Ooooooooop this is Africa, POST this one loooooong ago and here it is back trying again, hope it will work this time.
The continent of Africa.
The continent of Africa.
Morocco: the town of Tangiers.
Hans, Stephanus, Mariana and Elisme had their first view of Morocco the town of Tangiers, through the window of a luxuries Ferry.
A fascinating picture.
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| We set eyes on Africa, Morocco and Tangier, through the window of the Ferry. |
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| Stephanus, Marian, Hans and Elisme standing at migration, on the Ferry exit Spain enter Morocco |
Forest Gump said, “My mum used to say, ‘life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you’re going to get”
Did she know AFRICA?
Coen and Shanhaz arrived in Tangier 2 days before us. They were so kind to meet us at the Port.” I wonder if they knew about our luggage’. Hans was constantly reminding us, about carrying your own luggage. “Please don’t buy any stuff.” Needless to say Elisme didn’t listen.
Shanhaz negotiated a GOOD price for a taxi to take our luggage. Hans and Shanhaz went off to the hotel with the taxi. Coen walked with Mariana, Elisme and Stephanus. En route we passed the old market. Suddenly we realise this is a different continent from Europe, but we’re children of Africa. We love our continent.
Our group was now together, the only things that was missing and had not arrived from Cape Town were our vehicles.
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| French Restuarant, we al had some nice feesh orange juice. |
Hans, Stephanus and Coen were as they say “back to the drawing board”. After all the organizing from SA to get the Vehicles here, with the shipping company, contact person a Glen in Cape Town. Seems that SAFMARINE and Glen disappeared.
Hans, Coen and Stephanus made their own arrangements to try and establish where our vehicles are. They managed to get “new” connections. There was no way to get our vehicles in Tangiers. The ship is still on its way to Tangiers and from there they will go to Casablanca. (Email to Glen took 5 days to send a reply, no help at all from Safmarine South Africa). The boys can’t do anything to hasten the vehicles arriving: - still on the mighty ocean.
Our next stop: Rabat the capital of Morocco
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| Stephanus, Coen and Hans, o the station again, Casablanca to Fez after arranging for our vehicles |
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| Shop selling Head Scarfs. |
Mariana, Shanhaz and Elisme went of exploring Tangier. The view over the sea didn’t disappoint us. A lot of history lies in Tangier.
Street Cafe’s are all along the street, men are sitting there sipping espresso and a glass of water. They are all facing the street, watching the world go by all day.
The Gates of the Old Medina in Tangier was welcoming us. This was a different world, very Narrow Street, cars, bicycles and donkey carts riding, people walking. The cars hooter is an instrument of communication; they use it all the time.
Everybody is trying to sell his own product, sometime just a table with his goods. The spices were spreading an exotic flavour as we got close. Olives in all the varieties you can think of, heaps of them.
On the top floor of a restaurant in the Medina, after conquering all the steps, a true Moroccan environment met our eyes. With true Moroccan hospitality we were invited to sit down.
Rabat was our next destination, Boys task visas, Girls exploring Rabat. The Tram was a new one for us girls, it was also brand new in Rabat. We thought this will be a nice way of exploring Rabat. And was it! We saw everything from the old to the new. The walls of the old town were stretching around it for km.
Coen knew of 2 beautiful Restaurants. They were exotic. The interior was Moroccan. The food was traditional. We enjoyed the washing of our hands before the meal. Although the dishes were strange to us, the taste was good. Most of their dishes are vegetarian dishes. They never put salt and pepper on a table.
Coen,Hans and Stephanus managed to get our visas, with this in our hands we set of to Fez. Hans made contact with a good friend, Dr Sulliman from the UK’s sister, who stays in Fez. She invited us to come and stay with her. Once again all the luggage in hand, but this time we ordered a taxi, we set off to the station. By now we were experts at using trains.
Fatima met us on the station. I think she couldn’t believe her eyes, 6 people and all this luggage.
We were welcomed in their mansion of a house like “KING’S”. The family really went out of their way to treat us. The boys offered to do a SA braai. Fatima invited some French colleagues to join us. This was a very pleasant and unforgettable evening. Around the table we were talking, French, Moroccan, English, Italian and Afrikaans. Sometimes it was difficult to understand each other, but it was a very jolly group.
