Marina Smir and Tetouan
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Marina Smir - North Africa
North Africa is now the second continent Nadine has visited in our hands. We had hoped for a new and different experience from Europe, but what we got surprised us all. The trip across from Gib was easy, just under 30 miles from marina Bay, and only the possibility of a fishing net extending offshore two miles and passing traffic moving in and out of the straits to worry about. Just like a day in the English Channel, but warmer. We had reached the mid point across the straits when Jeff on Masala called to say they were surrounded by Dolphins, time for Sara to go into lottery winner mode. Surprisingly she's has become more relaxed due to disappoints since the Biscay crossing. So over we went and - nothing. About an hour later we came across a small group which Sara believes were sleeping, certainly they showed no interest in us and passed slowly astern of us. We continued south in little wind and overcast skies with occasional sunshine and arrived at Marina Smir in the late afternoon after a five hour journey.
As we rounded the harbour wall we were surprised to see a huge marina almost empty, but what boats were there were very expensive, the King of Morocco keeps his boat here in the summer. We drew alongside to be greeted in English by two line handlers. We all took our papers to reception and a simple form later we were passed onto the port police in the same building. After moving on to a berth, we collected our passports complete with Moroccan stamps. After a small misunderstanding we moved again to a bow to berth, our first! After dealing with lines we lowered our passarelle - perfect. It transpired that the marina is owned by a Spanish company and that may have influenced of the quality of the service we received.
The following morning we arranged for a minibus to take us into Tetuan the nearest town of any substance approx 20 kms south. This was to be the eye opener we had been hoping for. There were camels, donkeys, old blue Mercedes cabs and unusual buildings to the foreign eye.
We were taken to the medina (old city) to meet our guide Rashid.
Clearly an experienced guide and well known in the area he took us into the most intricate labyrinth of small streets and tunnels. After a short while he told us that as a precaution only, for our safety we were being shadowed by a plain clothes policeman, which is arranged free of charge for all tourists. he followed us diligently for nearly four hours, occasionally moving on a persistent street seller.
We visited the inevitable tourist traps including the carpet seller, what a scream that was, but superb salesmen and our first mint tea.
The things you could buy were a sight to behold, such as tortoise. At the eggs seller you could also select the live chicken you wanted and return for it later, prepared and ready to cook and all for 50p per kilo. We also visited a tannery and walked right through the middle of the works alongside the chemical filled pits full of lambs wool skins, no Health and Safety here! The sights were a real eye opener, especially as we are just about to leave on a ten day excursion to Marrakech and the Sahara desert.
All four adults had long discussions after the tour as to what we had seen and was there some other agenda going on. The guide was well known and we believe we were left alone more because of him than the policeman, so what was the police role. We can’t help feeling maybe as there is tension in Moslem countries currently over the Danish cartoons, which they are outraged by, but we also have a sneaking feeling that he was maybe there to protect the Moroccans from us and our potential influence. When Christine gave a small girl some sweets, his reaction was initially one of concern for the child, but then relaxed once he understood what was going on. Having your own policeman was a strange feeling, and we were conscious of sticking out like a sore thumb no matter how unobtrusive we tried to make ourselves.
Everybody likes to think they are streetwise, but out of your own environment thats difficult, we feel perhaps we aren’t quite as green as just a couple of days ago.
Homepage
Marina Smir - North Africa
North Africa is now the second continent Nadine has visited in our hands. We had hoped for a new and different experience from Europe, but what we got surprised us all. The trip across from Gib was easy, just under 30 miles from marina Bay, and only the possibility of a fishing net extending offshore two miles and passing traffic moving in and out of the straits to worry about. Just like a day in the English Channel, but warmer. We had reached the mid point across the straits when Jeff on Masala called to say they were surrounded by Dolphins, time for Sara to go into lottery winner mode. Surprisingly she's has become more relaxed due to disappoints since the Biscay crossing. So over we went and - nothing. About an hour later we came across a small group which Sara believes were sleeping, certainly they showed no interest in us and passed slowly astern of us. We continued south in little wind and overcast skies with occasional sunshine and arrived at Marina Smir in the late afternoon after a five hour journey.
As we rounded the harbour wall we were surprised to see a huge marina almost empty, but what boats were there were very expensive, the King of Morocco keeps his boat here in the summer. We drew alongside to be greeted in English by two line handlers. We all took our papers to reception and a simple form later we were passed onto the port police in the same building. After moving on to a berth, we collected our passports complete with Moroccan stamps. After a small misunderstanding we moved again to a bow to berth, our first! After dealing with lines we lowered our passarelle - perfect. It transpired that the marina is owned by a Spanish company and that may have influenced of the quality of the service we received.
The following morning we arranged for a minibus to take us into Tetuan the nearest town of any substance approx 20 kms south. This was to be the eye opener we had been hoping for. There were camels, donkeys, old blue Mercedes cabs and unusual buildings to the foreign eye.
We were taken to the medina (old city) to meet our guide Rashid.
Clearly an experienced guide and well known in the area he took us into the most intricate labyrinth of small streets and tunnels. After a short while he told us that as a precaution only, for our safety we were being shadowed by a plain clothes policeman, which is arranged free of charge for all tourists. he followed us diligently for nearly four hours, occasionally moving on a persistent street seller.
We visited the inevitable tourist traps including the carpet seller, what a scream that was, but superb salesmen and our first mint tea.
The things you could buy were a sight to behold, such as tortoise. At the eggs seller you could also select the live chicken you wanted and return for it later, prepared and ready to cook and all for 50p per kilo. We also visited a tannery and walked right through the middle of the works alongside the chemical filled pits full of lambs wool skins, no Health and Safety here! The sights were a real eye opener, especially as we are just about to leave on a ten day excursion to Marrakech and the Sahara desert.
All four adults had long discussions after the tour as to what we had seen and was there some other agenda going on. The guide was well known and we believe we were left alone more because of him than the policeman, so what was the police role. We can’t help feeling maybe as there is tension in Moslem countries currently over the Danish cartoons, which they are outraged by, but we also have a sneaking feeling that he was maybe there to protect the Moroccans from us and our potential influence. When Christine gave a small girl some sweets, his reaction was initially one of concern for the child, but then relaxed once he understood what was going on. Having your own policeman was a strange feeling, and we were conscious of sticking out like a sore thumb no matter how unobtrusive we tried to make ourselves.
Everybody likes to think they are streetwise, but out of your own environment thats difficult, we feel perhaps we aren’t quite as green as just a couple of days ago.
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posted by Kevin and Sara at 9:36 AM
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