Weekend in Mazagón
June 2-3, 2013
Cruz's parents own a beach house in Mazagón, and generously offered it to our not-so-little crew for the weekend. Eight of us had a blast in the sand, sun and water, and danced the night away at a club in the quaint town.
TARIFA AND MOROCCO
June 4-5, 2013
I took a little trip for a few days to visit Tarifa, a gorgeous, little coastal town on the southern-most tip of Spain. This is a popular spot for kite surfing, and colorful kites filled the air along the coast. I enjoyed a lazy day strolling around the city, visiting its beautiful iglesias, chatting with the locals and enjoying yummy local food in the evening.
The next morning, from the port of Tarifa, I jumped on a ferry, and 30 minutes later, I was in Tánger (Tangier), Morocco. I headed toward the medina quarter, continuously saying “NO!” to the many “enthusiastic,” fairly aggressive, but harmless locals who are eager to sell their wares to the obvious tourist. I began to consider that perhaps doing this solo wasn't the greatest idea. I figured I could continue saying “no” all day, but that wasn't really what I was hoping for... So, I stopped at a cafe to rest and re-charge, and spied a local cutie who spoke Arabic fluently, and Spanish horribly. I approached him, introduced myself and said "You and me – today! Take me to your favorite restaurants, shops, cafés, beaches... Show me the best parts of your city, and then I'll get back on the ferry and wave bu-bye!!!" Well, okay, I said it all in Spanish, so maybe it was not exactly that, but it was close!
Anyways, Andrés (the cutie) was happy to oblige, and we had the best day EVER!!! I would have missed the best spots - and sights - and food - and drink without him! We happily walked along the medina quarter, beaches and neighborhoods, and despite the fact that we had a pretty substantial language barrier, we communicated through gestures and laughter. After a while, it became easier and felt totally natural.
Andrés was an excellent guide and sweet as can be. He wouldn't let me pay for anything all day (might be a cultural thing, not sure), and was very protective, but made sure I saw and experienced everything! ....strolled along the medina quarter with eyes wide open and camera-ready...
...tasted delicious Moroccan food (savory, spicy, sweet!)... ...sipped delightful green tea...
Then we headed to the beach, walked along the promenade...
....and on the sand.....
