I woke up the second morning in Tangier and got on the road by nine or so, I think. I asked the taxi driver to take me to the nearest beach, which is always a little worrisome cause you don't know exactly where you're going or how much that taxi is going to cost. I've gotten pretty okay at estimating how much taxis are. And I actually noticed that in Tangier the taxis start the meter at 1.60 DH instead of 1.20 DH like they do in Rabat. Based on the map it looks like things in Tangier shouldn't have cost more than about 10DH from side to side, yet somehow they always manage to find a little circuitous route and the ride on Saturday from the Kasbah to the hotel was nearly 20DH.
Anyway, the ride from hotel to beach cost about 7 DH, so still less than a dollar. I immediately was able to get to ocean, though it did take me a minute to find the steps. I got my camera out to try to start taking pictures, but the camera I've got seems to drain batteries basically instantaneously, or the batteries I got from the hannut next door were already bad. And basically immediately the camera said it was dying. After already forgetting my camera card when I had the birds eye view yesterday, I was pretty pissed. I decided to take a walk around downtown to try to find another hannut to buy more batteries, which are about 25-35 cents a battery. No idea if that's good or not. Anyway, since it's Ramadan, everything is closed until well after 11 usually so I was unable to find any more.
I went back to the beach and started to walk around. Luckily, the sand was not burning hot like in Oudaya and I was able to take my shoes off and walk around the beach to the ocean. I then gathered my water and sand in bottles, and even touched seaweed ! ew. I got deep into the ocean up until my knees and it wasn't hot or cold, but a perfect temperature. How I wish I could have gone swimming!
It was beautiful. There were wonderful blue colors flowing from one to another, starting with the clear water over the sand into a teal blue into a darker blue, blue. Near the start of the ocean it was like a shimmery clear ribbon was placed over an uneven pebbly surface and was being rippled and pulled to create an effect. Easily the most beautiful place I've seen. I camped out there for a while and after my cute little pink genie pants got wet, hung out on some rocks nearby to dry off. The view was again spectacular, belittled only by the fat french man also sunbathing and spitting, and the little kid running around screaming at his father.
I decided to head out around 1030 and the plan was to go back to the Kasbahs for that museum, but then I saw camels. At this point I had only a 20 DH bill and a 100DH and everyone ever despises big bills and making change. I began talking to the camel man who would only speak to me in English, which got annoying. To ride the camels was 50DH but of course he didn't have any change. So at this point I went on an excursion to find someone to give me change.
I stumbled across a little shop that had quite the assortment of over priced jewelry, leather products, clothes, and wood products. I decided to buy a 20 DH little change purse so I could get some change (hello irony) but the man had only 100 DH bills too, so that was a no go. He was a very kind man however and told me to take the purse anyway and go find change and bring him back the 20 DH.
I left to find a new store, and asked a restaurant manager if he had change, but our communication was difficult and he told me to go across the street to the bank, but it was closed. He found another friend or man on the street who said he would make change, and took my 100 DH bill and walked away. I started to follow cause naturally that's my money, but they said to just wait. Totally dubious, however, apparently we were all working on trust that day, and he came back to me with a 50 DH bill, two 20 DH and two 5 DH coins. Success!
I go back to camel man and pay him to take pictures and ride said camel. After, I must say riding the camel was easier than I expected and easier than a horse! Though a lot scarier cause you're so high off the ground. And getting the camel to stand up.... So the saddle thing is a good two feet off the camel, and I climbed on relatively easily, and after a few pictures, the man says to hold onto the rope on the front of the saddle with one hand, and the back rope with the other. I didn't quite understand, but as soon as he started coaxing the camel up, I did. They stand up with their back legs first, and then the front, so you're at a good like 75/85 degree angle until their front legs go up, which seemed to take a long time !!
After that, we started walking back down to the beach shore line and just did a big circle loop. If I hadn't been sore from riding horses (in sandals no less... really didnt think that one through) the camel right probably wouldn't have bothered me much at all.
