I am starting this blog post backwards-- beginning with the end. The last day of our vacation, we took a day trip and tour of Tangier. A city that many people tell you to steer clear from because there is little to see; yet the Tangier we saw was beyond amazing and beautiful. Our taxi driver who picked us up from Chefchaouen offered to take us on a tour because we were catching the night train at 9:30pm and it was still only morning. We had a whole day to fill with adventures. Ahmed, after a few other stops, took us to this port. It was by far, the most beautiful view I had seen yet. From where we were standing, we could see three countries. UK (Gibralter), Spain (Tarifa), and Morocco (Tangier). In the far off faded distance we could see at least the direction to Portugal... maybe on a clear day, we could have seen land.
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| The land in the distance- Gibralter |
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| Spain |
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| Spain |
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| Joe taking in the view |
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| Direction to Portugal |
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| Tangier |
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| Joe hiking down to the water |
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| Tarifa- That is a town in Spain! |
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| Initially, I was concerned Joe might get trampled by cattle:) |
To get to Chefchaouen, there are a couple routes, but the easiest, was to take the night train to Tangier then either the city bus or a grand taxi to Chefchaouen. We hopped on the night train on Saturday night at 8:55 riding first class. We were advised that first class would be just fine since you can lay the seats into beds. That was mistake number one. We decided to get three seats since Happy could ride for free and she would probably just sleep on one of us. That was mistake number two. The kids were nice and tuckered out when we boarded the train and started chugging along down the tracks. Chad nearly fell right asleep after the initial hype of riding a train. He slept in his seat, then we slept together laying down, and Happy and Joe cuddled not so nicely together. We were in a compartment of 6 first class seats. That means, three other people were in our compartment, they didn't sit in their assigned seats, which meant we couldn't pull out at least two of our seats into a bed. So, the pain of parenthood began. Happy was quite the crabby pants, refused to sleep, she whined cried and pretty much just was cranky up until the last four hours. At one point, Joe and I were standing outside of the compartment with Happy in the narrow hallway on a very unstable and shaky train-- trying to keep balance and sooth our two year old. She refused to let us hold her so at on point she was sleeping standing up with her face against the cool window, then on her knees on the floor sitting up using my leg as a leaning post. I tried rocking her like a newborn, jiggling her up and down-- you name the trick, we probably tried it. Finally, I think she just physically couldn't stay awake anymore, so I leaned Chad up in his seat (yep- he stayed asleep the WHOLE time) lifted the arm rest between two seats and laid down with Happy. She finally fell asleep. Joe came back in, with nowhere to sit, but to pick Chad up and hold him in his arms and try to sleep- next to the freezing cold window that kept LOUDLY opening and slamming shut with each curve of the train track. At 7:00am- we dragged out tired bodies out of the train and briefly discussed whether we should take the city bus or get a grand taxi (120 dhs or 600 dhs). Our conversation went something like this:
Joe: So what next?
Lexie: Either find the city bus station or get a grand taxi outside. City bus is 40dhs for three people or taxi is 600 dhs.
Joe: Ok, so what do you think?
Lexie: Taxi. Worth the $80 after that night. Get us there in half the time as the city bus and room to spread our bodies.
Meet Ahmed. He drove us to Chefchaouen for 600 dhs. Before we left, he offered to take us to a cafe for breakfast. One point for Ahmed. A great cafe with yummy olives for breakfast. Actually, the best olives Joe and I have had yet (they are offered at nearly every cafe and restaurant before your order). Ahmed spoke mostly Arabic with broken Spanish since Tangier is so close to Spain. We were able to communicate with my VERY broken Spanish (yay for high school spanish I and II). I felt very useful actually and relished that I was the one who was able to speak a little bit to him (normally, Joe speaks Arabic in Marrakech to get us around).
We hoped in the car and started the twisty turny drive to Chefchaouen. The drive was beautiful with fields, rolling hills and small villages spread throughout the land.
