"He's got a two day head start on you, which is more than he needs. He’s got friends in every town and village from here to the Sudan, he speaks a dozen languages, knows every local custom, he'll blend in, disappear, you'll never see him again."
One of the things I forgot to mention in my day one report was the discussion about hashish. It seems that Morocco is the number one world producer of hash. Here it is called “chocolate” and if a guy on the street asks you if you would like any you should run in the other direction. The issue here is that the state has absolutely no control over the hash trade. Its use is allowed in prisons to make the inmates more docile and because of the high unemployment rate, the use of hash by those without a job is overlooked. Considering the tacit approval by the state of its use, I think the lack of control of the manufacture and trade of hash could be by design.
Today we take a walking tour of Tangier and then do some shopping. We started in what our tour guide called, “the Jewish business section”. This was basically the Jewish commercial district before they left Tangier.
The next stop was the Tangier legal quarter. Divorce laws in this Muslim country have changed in the last several years. Previously, a Muslim man, famously, only had to publicly say, “I divorce you” to his wife for it to be so. Now there is a whole process for either a man or a woman to file. There are two separate cooling off periods and if one is granted the woman typically gets the house, half the assets and the kids. This has been very controversial and these new laws were one of the primary reasons behind the 2003 Casablanca bombings by Al-Qaeda.
Legal Quarter
Next we went to a store to see a Moroccan carpet demonstration. This store sold not only carpets, but also every other kind of North African knick-knack you can imagine. From swords to water pipes to djellabas it was all here. They filed us into an upstairs room, showed the different types of carpet made in Morocco and gave a brief explanation of each. They explained that each one was registered with the Moroccan government as a piece of art and they were given a state-issued orange label. When the presentation was over the really uncomfortable part of the Moroccan visit started. It was from this point that men trying to sell us anything and everything accosted us. It began in the carpet store. The men working there could only be described as high-pressure shysters. One guy actually told me that I had to buy something because he needed money. Maybe there was something lost in the translation but I don’t think so.
Carpet Demonstration
When we finally left the carpet store there were about ten guys waiting outside carrying watches, carved wooden camels, bracelets, wallets and every other manner of cheap crap. They came right up to you and practically forced this stuff in your hand trying to make a sale. Keep in mind that there is a group of eighteen of us walking through some very tight walkways and you can begin to imagine how claustrophobic this was.
Streets
We made our way as quickly as we could to our next stop. This turned out to be a Moroccan herbalist who gave us an explanation of different types of herbal remedies they used and, of course, he had available for sale. There was the mosquito repellant that you rubbed on your wrists. The herb used to clear your sinuses. The root used as “Moroccan Viagra” (“one piece and you will samba all night”). And the green lipstick that is actually red. When his presentation was over, his assistant gave each of us a plastic bag, reviewed each of his products and their prices, and asked us as a group “who wants to buy this?” By about the fourth product he told those of us not buying anything to not waste our time and leave. Most of the folks in our group took off. Of course as soon as we stepped outside there was a mighty yell “tourists!” and the street vendors were on us again. We walked through the winding streets for about ten minutes until we made it to the bus. The entire time we had to keep yelling at these guys to back off.
I tried to go into Morocco with an open mind. I still think that some of the things I found unsettling such as the economic conditions causing the expanding rich-poor gap and the State acceptance of hashish are just cultural differences and I shouldn’t judge these things through western values. The last part of our tour, however, was just inappropriate. It had nothing to do with a lack of understanding of the Moroccan ways and everything to do with our local guide putting us in a bad situation for some sort of personal ends.
We took the bus to the port to catch the ferry back to Tarifa. It was pretty windy on this day and our scheduled departure was cancelled because of the weather conditions. We went for a bite to eat and waited for the next one to see if it would go. Fortunately it did and we made it on because we heard the late ferry was cancelled as well so we would have either been stuck in Tangier another night or we would have had to take a much slower boat to Spain.
Off of the ferry we met our regular bus and driver and started toward Torremolinos. Along the way we passed large windmill farms on the highlands and through the hills. It seems that in recent years there has been a large push toward wind energy in Spain. While the preservationists and environmentalists don’t like them because they ruin the landscape, they have actually integrated well with the cattle and other animals that roam the territory. They are also a very impressive sight.
Windmills
When we arrived in Torremolinos we were on our own for dinner. We ate at an Italian place across the street and then it was back to the hotel for sleep.
