Madness in Morocco

Hello all,

My arrival in Morocco was greatly aided by two spanish guys (father and son) so I wasnt immediatly subject to the barrage of male attention I am receiving now. We all stayed in the same room (they only had 3 person rooms left) and spent the evening together. It was very pleasant to be ignored and could just watch everyone coming and going (if a male is present, woman are not spoken to).

Sweet mint tea at a cafe in the main square in the medina (old part of town - basically a maze of streets surrounded by a high wall with a couple of gates for entrance/exit - easy to get lost). Cous cous for dinner and then sleep. The ferry to Tangier took much longer than expected and we were all tired. Their bus left before me so the next morning I now had to explore alone using time honoured tactics such as avoiding eye contact and walking to and fro in the same place until the man leaves you alone.

Medinas are fascinating places; traditionally men only worked there - sewing; cafes; shops; metal work; food; all of it. Women worked in the home and from the sound of things were not allowed to leae it that much (like this 10 years ago) but now you see them everywhere some in modern clothing but mixed groups are unsual unless married. This is why the single men target tourist woman, they dont have a chance to talk to women other than sisters. Internet dating is practically the only way to get a date so the internet cafe I am in has curtain shrouded booths for a little extra privacy on your date. It is a never ending hassle but if you ignore them it usually stops. On the flip side, very traditional men at like you are not there when you are in the shop so you can look as much as you like without someone hassling you to buy something.

Mosques are everywhere and you hear the call to prayer 5 times a day - 25 minutes. Next time you see one. Look at the top of the minrette (tower); there should be a metal spire with two balls and a what looks a little like disused gallows. The minarette is for the call to prayer; the balls held salt to act as a lightening conuctor and the "gallows" was used to raise a flag so the deaf would know when to pray; the wooden pole points east so you know the direction. cool, eh?

Most Moroccans are lovely, friendly and helpful. The guides (official qnd even unofficial) some of the best in the world - very knowledgeable and happy to answer all your questions.

I didn;t stay in Tangier; its a port town but headed off to the Rift Mountains and Chefchaouen. This is a beautiful small town where most of the builings are painted light blue and white - its like walking in a glacier and feels very cool as well as being stunning to look at. I cmpe here which was a steep 30min walk up the hill and ended up placing my tent next to a mad Belgium who had biked to Morocco, round and was on his way back in just 2 weeks! Good to talk to as solo travellers are - they instinctively understand what it is like. Also he made me coffee in the mornings ; ) (I dont have a gas stove.)

Chefchaouen is a place to walk, watch and chill. Kids playing in the street; people shopping amongst a riot of colours; gatherings at the whelk soup stall; women washing clothes at the communal wash area by a river (stream at this time of year); wizened men bringing their goats in. I climbed to a ruined mosque for a view of the town and the valley and at night sat on a hill by the campsite watching the lights over the town and listening to music from celebrations rising up from the town. An English family at the camp even invited me to share a bottle of wine - an unexpected pleasure in a Muslm country! The wine was even made here - remnant from French control I assume.

There are not masses of travellers, apart from tourists on big buses or with motorhomes but every now and then I meet people (on buses, cafes, camping) and hang with them for a while; so its not that lonely. I did hope to meet someone I could travel with but that is not going to happen. Everyone has been quite cool, respectful of what I am doing and my life but also understanding that sometimes I need someone. Not sure if thats because I'm in a hard country to travel in or because I've softened. I think I've softened. Strong and soft. The result of Zanzibar and Santiago.

All is good!

Many more stories to come...............

Hope you are all well and happy.

Love
Kathryn xx