Tangier

Last week, we were planning to spend a few days in Marrakech, but unfortunately our housing situation fell through so we headed instead north to Tangier where Imad's cousin lives. One of the things that I both love and that drives me crazy is the plan making process here. I feel like we spend so much time making various plans and most often those plans are altered several times before something finally happens. Insha'allah, god willing, is how everything happens here. While at times it drives me crazy, because I just want to know what the he** we're doing, at the same time, I like the spontaneity and not knowing exactly where, when, how, why etc.

We made it to what are called Hercules caves where through this African shaped viewing point you can see where the Mediterannean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet. At age 2, Younis has seen the most northwestern point of Africa, that's pretty cool. Tangier is a border city. You feel the hustle and reliance on a tourist economy in an intense way. It's a beautiful area, the city is built on hills and has a nice big beach area and like all of Morocco I'm realizing, rapid development of housing, hotels, resorts, etc.

Here's Younis with his Mamie and doing a little happy dance, he LOVES the ocean.

We ate lunch in the old medina one day and saw several huge groups of tourists come through with vendors following them, pushing them to buy and sticking merchandise in their faces. May not leave the best memories for these tourist groups, especially if Tangier is just one stop on a cruise or the only experience in Morocco. But as Imad's cousin said, people have to make a living somehow and for a lot of residents in Tangier, the tourist economy is a way to do it.

A lot of Moroccans and Africans from sub-saharan Africa cross over illegally to Spain via boat as it's only about 8 miles away. Just like dangerous crossings from Cuba to the states and other "south to north" borders, many people don't make it across or are met by immediately by police and sent back.

Here's a shot of the ferries (for those with visas or the right passports) that cross over the straight of Gibraltar. The boat ride takes about 30 minutes. You can see Spain in the distance.

Younis made his first solo purchase on the boardwalk. Imad gave him a couple dirhams and off he went to the snack vendor to buy some peanuts. Yum. He was a very proud kid walking back with his purchase. Imad had to nudge him to hand over the money, but aside from that, a very smooth purchase.

We are now in our last week in Morocco. It's so hard to believe! In exactly one week, we'll be back in Seattle. Culture shock here we come. I never think it'll hit that hard, but it always does. Bittersweet days as we near the end of an amazing 6 month adventure!