Tangiers Adventures—January 30 to February 4, 2019

From Marrakech where I left the Intrepid Travel group, I took the bus back to Essaouira and stayed two nights inside the Medina at the Riad Nakla.  This was a good find because there was a heater in the otherwise chilly room along with CNN on the TV.  The wifi was strong and the shower was hot.

I enjoyed walking through the narrow and twisted streets of the Medina and my walks to the fisherman wharf area.

I took the early bus from Essaouira to Marrakech and arrived just in time to catch the 10 am train from Marrakech to Casablanca Voyager train station.

From there it was a quick 15-minute transfer to the high-speed train to Tangiers.  I arrived at 3:10 pm.

From the new train station in Tangier, I took the walkway to the legendary hotel, El Munira.  This hotel has a lot of Beat Generation history since William Burroughs lived here while he wrote “The Naked Lunch”.  It cost 250 dinars per night.  Here are some views from the terrace of the Medina and harbor below.

Below the El Muniria hotel is the Le Tangerine bar where Burroughs took Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg drinking.  Its hours are from 10:30pm to 3am.  Past my bedtime though.

The following day I moved to inside the Medina at the Melting Pot hostel for 2 more nights in Tangiers before taking the fast ferry to Spain.  The dorm cost was just 196 Dinhars for two nights, including breakfast.  Not only was this convenient in touring the Medina area, but it was also useful in finding out how and where to take the ferry to Spain.

I have now found out a great navigation app called map. me which you can download in each city you come to, and it uses satellite technology to show you where you are on the city streets.  However, when you are inside the Medina area because the streets and walkways are so narrow, it loses the signal every so often.

I was able to use it to locate the Melting Pot Hostel.  The view from the terrace was amazing, as were the pot plants in the pot.  

I also enjoyed the artwork.

I ended up walking about Tangiers with Lucy, a tour guide from the Grand Canyon, who was taking the night train to Marrakech and felt more comfortable walking with me instead of alone.

She indicated that the Trump shutdown really had a big impact on Grand Canyon tourism as well as seriously affected the Park Service employees and contractors.

People, especially the men, really enjoy frequenting their coffee cafes and sitting outside in the cold weather.  None of the buildings or restaurants I visited were heated.  I hope this changes when I cross over to Spain and Portugal or it will be a very cold adventure.

I enjoyed walking through the market areas including the fish market and the fruits and vegetable areas where I saw them selling many varieties of olives.

This shrine was blue when Matisse painted it.

I enjoyed visiting the Kasbah museum, a former sultan’s palace, that focused on the history of the area from prehistoric times to the 19th century.  

Here is the view of the ferry terminal including the large mosque.

The fast ferry takes just 40 minutes to cross the Strait of Gibraltar. 

Here is a view of Tangiers, Morocco Medina from the Fast Ferry Port.

Cost of Morocco Trip

The 23-day trip to Morocco cost $2,322 for a daily cost of $100.  Food costs were $490 with a daily cost of $21 per day.  Lodging (9 days--my time) costs were $241 for a nightly cost of $27.  Travel and tour costs were $1,534--$1,385 of that were for the 15-day Intrepid Tour company.

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