Tangier

Initially I passed through Tangier on my way to Spain after catching the train from Rabat. On arrival at Tangier Ville train station, I immediately got accosted by taxi drivers who wanted to charge me 50 dirhams for the ride to the port. I offered 20 and they refused so I went and joined the mostly locals on the street corner out the front!! Eventually after about 20 minutes I finally got a taxi to the port and when I put 20 dirhams in the driver’s hand once I got out, he didn’t argue. You can also walk, which take about 45 minutes. Head straight for the sea and once on the beach street, turn left and it will take you straight to the port.

On my return to Tangier, my initial plan was to take a train to Rabat. I thought to avoid the exorbitant prices charged by taxi drivers at the port, I would walk out to the entrance and catch a taxi there but had no success and ended up walking all the way to the station. Again just follow the street from the port (Ave Mohammed VI) until you get to McDonalds, which is about 3 kilometres, and turn right. The Tangier Ville train station is directly ahead. As I arrived at the station the train I was supposed to be on was just pulling out. Later trains did just not work out, so I reverted to my original plan of spending a couple of nights in Tangier to se what it was like.

Got a taxi as m feet were sore and blistered from all the walking in new sandals to the Hotel Continental, a piece of Tangier history. There I got a single room with port views and a/c for 526 dirham per night, including breakfast. It is a really fascinating hotel that dates from the early 1900s and was the first hotel in Tangier. As a result it is decorated with lots of antiques and memorabilia on the walls, in the hallways, in the common areas and even in the rooms. It has a large balcony with views across the port that is a pleasant place to sit in the evenings and enjoy a drink, the breeze and the views. But it doesn’t serve alcohol, so my drink of preference is fresh orange juice.

Next day I headed off to the Kasbah and of course got accosted by an unofficial guide who took me all around the Kasbah and said “a Frenchman owns this, English own this . . . . .”. Unfortunately the Kasbah museum is closed on a Tuesday and I didn’t make it back! Then went to the Phoenician Tombs, rectangular holes in a huge rock but with stunning views across the Mediterranean to Spain.

These are close to Café Hafa, which has certainly had its dy but is still a pleasant spot to have a cold drink or mint tea and enjoy the views in peaceful surroundings. As for the “guide”, he was not happy with his tip of 100 dirhams but after I stressed the unofficial part he left! Unofficial guides can actually be arrested, fined or even imprisoned in Morocco.

A restaurant I found and went to a couple of times especially as I didn’t feel out of place as a single female was les Passagers de Tanger on the 2nd floor overlooking Grand Socco. Great value was its meal of the day for 110 dirham where I had fish soup, filleted sardines sandwiched together with pesto and served with rice and stir-fried vegetables with dessert being orange and grapefruit slices served with icecream. Alcohol is also available with Heineken beer 40 dirhams and a glass of red wine 25. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor tables and was excellent value remembering that restaurants that serve alcohol tend to be much more expensive than those that don’t.

Also I visited the American Legation Museum, which I found fascinating. Lots of prints of Moroccan towns including Tangier from the 1500s onwards, old maps of North Africa and the Mediterranean region, some interesting paintings, examples of damascine and even a picture of Moulay Ismail. There is also a Paul Bowles room with lots of photos of him and other well-known people plus copies of his books. Located in two traditional riad-type buildings, they also have some Morocco-related books for sale.

I found the nearby Lorin Museum to be not worth a visit as it contained a series of old black and white photos, many of which were unlabelled. However, I did find St Andrew’s Church fascinating as it merges Moorish architecture, Moroccan features, Arabic writing with traditional Christian features. The Lord’s Prayer in Arabic plus lots of arches, niches and stucco plus being situated directly next to a mosque show this The caretaker who lives in a nearby cottage has to unlock the church for visitors to see inside.

Overall I found Tangier is worth at least a full day and I was hassled very little. Mind you, I saw people in the large tour groups that were being herded through the medina by a guide, being heavily hassled by the touts and hustlers but as long as you dress conservatively, avoid eye contact with the men and look like you know where you are going, then the problems should be less.