This trip was a marvelous lesson in cultural diversity- how exciting to learn about the Arabic way of life! We traveled by bus on this day to Tarifa, Spain and went through customs to catch the Express Ferry- the boat trip took less than one hour to arrive in Tangier, Morocco. We got our passports stamped coming and going.
Grand Circle made going through customs easy- our group got through very fast.
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| Ferry landing at Tangier, Morocco |
We didn't have to worry about purchasing tickets or knowing what to do. Our Program Director, Eugenio, was always with our group, and walked us through it all. When we were all ready to exit the port, he would say, "Come, come, Family!" We grew close to all our fellow Grand Circle Travelers on this trip. About 16 folks traveled together for this excursion. Eugenio commented with historical facts and colorful descriptions along the way.
We checked into Hotel Ahlen, a 4 start hotel in Tangier- it was old but a beautiful facility with Moroccan rugs and decor. We had a bowl of fruit and water waiting for us. The sliding door opened to the patio and pool. There was a small prayer room nearby for Muslim worship (prayer five times a day) and there was a host who welcomed us to the hotel and entertained us for lunch.
The Moroccan meals that we encountered on this excursion usually consisted of a dish of nuts and dates encased by a light honey- coated crust. Delicious Moroccan vegetable soup was often included accompanied by rolls of all shapes and sizes. Wine and water were always offered. The main course on the first day was a huge communal bowl of saffron tinted couscous with a center of lamb and vegetables- very tasty! Other meals we had featured baked chicken and candied quince as a side dish. Our dessert was sweet, juicy orange slices powdered with fresh ground cinnamon! Hot green mint tea was a welcome finish. Our waiter took our photo at our first Moroccan lunch at our hotel. Our hotel host, Abdul, danced, sang and clapped with musicians playing violins and lutes of olivewood while we ate!
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| Hotel Ahlen Tangier Morocco |
Abdul gave our group travelers an interesting demonstration on preparing hot green tea with fresh spearmint leaves and sugar. This is the customary way to drink it- in small glasses with spearmint leaves keeping the fresh tea leaves from slipping into the glasses. Arabs drink tea all the time: for welcoming guests, for a nice work break, or a quick pick me up after dinner. It's great for the digestion- and we really needed it! We ate so much!
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Abdul, our host
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We boarded the bus to meet our Moroccan guide, assistant and security guard. Grand Circle never has a crime problem, but also believes in providing a safe and secure learning experience on every trip! We met our guide, Ali. He often hosts the tours in Morocco for Grand Circle. He knows the history and the cultural features that helped us enjoy our new experience. Mohammed, his assistant, helped anyone with physical limits on climbing steps. A security agent strolled with us for our trip into a small town of Asilah. We visited the Kazbah (ancient fortress within walls) in this town and watched the sun set on our first Moroccan evening.
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| Ali, our Moroccan guide |
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| the Kazbah of Asilah |
But the day was not over. Grand Circle wanted us to experience real Moroccan life by dining with a home-hosted family in Asilah who offered their home and hospitality to us. Our host was a Finance Minister in Tangier with three lovely children and wife. We bundled into cabs and trusted our guides and Grand Circle to deliver us to the right place! Our small group introduced ourselves and then were offered the chance to ask our host, Rashid, multiple questions about his family and way of life. He wanted to learn about us as well, and we enjoyed our evening. He hoped that by breaking bread with another culture, that we could overcome our stereotypes of one another's cultures. Rashid topped our meal of sweet meats, soup, chicken and side dishes with hot green tea and fresh spearmint leaves! Rashid was a young waiter before his finance career and he enjoyed desmonstrating his agility in pouring our tea!
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| Home hosted dinner with Rashid (center right) |
We bundled back into the waiting cabs that returned us to our guides and waiting bus. We gratefully relaxed
in our hotel rooms before setting our alarm and retiring early for a 2nd big day in Morocco!
Enjoyed reading this.
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