November 7, 2003
Friday Nov 7: Tangier: Lost in the Medina?
Thankfully we had met those people yesterday to 'show' us really, this place was very safe, and we really only had to keep our wits about us and all would be well. The four of them had left, I think on one of the early ferries.
Still a little apprehensive, we carefully headed into the city, and to try some Moroccan food in a restaurant suggested in the book. There we met a very pleasant server, Salah, who would be our server each time we came, and who gave a gift of a mini tajin. He assured us that we would have no trouble as long as we were cautious.
With that reassurance we headed into the Medina (Old City) where the streets twisted in every which way, often were no wider than about 1.5 m and were packed with souqs, stalls, hawkers, faux guides, persistent sellers, and many who tried to entice into shops, and then later retrieve commission from the disgruntled shop owners. It was VERY exotic, not at all like anything I have ever seen anywhere. The closest way I could come close to describing some of the market areas is like a bit of Kensington Market or China Town in Toronto, jammed multiplied by a few hundred, but jammed more tightly together and with everyone trying to get you to buy something. As long as you remained adamant and kept a good sense of humour, it was a lot of fun. Once you had them convinced that you did not want to buy, they were very gracious, wishing a good trip and to enjoy their country.
Later in the afternoon we tried to get up to La Kasbah (Alcazaba/fortress) but there was one faux guide who was so persistent that he would not go away. We were told later that because of Ramadan, they are unable to eat, drink or smoke during the day (not until dark, or technically when you 'cannot tell the difference between a white thread and a black thread') so, with many of them being addicted to drugs, by late afternoon, they were nervous wrecks. I threatened to take his picture (the tourist police can imprison these pests for three months for bugging tourists) which he did not like, but with it being close to the time when they break their fast, ie dusk, there were a lot of deserted streets, so being a bit nervous, turned and left deciding to stay another day and to try the Kasbah again tomorrow.
In the evening, now much more brave, we took a few night photos of the moon over the Medina and markets and the throngs of people who come out to eat once they have broken their fast. Apparently this lasts until dawn when they go to bed for the day (I suppose unless they work, which would explain why many of the shop-keepers looked a bit tired or were sleeping when we got into their shops.)
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