Turns out camels sit down in the opposite way that they stand up, so again I was at that awkward 75 degree angle basically holding on for dear life! After dismounting I took a few more pictures and pet each camel (a female, and a mom and her furry baby).
I decided to go back to the hotel because it was half past 11 at this point and the water bottles of water and sand were getting really heavy. I realized that I wasn't going to be able to make it back to the Kasbahs, so I stopped at the little gift shop again to give the man his 20DH and to look around a little more. I ended up buying a marble statue of dolphin for 50 DH which is pretty nice looking. Small enough to carry home without a hassle too. Most of his stuff was horrendously over priced and since it was a regular store I didn't think it was super appropriate to bargain. But I'm happy with what I got.
Took the cab back to the hotel and by the time I was packed up and downstairs, it was nearly 12:30! I make it over to the train station (which trying to communicate that to the taxi driver was a serious challenge in and of itself for whatever reason) and have to wait in line for the ticket counter. I say "Rabat Agdal" and am issued a ticket for the 13:35 PM train out, which suites me fine. Plenty of extra time this way!
I take a seat and wait, and I see that there are two cats in the train station. No one really minds them either, which totally isn't how it would go down in the ATL. I have some bread in my bag so I take it out to offer to the kitty who comes near me, and all the while some french girl (7 or 8 maybe) is calling the cat away from me. I say fine whatever she's a kid, and offer her the bread slice to tear into pieces for the cat. Or so I think... she takes the slice of bread and just throws it at the cat. I'm like no, rip it up, and motion the idea. She still is just holding out this whole slice to the cat who doesn't know what to do with it. Idiot girl.
She eventually leaves and I get the cat back, and he hears the crinkle of food packaging in my bag and starts climbing all up in it. I think he was a little blind or something cause he never got the food initially in my hand and had to lick around for it. eventually settles down, purring, in my lap, until some other french kids, much younger, come by and see the cat and this stupid like four year old girl is screaming and running to the cat so it runs away. What is it with people not knowing how to act around cats.
Around this time anyway I needed to be back on the train so I make a quick stop to the bathroom (bye bye 2DH...) and go to the station. After asking a good amount of people that I was in fact on the right train, I pick a window seat facing the direction we'll be moving and settle in for the four hour trip, with an alarm set for 3.5 hours in so I can start to get ready for my stop.
There are two train stops in Agdal, one called "Rabat Ville" and the other "Rabat, Agdal". Since I live in Agdal, one would have assumed the station I disembarked from was Agdal. However, turns out it was Rabat, Ville but I didn't know. After getting off one stop too early (and a nice boy telling me that no this wans't my stop-- he remembered what he saw on my ticket), I get back on to disembark at Rabat, Agdal. I get off and off the platform and realize that this actually isn't the stop I wanted. Tried to ask where the tramline was from this location and couldn't get a straight answer, and at this point the security guard sets me up with a cab driver, who says 20 DH from wherever the hell I was into the street where I lived. I wasn't even sure I had 20DH on me, but I didn't have much of a choice so I got in.
Then the guy refused to turn the meter on, and I was pretty skeptical already cause he said flat fee, which is so not how you do things here. Even in Marrakesh where they are assholes, they turn the meter on. After arguing in Arabic with him for a while to turn on the meter, which he continued to refuse to do, I recognized where I was and told him to stop and let me out. He said 5 DH which I was in the car for maybe 30 seconds (so 2-3 DH) but at this point I was so pissed I just got out. It was maybe a 10/15 minute walk straight down the street to my house, and the total taxi wouldn't have cost more than 6-9 DH if the meter were on. I was so pissed, I wish I knew how to curse in Arabic. Total asshole, never had someone refuse to turn the meter on.
All in all, though I'm sad I didn't get to a single museum, I am happy that I saw the Mediterranean ocean, which was my main goal, and rode a camel and horses. Time well spent I do think! Total my little excursion came to 135 dollars, the most expensive of which being hotel + train + taxis which was 95 dollars, or ~70% of the trip.
