Expedition to Morocco: Part I

After first watching and reading about Anthony Bourdain's trip to Morocco in the book/former tv show: "A Cook's Tour," I was captivated and curious to visit Morocco. I didn't know much about the country before seeing that show over 13 years ago, but I've drawn interest in experience it firsthand. Fortunately, I recently had the opportunity to finally visit this mysterious, ancient, and culturally rich land. 

Since I was in Sevilla in Spain, I took a bus to Tarifa (a Southern port city) which regularly has ferry services (4-5/day) from Tarifa to Tangier (Morocco). It is only €66 ($89) roundtrip. The ferry trip was short, only 30 minutes or so. You can buy the tickets in advance on their website http://www.frs.es/ or in person. The ferries don't usually sell out so you don't have to worry too much about booking in advance. I just showed up 15 minutes before the departure and bought the ticket at the ferry ticket station. Please note, if you do take the bus from Sevilla, the train station it's a 15-20 minute walk to the ferry dock, so please factor that in when you go. 

Pictures of the FRS ferry trip:

TANGIER:

Once a place known for smugglers, pirates, outlaws, and expats, it is now a popular tourist trap for day trippers from Spain. As an initial point of entry for Morocco, it's port is lined with huge cargo containers, merchant ships, and tourist ferries. I think they are trying to develop the port area to accommodate and attract more investment and tourism as apparent by it's current on-going various construction and redevelopment projects. 

I stayed at the famous Hotel Continental which apparently used to be frequented by movie actors, actresses, politicians, and other celebrities. I found out it is one of the oldest hotels. It has a wonderful view overlooking the Tangier Port above the sea cliff. 

Here's some pictures from Tangier Port:

Later, I explored the Medina area (center of town) passing the souk (market), narrow alleyways, cafes, and souvenir shops. It was exciting to finally walk through and take in the sights and smells of Morocco. Surprisingly, the Medina area was not as large as I imagined it to be. Most of the shops surrounding it were souvenir stores selling trinkets, leather goods, and t-shirts. After awhile, I realized there were more tourists than locals and that most of the medina was tailored to selling things to them. I had expected the Medina and Souk to be like the large one in Marrakech, but it wasn't. I won't post pictures of those shops so I wouldn't ruin the experience. I did find some local culture while I was walking around.

Here are some pictures from the Medina and Souk:

The highlight of my trip to Tangier was my lunch at the famous "Saveur De Poisson." This internationally-recognized institution has been serving quality meals with fresh ingredients daily from the nearby markets. I first learned about this place from Anthony Bourdain's show "Parts Unknown" on CNN. The place may be a little difficult to find as it is away from the main center of the Medina and it is a small humble place. There is no menu, but for €20 ($27) or so you will have probably one of the best meals in your life! There specialty is seafood so most dishes include some of the freshly caught seafood. The waiters and owner are very accommodating and prompt. Everything is made daily and they serve several courses, you will definitely get your money's worth!

Here are pictures of the restaurant and delicious food:

Next post will be Part II of the series on Fes.