very family-oriented destination, as the beach dominates a U-shaped bay. Everywhere we go, there is the sound of children yelling and playing – fine on the beach, not so much at breakfast in the hotel. That is kind of a free-for-all and it wasn’t unusual to see a 3- to 4-year old standing in the middle of the room screaming at the top of his lungs. But kids will be kids, and here the kids are free to be themselves. We went to a movie earlier this week, and the 15 or so kids in the theater were loud, constantly talking/yelling, and moving around….a lot. The staff tried several times to get them under control, but had limited success. One of the locals told us he never goes to the movies in Morocco for this very reason.
The Kasbah was a place we were very interested in, as growing up, “Take me to the Kasbah” evoked both mystery and exotic destinations. The Kasbah here, once the center of military and political life, is now a museum. So we paid our $5 entrance fee to the museum we thought was the Kasbah Museum, only to find out that we were duped. Several men, and our taxi driver, told us it was the Kasbah Museum, but this museum chronicled the travels of Ibn Battuta, a world explorer contemporaneous with Marco Polo, but not as well known. Over a period of almost 30 years, starting in 1325, Battuta racked up over 60,000 miles traveling to 38 countries – an amazing accomplishment in the days of traveling via ships, camels, or horses – or walking! On a guided tour a few days later, we found out that the Kasbah Museum is about 10 minutes downhill from this one. Our guide said, “Couldn’t you read the front of the building? It clearly says – Ibn Battuta.” Well, of course we saw it, and just thought the Kasbah Museum was in honor of him. When we tried to visit the actual Kasbah Museum, it was closed. Next time! However, the surrounding area is known as the Kasbah, and of course, there are many cafes and shops with “Kasbah” in their name. At our hotel, the watering hole on the top floor is called the “Kasbar.”
We were very happy that we had taken a taxi to this part of town, as it was all UPHILL. It would have been a very challenging climb. But our taxi cost $2 US, and we happily paid it to have avoided the climb (we later found out that the going price for locals for the same trip is 40 cents). When we finished in the Ibn Battuta Museum, we just got lost in the medina, the ancient paths and alleys filled with small shops and restaurants. We went whichever way looked most interesting, took photos, and just kept heading downhill. Finding our way out was pretty easy. It felt like a wonderland – exotic doors, crenellated roofs, pretty bougainvillea, multicolored carpets, shoes, and clothing – just terrific. We have a photo below of a man waiting, leaning up against a building wearing a striped djelleba. A wonder-full wandering!
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