Morocco adventure

We have now set off for new shores, we have really tackled the Morocco adventure.

At first we had a few concerns; the earthquake, the Hamas attack and the situation in the Gaza Strip did not contribute to quick decision-making. Then we were in Granada and Cordoba and if we weren't convinced then, it probably happened afterwards. I can't guarantee everything, but if we remain neutral nothing should happen. We are certainly not necessarily asked about our position in world politics.

I really liked the Moorish style in Granada and Cordoba, I like the decorations with calligraphy, there are these beautiful and mostly very delicate patterns that allow for beautiful plays of light in the sun.

Once we had decided, we didn't immediately put it into action because we had to buy a few tickets first. When we arrived at Carlos, the institution par excellence, the junior was surprised that we didn't have the caravan with us. That's when we finally realized that when we tried to book on the internet we were simply being too German, because the junior had only asked about the size of the caravan in order to then classify it as a mini-trailer..... OK, you can't do that know, but good.

In fact, the ticket got us onto the ferry, which was first packed in peace and quiet with southern calm and then didn't leave on time. There is no concept like that of British or Norwegian ferries, i.e. capacity when purchasing tickets. Car Tetris was played happily until everyone was on board.

Then there are the bureaucratic hurdles for entry, because everyone has to get a stamp in their passport on the ferry, otherwise you will have a problem on land. If we had known we would be waiting in line the entire ride, we would have taken turns, but how would we know? So there are no pictures of the crossing...

The arrival was one check after the other, but we were able to do a few things right away in the high-security area that otherwise might not have worked so well at the beginning. Withdrawing money, buying a Moroccan SIM card, etc. was no longer a problem.

Outside this zone, the first young men with their hands to their mouths were actually waiting at the toll payment point, but there is also a lot of police presence there, so the motto here is: keep windows and doors closed as soon as that happens When the car barks, which it almost always does thanks to Loki, the young men keep their distance. It's a cliché, but since we Europeans seem so rich, they just want a piece of the pie, or beg enough to go there themselves.

The drive via Tangier to Tetouan and then on to the campsite in Chefchaouen was crazy. In terms of landscape, I learned that I had a mental picture of Morocco that was simply not true. Everything is green here in the north at the moment, it's winter/spring here, which of course didn't fit my imagination at first, because here Andalusia was much more barren and less rich in water. A lot grows here, from mangoes to lemons, oranges, strawberry trees, almonds, the list is even longer, I don't even know some of the plants and fruits. I didn't expect that, but the reservoir next to the road showed us where the abundance of water here comes from.

Here, of course, there are rich and poor, as in every country, but what hit me hard were the begging children and especially the little children who wanted to sell their strawberry trees on the street. I don't have a concept here yet, other than continuing slowly. I also don't know how much tipping, baksheesh, is appropriate or not, even if I can convert the currency to euros. I still have to learn that.

Then today in Chefchaouen I had a lot to learn because there are a lot of street dogs here. Loki is a cool guy, but when they became too intrusive to Nerone, Christian had to speak up and scare them away. I did the same with the little yappers when they were too pushy for me. Street dogs are said to not be particularly popular; they are sometimes poisoned, so I was shocked when Loki grabbed something from the street, but don't worry, the prankster is fine. The muzzle just shouldn't stay at home...

I can understand the approach, because dogs are sometimes equated with evil in Islam, but that's a different tradition and culture, it's just different. In part, the Koran is also valued here in such a way that every life is precious, so it is not a crime if the dog and cat are fed, which of course does not lead to fewer street animals. When we walked into town, I would have loved to pet almost everyone... The cats too!

The way from the campsite to the city was all downhill, we started in the shopping street/alley, but at the "wrong" end, i.e. the part that the bus tourists definitely don't visit. But that was OK; we saw a lot, bought a few things, like a woven blanket, you could also say a thin carpet, a new leather bag for me, the nice seller actually glued the old version for me!!!!! We were traveling like all other tourists, the only difference is that we weren't eating in the main square, but also somewhere where most other Europeans can't go. Tagine and couscous were great.

Oh yes, the blue city is actually blue almost everywhere, it is still a bit European and is considered a stronghold of leather crafts, so tourists also visit it in droves, today there were groups from the USA, China, Japan, India and Great Britain , but we certainly didn't get it all. We also love the handicrafts, we saw the old looms and sewing machines, the gentlemen who make delicate silver jewelry and many more things. It was colorful, loud and always warm.

Life in Morocco is not as expensive as in Europe, and it seemed almost negligible to us what the lady wanted for her pastries. We still have a lot to learn and adapt here, I think!