This was our second venture to Africa but this was very different that Ceuta. Tangier is a mix of North African, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. There was a long history of colonization that only ended in 1956. Morocco had been under international control until then. Tangier's history started with the Carthaginians in the early 5th century BC. Next followed the typical march of Mediterranean cultures. Mythology says that Hercules slept in a cave a few miles from the city before one of his twelve labors. Morocco was the first nation to recognize the American independence and the US established the American Legation in 1821 which is still standing and is now a museum. Because of being coastal, the culture is fairly relaxes with Muslim, Christian, and Jewish presences. The country is predominately Muslim and there are many mosques throughout the city where you can hear the calls to prayer. Our trip left via ferry from Tarifa, Spain which is only 2 hours from Rota. The ferry was one hour in crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. On our ride over we saw many cargo ships and other ships going somewhere. Once in Tangier, the crowded feel was immediately present just to get off the ferry ramp and past the police guards. Since we were with a group, we had stickers on our shirts so we could go through the line faster. WE met up with our tour guide and bus and went for a drive through the new part of the city. We stopped for a quick photo session with some camels. These were actually dromedaries since they only have one hump. Then we got off the bus for a walking tour through the Kasbah. This is the oldest part of the city with very small streets, no wider than us walking single file at times. We got to see a snake charmer. Next was lunch where we had soup haria, beef and kefta shish kebabs, chicken couscous, mint tea, and a honey pastry. Then we went shopping around the Medina. We got some leather slippers, a lamp, and some scarves. My favorite stop was at a pharmacy where the owner gave us a presentation of Moroccan spices and creams. I bought a skin lotion cream made from Argan Oil. One lady asked the owner what spices would go with pork...to a Muslim guy...oops! He just laughed. Street hagglers were everywhere, but not as bad as I was expecting. A very fascinating city.
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