After a horrid train ride with a little girl who refused to sleep- this is what the backseat of our taxi ride looked like. Good thing Chaddy decided to let her use him as a pillow.
Then they decided to sprawl out while I was still jammed against the door sitting straight up hollering at Joe about all the sights and taking random pictures out the window like a true tourist/traveler...
Two hours later, we arrived, bid farewell to Ahmed and met a tour guide named Abdul Shalam. He took us to a hotel in the Medina and showed Joe and few places. Surprising, against what tend to be the culture here, he didn't charge Joe. Joe just must be that charismatic. People like him. He connects well. We decided to walk around the blue city of Chefchaouen and take in the sights and the medina. We came across this place in the first few minutes. The two men are from the Sahara Desert and invited us in to take a peek at carpets. We went in- mostly just for the experience rather than the actual carpets. Boy, did we have one amazing experience. He pulled out carpet after carpet telling us stories and the meaning behind the designs and colors. We spent some time there, drinking tea, listening to his stories and the kids got to play some drums.
When we departed (along with some rugs) the kids were given the drums as a gift. They bang on them here at home every now and again. We continued walking through the medina. The buildings of the medina are washed and painted in a beautiful blue that seems as if the town should be near the ocean, but rather it sits at the base and onto the Rif Mountains. The people of Chefchaouen have to paint rather consistently in order to keep up with the blue.
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| Nearly every door has an ornate design |
Since the city sits in the base and up into the Rif Mountains, the medina is littered with stairs that you must climb to get to one place to the next. No mopeds in the souks like Marrakech.
The view from a top a terrace in Chefchaouen. The path leads up to a ruined mosque and small villages that are settled deeper into the mountains.
As we walked through Chefchaouen, we approached a shop that was blaring music that would best be described a Bob Marley. I told Joe, you can't walk by that art gallery and not become instantly relaxed. Such a laid back feel... This bar was sitting right inside the art gallery. The artist was painting in a corner off to the side and just welcomed each passer by.
We ended up in another carpet shop and the kids drank tea as we talked with another carpet man...
This necklace was given to Happy as a gift from the carpet man. In Chefchaouen, they often give a lot of gifts to children especially when you buy things. Joe and I at one point got a 'better' deal from a gentlemen because 'we have two kids.' Sweet! These children are finally starting to save us some money!
We took a walk through the medina at night, Joe paused and pulled me aside and just told me to "look." I captured this picture, which still does not do any justice to the sight we actually experienced. The beauty, the life, the world...
On our way back to the hotel, there was a pastry cart that only opened in the early morning and then again at dark. We bought four pastries (one not pictured) and each of us tried bites of each. Two of them were the best pastries we have had in Morocco yet.
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| Our hotel |
We had omelets on a rooftop terrace at a restaurant in the square and the kids and Joe played with bread and juice. Apparently, mango juice on bread is rather appetizing!
As we walked, I wanted to capture a similar image to the night image above. Here is part of Chefchaouen, towering below one of the Rif Mountains. You can see the hints of blue striking up through the buildings in the medina.
Donkeys are used a lot in Marrakech to pull carts filled with bread, fruit, etc... In Marrakech, the donkeys usually look rather sickly. They have sores and are often emaciated. These donkeys in Chefchaouen were hauling propane tanks as stoves in Morocco are run off of propane (even ours). These donkeys were rather refreshing to see... clean, strong.
We walked to the Ras-El Maa waterfalls. These pictures capture bit of the beauty but hide the sad cultural reality of Morocco in general. Trash is scattered EVERY WHERE. The streets, the waterfalls, the mountains, filling abandoned buildings. So, I captivate you mind with these falls, but in reality it was difficult to capture these images of the much anticipated waterfall- that was not in fact, really a waterfall.
We walked past the waterfalls and into the mountains hoping to find the ruined mosque. Drums were beating and we could hear locals performing a ritual and dance of prayer. We hiked up and could finally see them all.
These have become my new favorite pictures of Happy. Her beauty and life is completely captured in just the colors of her surroundings and her clothes.
