Tangier, our last night in Morocco.

Friday 1/3/13

It was nice to have a very comfy bed for the night, so we made very good use of it and slept in for a while.

This was an interesting feature in our hotel room.

It was stuck on the ceiling.

When we got up and went outside I was surprised to find a sheet of clear plastic tied over my bike. The parking attendant had done it to protect the bike. It was more for show that actual protection but, but I appreciated the thought.

Improvised bike cover.

We grabbed a taxi to the Medina to have some lunch, and do a little souvenir shopping. You'll be pleased to know that Suzanne and I are now the proud owners of our own Djellabas, as well as a few other goodies.

We found a stall selling our favourite deep fried mashed potatoes, so we ordered a few, along with some other tasty morsels.

Lunch time!

Deeeeeeeeeeliscious.

While we were having lunch three girls from the US sat down at the next table. Joanna, Erin, and Jonny are studying in Italy and are having a little travel break. We picked up a few more tips for Portugal from them while we chatted over lunch. Thanks girls.

We went looking for a post office to send our stuff home and came across this brilliant shop near the Medina. I think it was just a second hand shop, but it had heaps of interesting things in it. Were they genuine, old, Moroccan items? I don't know, but we could have shopped up a storm here. We only bought one thing though.

This shop was chock-a-block full of interesting things.

Are they real tusks on the right?

Who knows?

We found the post office. It was in a bank which was a little unusual, but hey, we're in a another country and they may do things differently here. We took a number and patiently sat waiting (which I'm not very good at). After about fifteen minutes I went over to the security guard and asked if this was the post office, and he said yes. Obviously he didn't understand me because it turned out to be a bank. The post office was around the corner.

Once we were in the post office we were treated like old friends. The staff were amazing. They packed our stuff for us, helped us complete the paperwork for export and postage, and basically took care of everything for us. Friendly, helpful, and professional, just as a business should be.

The only down side was that the post cost more than the items we bought. Oh well, Australia is a long way away.

The last girl we were talking too in the post office was wearing a very glittery ring and Suzanne commented on it, thinking it was an engagement ring. The woman took it off and handed it to Suzanne to try on, then insisted that Suzanne keep it. It was a very embarrassing moment. Initially Suzanne refused, but I think it is impolite to not take a gift that is offered here. So Suzanne has a new ring, and a memory to cherish from Tangier.

That action sort of sums up the people in Morocco  They are generally friendly, kind, helpful, and mainly, very happy. Their smiles are a mile wide and they have time to talk to you, but they are also efficient at work. It's a rare combination. I hope they don't lose it.

This will be our last night in Morocco. We crossed the border sixteen days days ago (We were going to visit for about four or five days) and experiencing a bit of culture shock. Once we were past that we met some great people, rode some amazing roads, enjoyed some tasty food, spent a night in the snow, met more great people, and had a wonderful time.

I'm sure there's lots more to see...

Thank you Morocco.