Sunrise this morning came at 7:01, almost the exit moment the Rock of Gibraltar came into view as we drove south to Tarifa. We were out to meet our bus at 6:15 for the 1:30 trip. That’s where we caught the one-hour ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar to Tangier, Morocco. From there it Is about 2:30 to our final destination of Chefchaouen, the “blue city” of Morocco.
Our guide on the Morocco leg gave us a rundown on the country.:
– Morocco has a history of outside influences, starting with the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, Romans and so on. Southern Morocco was ruled by France, the north by Spain. Morocco gained its full independence in the 1950s. Today it is a constitutional kingdom. The current king gave up
much of royal power when he succeeded his father in 1999.
– While predominantly Suní Muslim, Morocco’s law is civil; religion is between the individual and God and not the business of the state.
– Over 50% of the population is indígenas Berber living in 17 tribal group across the nation. They live in largely rural areas operating small agricultural operations. A few in the south follow the traditional nomadic lifestyle, moving by camel and donkey from place to place.
– Family ties are strong in Morocco. In our guide’s case his parents lived with him and his family until their deaths. This practice is common.
– Our guide spoke about the five tenants of the Muslim religion: five daily prayers, charity to the poor, pilgrimage to Mecca in one’s lifetime, acknowledgment of a single God and observance of Ramadan.
– Pilgrimage to Mecca is expensive ($7,000 and up) and on a quota system. Morocco is allotted 40,000 pilgrims per year. He sent his parents on their pilgrimage in 2001 when the cost was only $2,500.
– Public education through university is free. All workers have health insurance that covers 80% of private medical care. Unemployed individuals must rely on public healthcare. “Morocco is a third-world country but things are improving,” he said.
The central part of old Chefchaouen, a town of 60,000 in total, is indeed a blue city. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. We had a lot of fun hiking up and down the narrow streets. Our guide said he had a Japanese tour group, we stopped so many times for pictures.
After a Moroccan shish kabob lunch it was shopping time. Most went to the traditional shopping area. But Jeff, stymied in his attempt to make a purchase during the walking tour earlier, was bound and determined to find the decorative wall hanging he had seen. The guide, Jeff, Judy and I chased from one end of the town to the other without success. Judy and I bought a nice leather purse while we waited. In the end Jeff found a similar and acceptable alternative, which he purchased. Later at the ferry he bargained himself into buying not one but two genuine cedar wooden domino sets.
Now we’re on the ferry back home to Spain and a big paella feed when we get back a 9 PM. The sun is setting and the occasional glimpses of The Rock are quite attractive.
And the paella and all the fixings to go with it, exceptional even at 10 PM as it turned out. So stuffed with paella and the usual quantity of sangria, it’s time for bed to prepare for our Ronda excursion tomorrow.
By the way, it’s getting awfully late and I have processed only half of today’s pictures. I’ll try to get the rest up tomorrow!