11/20/2007 – Tangier - Day Two
11/19/2007 – Tangier
Today we go to Africa. We took a hydrofoil from Tarifa that took about fifty minutes to make the crossing. Tangier, Morocco was founded 1200 years before Christ. It is a Muslim democracy like Iran. It seems to be friendly to Europeans and our local guide took every opportunity to point out Christian churches, Anglican churches and Synagogues. There was a Mosque on every other block, however, and the call to prayer was broadcast all through out the city on loudspeakers five times a day.
Our hotel was a beautiful Northern African style five-star that was very nicely apportioned. It was unlike anyplace I have ever stayed. The room had large oak cabinets and a high ceiling. The main dining room was off an open-air courtyard that had tables and comfortable chairs positioned in a way to ensure privacy. The area around our hotel seems to be a fairly cosmopolitan. There are many twisting and turning pedestrian walkways with people, mostly men, everywhere. They were all walking around and going to the shops that seemed to be doing brisk business, relaxing at the cafes and congregating in the square. The difference between this place and any city in Europe seemed to be the great congestion of people and traffic. It was difficult to move in some places. You really had to be aggressive to get around.
When we arrived on the ferry from Tarifa and our local guide took us on a brief city tour. As I mentioned he specifically pointed out a Synagogue, Christian Church and a Mosque in the first ten minutes we were there. He really seemed to be concerned that we not think of Morocco as a place of religious intolerance. He talked a great deal about what used to be a large population of Jews in Morocco. It seems that at one point, nearly half the population of Morocco was Jewish. There are now more than seven hundred thousand Moroccan Jews in Israel. Additionally, the Moroccan Jewish vote is so important in New York that Hillary Clinton came to Tangier twice when she was running for her Senate seat to court that voting block.
After the city tour we took a drive to Azayla to see their Kaspah. We drove through the wealthy area and saw the homes of kings and princes from various Middle Eastern oil nations. We were also shown large tracts of land that have been purchased by foreign investors for development (and money laundering purposes). Unfortunately, this level of investment in the country has greatly expanded the rich-poor gap. Property is all but unavailable to the common Moroccan and they are encouraged to purchase 30m X 30m apartments for 20,000 Euros. Unemployment hovers around 20% in the cities and there are many people in the streets and the cafes during the day. The illiteracy rate is around 30%.
Typical Moroccan home
There is a great deal of development outside the city but great stretches of the Atlantic coastline remain untouched by commercial interests. This would be great except for the garbage strewn across the beaches. Almost everywhere you go there are plastic grocery bags lying around. The coastline is beautiful but it is all privately owned and in need of cleanup.
Littered coastline
Voice of America broadcast complex
Azayla is the festival town of Morocco. Indeed, it was the most well maintained place we saw while we were there. The Kaspah is basically a fortified area around which a wall was built to keep out invaders. Life here, like everywhere else in Morocco revolves around prayer. Everything closes when there is a call to prayer. Sometimes shops reopen and sometimes they don’t. There are no set times for places to stay open here. They just open and close depending on necessity and whim.
Kaspah
Apartment in the Kaspah
View of Atlantic from Kaspah
The Kaspah is a pretty amazing place. It has an amazing view of the Atlantic and there seems to be a great deal of restoration work taking place. We were walking along and we came across a small bakery and they gave our group a few loaves of fresh-baked bread to share amongst us. This was fresh out of the oven and it was the best bread I have ever had. I am told that they use very little salt and you can tell.
After the Kaspah we drove back to Tangier. Along the way we stopped for camel rides. It seemed like a good photo opportunity and, really, how often does a guy from Perrysburg, Ohio get to ride a camel. A vendor gave me a fez to complete the experience and I was off. I rode an elephant once when I was ten and this was not really that different. It was pretty fun though and certainly one of those vacation experiences that you have to do when the opportunity presents itself.
Our next stop was at a café for a glass of mint tea. This is a common Moroccan drink made with green tea, sugar and mint leaves. It was somewhat overpowering at first but you got used to it and it is actually very refreshing.
Mint Tea
We went back to the hotel and relaxed for a while. I took a walk through the streets surrounding our hotel. It was crowded, as I mentioned. Dinner was very good. We had chicken couscous and it was served family-style. It was way more than the six people at our table could eat. We left more than half. There was a couscous base with a whole chicken, vegetables and various spices. The whole thing was steamed and served to us in a giant dish. It was extremely good with hot sauce.
After dinner it was time to sleep. We have an early day tomorrow.
11/18/2007 – Sevilla
Our tour began at the Plaza de Espana. This was the main, Spanish pavilion when Sevilla hosted Expo ’29 and it is very ornate with arches, columns and pedestrian bridges adding to the atmosphere. The two main towers in the Plaza represent Ferdinand and Isabella and there are fifty-two arches that represent the fifty-two provinces of Spain. We had some time to stroll around and take photos. There were gypsies selling scarves and souvenirs but they were not very pushy.