Looking forward, I'm not allowed to travel overnight anywhere anymore, but I might go out to Larache this Saturday, and there's a few places in the nearby city Sale I want to check out. #lessthantwoweeks
Anyway, the ride from hotel to beach cost about 7 DH, so still less than a dollar. I immediately was able to get to ocean, though it did take me a minute to find the steps. I got my camera out to try to start taking pictures, but the camera I've got seems to drain batteries basically instantaneously, or the batteries I got from the hannut next door were already bad. And basically immediately the camera said it was dying. After already forgetting my camera card when I had the birds eye view yesterday, I was pretty pissed. I decided to take a walk around downtown to try to find another hannut to buy more batteries, which are about 25-35 cents a battery. No idea if that's good or not. Anyway, since it's Ramadan, everything is closed until well after 11 usually so I was unable to find any more.
I went back to the beach and started to walk around. Luckily, the sand was not burning hot like in Oudaya and I was able to take my shoes off and walk around the beach to the ocean. I then gathered my water and sand in bottles, and even touched seaweed ! ew. I got deep into the ocean up until my knees and it wasn't hot or cold, but a perfect temperature. How I wish I could have gone swimming!
It was beautiful. There were wonderful blue colors flowing from one to another, starting with the clear water over the sand into a teal blue into a darker blue, blue. Near the start of the ocean it was like a shimmery clear ribbon was placed over an uneven pebbly surface and was being rippled and pulled to create an effect. Easily the most beautiful place I've seen. I camped out there for a while and after my cute little pink genie pants got wet, hung out on some rocks nearby to dry off. The view was again spectacular, belittled only by the fat french man also sunbathing and spitting, and the little kid running around screaming at his father.
I decided to head out around 1030 and the plan was to go back to the Kasbahs for that museum, but then I saw camels. At this point I had only a 20 DH bill and a 100DH and everyone ever despises big bills and making change. I began talking to the camel man who would only speak to me in English, which got annoying. To ride the camels was 50DH but of course he didn't have any change. So at this point I went on an excursion to find someone to give me change.
I stumbled across a little shop that had quite the assortment of over priced jewelry, leather products, clothes, and wood products. I decided to buy a 20 DH little change purse so I could get some change (hello irony) but the man had only 100 DH bills too, so that was a no go. He was a very kind man however and told me to take the purse anyway and go find change and bring him back the 20 DH.
I left to find a new store, and asked a restaurant manager if he had change, but our communication was difficult and he told me to go across the street to the bank, but it was closed. He found another friend or man on the street who said he would make change, and took my 100 DH bill and walked away. I started to follow cause naturally that's my money, but they said to just wait. Totally dubious, however, apparently we were all working on trust that day, and he came back to me with a 50 DH bill, two 20 DH and two 5 DH coins. Success!
I go back to camel man and pay him to take pictures and ride said camel. After, I must say riding the camel was easier than I expected and easier than a horse! Though a lot scarier cause you're so high off the ground. And getting the camel to stand up.... So the saddle thing is a good two feet off the camel, and I climbed on relatively easily, and after a few pictures, the man says to hold onto the rope on the front of the saddle with one hand, and the back rope with the other. I didn't quite understand, but as soon as he started coaxing the camel up, I did. They stand up with their back legs first, and then the front, so you're at a good like 75/85 degree angle until their front legs go up, which seemed to take a long time !!
After that, we started walking back down to the beach shore line and just did a big circle loop. If I hadn't been sore from riding horses (in sandals no less... really didnt think that one through) the camel right probably wouldn't have bothered me much at all.
Turns out camels sit down in the opposite way that they stand up, so again I was at that awkward 75 degree angle basically holding on for dear life! After dismounting I took a few more pictures and pet each camel (a female, and a mom and her furry baby).