This is Abdul Salam. He is the gentlemen who showed us around Chefchaouen and we kept running into him and would have conversation and tea. He took Happy up and down the stairs of the mosque. I stayed behind... because I am a woman. I would be disrespecting the culture and their beliefs if I were to cross those boundaries.
Claire would not let us brush her teeth... but you know who she allowed to help her out... of course.
The next morning, we ended up at a restaurant called Restaurant Assaada, which has gotten recommendation from the backpackers. We stumbled on it by accident, but it was lovely and was a nice escape from the cafes near the square.
On our last day, I came across the "Hat Man." Made me think of my mom, so I snagged this picture.
On our final day of our trip, we called Ahmed, the taxi driver who brought us to Chefchaouen and asked his to pick us up the next morning. Joe sounded like this on the phone:
"Ahmed, hola. Chefchaouen- manana nueve?"
"si."
It worked. We got picked up. He took us directly to the train station so Joe could purchase our night train tickets back. At this point, Ahmed asked if we wanted a tour of the city. Joe accepted and Ahmed showed us the sights in Tangier. I am sure we paid too much, but in reality, Ahmed spent the ENTIRE day driving us around, showing us Tangier and we LOVED our Tangier experience. Two points for Ahmed.
Ahmed took us to the fishing port so we could look at the boats. Chad loved seeing all of the boats.
We watched this man fish. You see in his hand that he has a stick. Attached to the stick is a lot of fishing line with a hook on the end. We watched him "cast" 6 times and catch 5 fish. He would throw out his fishing line toward the fish, feel them move and then yank the fishing line. The fish were often captured by the hook in the fins rather than baiting them in. The cat enjoyed him too.
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| Very long fishing poles |
Ahmed took us to the light house the functions for the three ports for the three different countries. Tangier, Morocco; Tarifa, Spain; and Gibraltar, UK.
I was fascinated by these wind blown trees. Beautiful and captivated by what nature does.
Wherever we went, the water was blue. You can see in this picture the water literally changes color as you look out. The shades of blue.
Ahmed dropped us off in the city so we could eat lunch. He told Joe he would be back in an hour. Now, here is a lesson in humanity and trust. Joe didn't hesitate. Joe told Ahmed goodbye and that an hour will be fine. I paused, shocked that we were leaving all of our luggage in the taxi, trusting a man that we didn't know in a completely different country to come back. We hadn't paid him, but our luggage in the trunk was worth more than what we owed him. Now, all of our stuff was replaceable. We had all of our 'important things' in order to get home, so it would be just stuff... but the pain of replacing and watching it all disappear would have been tough. Joe, he trusted, didn't worry, but LOVED playing into my worry as Ahmed got later and later past the time he was supposed to arrive. A half and hour late, Ahmed came back. I love that we have a trusting man like Joe in the family.
We went and saw a castle, Chad freaked with excitement.
As we went into the mountains, past all of the 'elite' homes, Ahmed explained a lot of them were Saudi oil owners that own homes up in the hills of Tangier... guards littered outside gates protecting the people and contents inside. In addition, Mohammed V, the kind owns home in Tangier that took up nearly half to three quarters of the hill. No photographs allowed. Amazing sights to keep burned into my memory though.
Our last stop that Ahmed took us to was the Grotte D'Hercules. These cafes and tables sat right along the water. We paid a small fee to climb down into the caves, which used to be a prison. The cells were dark, damp, and rather intimidating.
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| Ahmed, Happy and Mommy |
The waves violently crashed in, swirled around and hammered against the rocks. Ahmed told us that this was the view to the world.
To end our visit and Tangier tour, we sipped mint tea watching the waves crash into the rocks- just enjoying the view of the Atlantic Ocean.
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| Happy Feet |
Farewell, for now. More adventure posting to come. We love and miss you all at home.
xo
Lex
Wow Lexie! How fantastic! Your pictures are great and your travels sound amazing. Such memories you are creating. XOXO Mom
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