Entering Morocco

24 September 2022

Today I crossed the Strait of Gibraltar leaving Europe for the African continent.

The crossing took 45 minutes by ferry across a very calm sea. I was joined by one of the friends I'd met at the yoga retreat. It was great to share this exciting next step with her.

In Tangiers we went for mint tea in the old town. We sat amongst the men in a café, watching the people passing by. The lower tone of Arabic, the dress of the women and the smells of the old town spice stalls are just some of the new experiences to take in on this first day in Morocco.

I said goodbye to my companion and headed for the bus station. The first stop in Morocco would be Chefchaouen, the blue village reached at the end of a spectacular bus ride up through the rif valley of northern Morocco.

I was welcomed into a family owned Riad in the old town and into a room with similar features to the space I rented in Tarifa - the influence of Moorish architecture. I finished the evening eating a Moroccan dish on the roof top of a near by restaurant and watching the red sunset dissolve behind the mountains.