Sevilla is a very well maintained city. Orange trees line the streets and they just opened a new electric streetcar line of which they are very proud. The streetcars are very modern looking but when they are coming they play a recording of a bell ringing as streetcars did many years ago. It is a nice touch and adds to the atmosphere nicely. There is a very nice park near the city center and there is a nice mix of tourists and locals out walking and enjoying the day.
We made our way to the Alcazar of Sevilla. There are many Spanish Alcazars and this is the Royal Castle of Sevilla. It is unusual in its design as it is a Christian castle that was built by a Muslim after the Moorish occupation. So you have many Muslim and Moorish influences in the architecture. There is one room where you can see the Christian cross, the Star of David and the Arabic representation of Allah Akbar. It was clearly created for an open minded sovereign.
After the Alcazar we went back to the hotel to rest but I wanted to take a tour of the bullring so I took a bus back to the city center and walked to the ring. Along the way I was stopped a few times by people who asked me something in Spanish. I felt good about myself. I thought I must be blending in and this was a goal of mine after what happened in St. Petersburg last year. When I arrived at the bullring, however, an old gypsy woman immediately accosted me. She gave me a sprig of rosemary and grabbed my palm to give me a reading. She had a vice like grip and I couldn’t get away so I just let her finish. When she was done she demanded five Euros. Sensing a trap and not wanting to get my wallet out I flipped her a one Euro coin and ducked into the bullring when she let go to accept it. She wasn’t happy with me and I hope I avoided her gypsy curse.
The bullring was marvelous. I had hoped to be able to see a bullfight on our trip but, unfortunately, the bullfighting season ends in October so this was the best I could do. My visit consisted of a tour, a visit to the bullring itself and a trip to the bullfighting museum and the Toreadors chapel. The bullring itself has a capacity of 13,000. The guide explained that there are three trophies that the toreador wants to collect. Any combination of ears and tails that add up to three is what is ideal. So if a toreador collects two ears and a tail and then kills the bull cleanly, they are carried out on the shoulders of the spectators under the Prince’s box.
The museum covered the history of bullfighting and had the toreadors outfits displayed so that you could see them up close. After the museum we visited the toreadors chapel, the need for which is obvious.
When the tour was finished I walked back to the hotel. Before I went in, though, I walked around the corner to see the stadium in which the football team Sevilla plays their matches. In addition to a bullfight, I wanted to see a Spanish league football match but there is a break in league play right now so players can participate for their national teams in the Euro 2008 qualifying matches that took place in the last week. Actually, on the day I arrived in Madrid I could have gone to the Real Madrid – Mallorca match but I decided that I was too tired after the flight and I didn’t feel like spending eighty Euros for the cheapest seat so I skipped it.
In the evening we went to dinner and a Flamenco show. This was very worthwhile. It was an hour and a half of very talented dancers playing their castañuelas and dancing with their fans. There was one guy dancer with a greasy mullet that had all the older ladies swooning. In fact there is an older woman from New York on our tour who said something to me that was just unprintable. Needless to say, she was very moved by that guy. Actually, she said she was moved three times.
11/17/2007 – Travel To Sevilla
Today was a boring day. Basically all we did was travel to Sevilla from Lisbon. There were a few rest stops thrown in to break up the trip but basically we did nothing but travel and have dinner when we got into Sevilla. We did take a trip to the grocery store once we were settled in our hotel to buy snacks and bottled water for the trip to Morocco. I don’t plan on drinking tap water in Tangier.
Because I really don’t have much to write about today I thought people might enjoy seeing some of the strange art from the Palace of Queluz. The royal families of Portugal seemed to enjoy inbreeding so there were many strange looking portraits scattered throughout the palace. Enjoy!
11/16/2007 - Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais
RIP Joe Nuxhall. Head for home.
We started today with a tour of Lisbon. Lisbon is over 2000 years old. The Romans, the Moors and finally the Christian Crusaders controlled it. Currently it is the capital and largest city of Portugal with 2.4 million people living in the metro area. There is no official religion in Portugal. There are a few Muslims in Lisbon who are transplants from Goa in India from when it was under Portuguese rule. They came to Lisbon because they preferred the Portuguese culture.