I decided to go back to the hotel because it was half past 11 at this point and the water bottles of water and sand were getting really heavy. I realized that I wasn't going to be able to make it back to the Kasbahs, so I stopped at the little gift shop again to give the man his 20DH and to look around a little more. I ended up buying a marble statue of dolphin for 50 DH which is pretty nice looking. Small enough to carry home without a hassle too. Most of his stuff was horrendously over priced and since it was a regular store I didn't think it was super appropriate to bargain. But I'm happy with what I got.
Took the cab back to the hotel and by the time I was packed up and downstairs, it was nearly 12:30! I make it over to the train station (which trying to communicate that to the taxi driver was a serious challenge in and of itself for whatever reason) and have to wait in line for the ticket counter. I say "Rabat Agdal" and am issued a ticket for the 13:35 PM train out, which suites me fine. Plenty of extra time this way!
I take a seat and wait, and I see that there are two cats in the train station. No one really minds them either, which totally isn't how it would go down in the ATL. I have some bread in my bag so I take it out to offer to the kitty who comes near me, and all the while some french girl (7 or 8 maybe) is calling the cat away from me. I say fine whatever she's a kid, and offer her the bread slice to tear into pieces for the cat. Or so I think... she takes the slice of bread and just throws it at the cat. I'm like no, rip it up, and motion the idea. She still is just holding out this whole slice to the cat who doesn't know what to do with it. Idiot girl.
She eventually leaves and I get the cat back, and he hears the crinkle of food packaging in my bag and starts climbing all up in it. I think he was a little blind or something cause he never got the food initially in my hand and had to lick around for it. eventually settles down, purring, in my lap, until some other french kids, much younger, come by and see the cat and this stupid like four year old girl is screaming and running to the cat so it runs away. What is it with people not knowing how to act around cats.
Around this time anyway I needed to be back on the train so I make a quick stop to the bathroom (bye bye 2DH...) and go to the station. After asking a good amount of people that I was in fact on the right train, I pick a window seat facing the direction we'll be moving and settle in for the four hour trip, with an alarm set for 3.5 hours in so I can start to get ready for my stop.
There are two train stops in Agdal, one called "Rabat Ville" and the other "Rabat, Agdal". Since I live in Agdal, one would have assumed the station I disembarked from was Agdal. However, turns out it was Rabat, Ville but I didn't know. After getting off one stop too early (and a nice boy telling me that no this wans't my stop-- he remembered what he saw on my ticket), I get back on to disembark at Rabat, Agdal. I get off and off the platform and realize that this actually isn't the stop I wanted. Tried to ask where the tramline was from this location and couldn't get a straight answer, and at this point the security guard sets me up with a cab driver, who says 20 DH from wherever the hell I was into the street where I lived. I wasn't even sure I had 20DH on me, but I didn't have much of a choice so I got in.
Then the guy refused to turn the meter on, and I was pretty skeptical already cause he said flat fee, which is so not how you do things here. Even in Marrakesh where they are assholes, they turn the meter on. After arguing in Arabic with him for a while to turn on the meter, which he continued to refuse to do, I recognized where I was and told him to stop and let me out. He said 5 DH which I was in the car for maybe 30 seconds (so 2-3 DH) but at this point I was so pissed I just got out. It was maybe a 10/15 minute walk straight down the street to my house, and the total taxi wouldn't have cost more than 6-9 DH if the meter were on. I was so pissed, I wish I knew how to curse in Arabic. Total asshole, never had someone refuse to turn the meter on.
All in all, though I'm sad I didn't get to a single museum, I am happy that I saw the Mediterranean ocean, which was my main goal, and rode a camel and horses. Time well spent I do think! Total my little excursion came to 135 dollars, the most expensive of which being hotel + train + taxis which was 95 dollars, or ~70% of the trip.
Looking forward, I'm not allowed to travel overnight anywhere anymore, but I might go out to Larache this Saturday, and there's a few places in the nearby city Sale I want to check out. #lessthantwoweeks