Fez is well known for the biggest Medina in Africa. People, work and stay in this market. There are beautiful mosques in the medina. We were told there are 9500 street, if this is true I don’t know. You can’t visit the Medina without a guide, you’ll get lost, and that’s no joke.
Many of the streets are only selling one product; therefore you get a Shoe street, Nougat Street and cakes, Leather Street, a silver street. Street which head scarfs. The picture tells the story. Hans organized a day trip for us to the Atlas Mountains. There was a beautiful waterfall to see, compare to SA it was rather small. We saw the very rare species of Maccack monkey. For me their faces look like leopards. They say they are not aggressive, we didn’t test that.
The Cedar forest was something special. One of the trees is 800 years old and died 10 years ago. Still standing firm in its shoe or shall we say ROOTS. Elisme thinks the Cedar trees are very nice trees. She reminded us of the play “ n Seder val in Waterkloof” now we understand more about that.
Stephanus, Coen and Hans set off to Casablanca, mission: to find out where our vehicles are. Shall I say mission impossible. God was on their side, although Glen and Safmarine dropped them, he helped. They got hold of a kind man who knows the Port and has experience of clearing vehicles from ships. While they were busy with him, the news came that the ship with our vehicle containers entered Port.
That was Friday, they must inspect our vehicles before releasing them, and so Monday they will start with the process.
Hans, Coen and Stephanus return to Fez where Mariana, Shanhaz and Elisme were waiting, The Girls tried the Moroccan mud and steam bath, and was that fun. Mariana thought she arrived in Eden, all naked girls walking around from one station to the other. Steam bath, over your whole body, rubbing an oil and soap mixture Temperature outside 50 degrees, steam bath 72degrees, Elisme thought she is going to faint, luckily Shanhaz reminded her to breathe. 15 min in there, then therapists wash you, under an ice cold shower then the next station is lying on Marble tables, now the scrubbing, Elisme knew they are now taking of all her extra fat, but what was going to be left of Mariana and Shanhaz? No skin? (They still have the evidence) a mud mask was rubbed over you whole body, except for slipping and sliding on the marble, that felt healing. Relax for 15 min. Back to the ice cold shower, now shampoo and washing. The 3 girls stepped out of the Spa, in “new Feathers” after so much pampering laughing and not understanding a word, even Shanhaz couldn’t understand. This will go in to memory lane.
Sunday morning we all set of to catch the 8h00 train. The process is always the same, walk for a long distance, get a taxi and then on the train. Trains are here a common way of transport, clean, vast and reliable.
Casablanca station, was about 2 km from our hotel, back on our feet. Everybody decided that’s just a nice walk. Half way we stopped for fresh orange juice. The Cafe’s here same story, all chairs facing the street, just men sitting there. That didn’t upset Shanhaz, Mariana and Elisme, they just join the men on the chairs.
Our walk took us through the Medina, beautiful leather jackets and handbags.
The hotel overlooks the harbour; rooms are small but clean.
The boys had a traditional Moroccan meal here. They decided we must all go again. Everybody knows them and greet them as long time friends. Our host for the evening was very comfortable behind his gas burners and 6 Moroccan tajine pots. Got to watch him. His food was excellent and the spices going with it, cumin and paprika and chillis, that was a feast.
Coen and Shanhaz went to relax at the hotel, while the rest of us went to see the Mosque which seats a hundred thousand people. That was another story, Shanhaz was saying the garbage around this beautiful Mosque is really a shame.
Our night view from our room, but sleep is going to be little. Hans says the people sit at these little cafe’s until 3 am. 4 am in these Moslem countries, they call them to pray. I am sure an hour’s sleep will do for a couple of days till the vehicles arrive.
4 July 2011 Monday morning, 7h30 Stephanus, Coen and Hans set off to the Port to see what they can do about our cars. 13h30 they phone to say we must check out of the hotel. Vehicle will soon be released,
HERE THE SAFARI NOW REALY STARTS.
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