We drove by Pombal Square that is dedicated to the Marquiss of Pombal who directed the recovery efforts after the All Saints Day earthquake of 1755. The earthquake measured an 8.5 on the Richter scale and it demolished most of Lisbon and caused terrible fires. When the people of Lisbon fled to the water so they could escape the fire they were drowned by a tsunami that followed soon after. The death toll was between 60 and 90 thousand. The Marquiss of Pombal decided to demolish the ruins of Lisbon and redesign things using modern design techniques. The quake was on November 1 and he had his rebuilding plan finalized and in motion by the end of the month. The 1755 quake was a big point in the history of Lisbon and it is continually referenced when discussing the history of the buildings because most of the buildings in the old section date from the time after the quake.
Our first stop was at Alfama. Alfama is a small village that sits in Lisbon by the water. It is a self-contained community that was founded by Jews and is populated by a mostly older population thanks to rent control. Alfama is a Moorish word that means “springs of water”. St. Anthony of Padua was born here but in Alfama they don’t pray to St. Anthony for lost objects like most people. They pray to him to find a husband. Typically what they do is buy a St. Anthony statue and turn it upside down. They then pray to him and say that if he wants to be right side up then find a husband for whoever is looking. It’s more blackmail than prayer but it seems to work for the Alfamians.
St Anthony of Padua Square
Alfama Commercial District
Typical Alfama street
What is amazing about Alfama is that everything is contained within about two blocks. You have apartments and then you have a church, cafes and any kind of store that you can think of all crammed into this small area. The whole place is just small roads and pedestrian walkways. People are born here, live here and die here without leaving the area. It is very old world and unlike any place I have ever visited.
The next stop was Belem on the Tagus River. The Tagus starts in Spain, runs west and meets the Atlantic eight miles out of Lisbon. In Belem we had a great view of the Tagus Bridge, which was built in 1966 and modeled after the Golden Gate in San Francisco. Directly across the river from the bridge is a statue called the “Memorial to Christ the King.” It is meant to resemble the “Christ the Redeemer” statue in Rio. There were other interesting things at this little park by the river. There was the Henry the Navigator memorial, the Torre de Belem, a replica of the first plane to cross the South Atlantic and the memorial to the fallen soldiers of Portugal. Also there were Gypsies everywhere. They were mainly selling postcards, sunglasses and scarves and they were fairly well behaved but I kept my distance. I wouldn’t be able to do that a few days later in Sevilla, but that is a story for another post.
Tagus Bridge
Memorial to Christ the King
After Belem we made our way to the Hieronymites Monastery or the Monastery of St. Jerome. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was commissioned by King Manuel in the early sixteenth century to celebrate the successful return of Vasco de Gama from India. In fact, de Gama is entombed there. There was no money spent by the Portuguese government to build the complex and construction took nearly one hundred years. The services and materials used in the construction of the monastery were donated by the finest engineers and artisans of the time. It is built in what is known as the Manueline style and it reflects a maritime theme.
Exterior
On the grounds of the Monastery is the Church of Our Lady of Bethlehem, where de Gama’s remains are interred. It is a beautiful, gothic cathedral that also contains the remains of the great Portuguese poet Camoes. It is a tradition for visiting heads of state to lay flowers at Camoes’ tomb. When we were there, a flower wreath in the shape of the flag of East Timor was on display.
Interior
Tomb of Camoes
The other notable part of the monastery is the cloister. The architecture and carvings here are extremely elaborate, and this place is used when Portugal has a large political event, such as when they signed onto the EU in 1986. The signing ceremony was held here.
Cloister
After the monastery we made our way to Queluz, Portugal to visit the Palace of Queluz. This palace was built in the eighteenth century and was the residence of the Kings of Portugal. The Portuguese monarchy ended after the 1910 Republican revolution but the palace still exists and is well maintained.
The interior of the palace is decorated with guilt wood and the traditional Portuguese tiles. There are many French influences in the design. In fact, the palace is known as the Portuguese Versailles. The gardens of the palace are filled with vases and statuary as well as many rows of hedges that are not well maintained. It seems that it is difficult to retain gardeners here because they aren’t paid much.
Interior
Grounds
We left the palace and traveled to Cascais for lunch. Cascais is located on the Tigus River and there is a spectacular bay area where many boats are moored.
Cascais Bay
After lunch we went to the old town area of Sintra, which rests in the Sintra mountain range. From the base in the Sintra Plaza Mayor you can see the towers and battlements of the Castelo dos Mouros toward the top of the mountains. The castle was built by the Moors in eighth century and was mostly destroyed a few hundred years later. Now the place is a tourist trap but the surrounding area is lovely and it is the site of one of the largest parks in the Lisbon area.
Castelo dos Mouros
After this it was back to our hotel for dinner and sleep. The next day will be mostly driving.
