We all have our dreams – whether it’s flying an airplane, having a family, writing a book, or traveling the world – it’s just a matter of making them come true. One of my lifelong dreams has been to travel to Africa. And at 20 years old, that dream of mine has come true! Although I stepped onto African soil for only a weekend when visiting Northern Morocco, I still hope to one day continue with that same dream to visit more places in Africa. Either way, Northern Morocco was a pretty cool place to start.
A little advise – Try to book a tour that has less than 15 people on it, and even less would be better! Since I went through my abroad school, we didn’t know how the trip was laid out. We ended up on a tour bus with about 30 people through a company called Flandria. Wandering the streets of Morocco and through the markets with 29 other tourists is not my favorite thing to do. It can be frustrating, overwhelming, and rushed at times. However, if that doesn’t bother you – it would be a great experience.
Tetuan
Our first stop was Tetuan in Northern Morocco. We were able to explore the old town, the markets, and some other cool sites in the city.
La Medina
Visiting the medina (old town) was quite the cultural experience. The change of scenery between the newer part of Tetuan and the medina is shocking at first. The smells, sights, and noises can be extremely overwhelming. The smell is similar to that of rotten sewage water, there are various sights to see from flies hanging around freshly cut watermelon to 20 chickens forced into a crate – with a ready-to-eat chicken hanging across the way, and people chatting away in Arabic.
You could say it’s the complete opposite of walking down the streets and by the stores in New York City. But because of that, it was refreshing- as long as you don’t take in too big of a gulp of air.
Each person, young and old, sat outside their set up shop, whether they were selling fresh food, spices, woven baskets, textiles, or other handmade items. Their patience is remarkable to be able to sit there waiting for customers to buy their food. As tourists are advised not to buy food off the streets, their only form of costumers would be the other locals.
The Pharmacy
In the middle of the town, we stopped at a place they refer to as a pharmacy. Here they sell everything from face and hair Argan oil, spices, and illness remedies. We sat through an interactive presentation, trying the creams, the oils, and a headache cure. Perfect for me, because of course I had a headache!!
A few black spices are put into a cloth, rubbed around vigorously, and then made into a tightened holder that is held up to your noise and you breathe it in deeply. As odd as it sounds, I felt like I was breathing in how lemons taste! My eyes even teared a little, along with everyone else’s who tried it. But on the bright side, it did help my headache! At the end of the visit, we had a kind of auction where we raised our hands if we wanted a product. If we liked it, they would bring it to our bag. Another plus: if you bought 2 of the same product, the third was free!
Tangier
The city of Tangier was a hustle and bustle with loads of people wandering the market streets. These market streets are much more modern than Tetuan. We visited a little shop with souvenirs and a myriad of carpets.
I got stuck upstairs for a solid 30 minutes with the carpet men because I said I liked a tapestry. I really did like it. It was just about 10x too big. Because I said that, they started pulling out 45 different smaller tapestries, but none of them looked anything like the one I said I had liked. I managed to escape with 2 minutes to spare in order to buy a small wooden camel to commemorate my 2-minute ride earlier in the day.
We drove past a panoramic view of the city and the Straight of Gibraltar, but the bus didn’t stop. It was cool to see for a few seconds, but it would’ve been nice to actually have a few minutes to take in the sights.
Las Cuevas de Hercules
The cave of Hercules is a natural cave sculpted by the waves and erosion from the ocean. The opening to the see is called the Map of Africa, as it takes the shape of Africa. Pottery, tools, and remains found in this cave date back to 5000 BC, suggesting there once was a Neolithic civilization.
Camels!
Since I wasn’t the one who booked this tour, the only chance we had with the camels was a 2-minute ride around a parking lot near the ocean. I also got a few selfies. If I had the chance to book my own trip, I would be sure to ride a camel for a longer period of time, and not in a parking lot.
I enjoyed seeing the different cultures while visiting Northern Morocco. However, if I had to do it over again, I would choose a different company with a little more flexibility, a more relaxed atmosphere, and the ability to customize. The structure of Flandria made it rushed and not relaxed – not something you want to have on a nice travel adventure!
Africa itself, well, it didn’t let me down at all.