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Take me to the Casbah 5-7NOV2004 I was so close to Africa that I couldn´t resist a quick ferry ride from Spain to Tangiers. After only two hours we crossed the Straits of Gibraltar and docked in Tangiers. I trooped down to the car deck to depart but no one was there to open the door. The call to evening prayer echoed through the nearly empty car deck and the other passengers were just as baffled as I was. I went upstairs and tracked down a crew member and found out that because it was Ramadan the crew and passengers had waited until sundown to eat. So we waited until everyone finished dinner then finally escaped the ferry. While chatting with the other passengers, I met Jerry and his party. He´s a rancher and software developer from Idaho. He invited me to dinner and I was more than happy to have a chance to chat with Americans. When we arrived at the hotel he suggested that I stay there but I could tell (marble counters and potted plants) that it was over my budget. I told him and he said, no problem, he´d pay the difference. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I cheerfully accepted. Then when I tried to pay for dinner and the difference he said forget it the software biz was good. I was grateful both for his generousity a for the chance to chat with him and the rest of his group. The next morning they boarded a van to begin their tour and I headed for the ¨mysterious¨Casbah. I enjoyed wandering down the narrow, crowded, colorful streets. Because of Ramadan it was very difficult to find an open restaurant. I searched until I found one near the port. I moved my bags from the classy hotel to one more appropriate to my budget and spent and interesting evening wandering the streets. The Lonely Planet Guide is full of dire warnings about pushy guides and shady characters but I never saw any. I must have developed the ¨chumpfree¨ look. Rarely does anyone try to sell me souvenirs anymore. I can be sitting right next to a tourist who is plagued with offers but the peddlers pass me buy. Maybe I should attend to my wardrobe. My time in Africa was brief but it looks like a continent worth more exploration. |
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