Layali

The Kasbah is the fort which once held the Sultan’s place and now consists of homes, shops, the Grand Socco which is Spanish for Souk or market. As we walked through the ancient streets our guide regaled us with tales of famous people who lived in the Kasbah as well as the history of the different peoples that lived inside the walls. There are many influences including Carthage, Romans, Byzantine Empire, Arabs, Spain, Portugal and Britain to name a few. With this many influences the city has many types of architecture which makes it quite unique. As we walked through the narrow streets we passed many locals and saw some facets of their lives. During our time in the Kasbah we visited a Herbalist where we received a lesson on some of the common products the Herbalist creates and what he uses to make the different products. From a natural form of A535 to sleep aids and weight loss with roots, all from natural ingredients. Next we went to a Moroccan Carpet store, which is a Government Co-op of families. What this means is the prices are controlled and all the proceeds from the carpet sales go to the families which made the carpet. So after sometime being shown a large variety of carpets and throws I found a bed spread made out silk and cashmere and decided to take the plunge. After our excursion to the carpet store we continued to walk through the Kasbah ending up in the Grand Socco (Market) where we saw a lot of locals and lots of activity. As we continued our trek Sayed continued to tell stories and give us insights into people and places that make up this historical part of Tangier. After numerous hours of walking we decided it was time to head back to our hotel for a rest before dinner. Upon checking my watch we discovered our tour was almost 7 and half hours long well worth the price. A very enjoyable time with a very engaging host.

After a short rest we headed for dinner again in our hotel in an authentic Moroccan restaurant called Layali

setup to look like a traditional Moroccan tent. We enjoyed a pleasant dinner with music and of course a belly dancer. The next day we decided to take a taxi to the center of the town and walk around the downtown of Tangier. As we walked through the streets we made it to the beach and walked out to the water, as it was a rainy day it was not completely pleasant but I can imagine it would be a nice place when the sun is shining. As we continued to walk we headed in the direction of our hotel with no real plan except to walk and expereince more local culture. One piece of “local” culture we had not intended to visit was the local McDonalds but as fate would have it we decided on a whim to give it try and see what local flavour was available. I decided to try a McArabia which consisted of grilled kofta (beef with spices) and lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and garlic mayonnaise all wrapped in an Arabic style pita bread. While my traveling companion had a Chicken Mythic, a chicken sandwich, he indicated it was ok but nothing to write home about. The rest of the afternoon we continued to walk to our hotel passing the local sheep herd and a group of camels lounging in the field beside the main road. The rest of our day and evening we spent around the hotel and after dinner we visited the Casino and ended the evening enjoying drinks in the lounge.

The next day our final day in exotic Morocco we hung around the hotel until our pickup for the drive to airport. Something interesting that occurred when I entered Morocco the Passport control agent had problems entering my data into the computer and he kept asking me if I was born in Winnipeg to which I answered a polite no as my passport states I was born in Calgary. After what seemed like 20 or 30 minutes (it was about 15 very uncomfortable minutes) he called over his supervisor who asked me the same questions and after another 5 minutes of both of them looking at the computer screen the supervisor waved me through. But the story does not end there, as we went through passport control to leave Tangier the agent started to ask me more questions and then started writing line after line of numbers and letters. Again after what seemed like hours he called over his boss and this gentleman scared me. To describe what this gentleman looked like, think of all those movies set in either Central America or Mexico and picture the guy playing the secret policeman with the mustache and smoking a cigarette. That is what this guy looked like right down to the mustache and smoking a cigarette. After more interrogation I was allowed to proceed and immediately after sitting down my traveling companion said in a very very load voice “Boy were they interested in you” to which I said “Shut up they are still watching me.” Over the next 20 minutes the mysterious gentleman kept looking at me making me very uncomfortable. The call for our flight to Madrid could not have come any sooner. I was able to breathe easier once we were out over the Mediterranean.