Morocco, Spain and Portugal Day 8: Tangiers to Sevilla

Leaving Morocco today feels a little bittersweet because I’ve loved this experience so much. It’s unlike anything I’ve done before.

Marrakech had the craziest open market—with its snakes, dancing monkeys, and motorcycles squeezing through narrow passageways. Casablanca featured the most stunning mosque—modern, massive, and built right over the ocean. Rabat charmed me with its adorable kasbah, full of navy doors and clean, labyrinthine alleys. Fez had the most impressive medina—so vast it felt endless. And Tangiers offered the best ocean views, with its beautiful boardwalk.

It’s the end of Ramadan today. There have been challenges, with many places closed during midday, but the tradeoff is that we’ve gained an insight into the culture. Our tour director doesn’t really have faith (his mom wants him to do the daily prayers but he doesn’t), but he would never consider not fasting because he’s part of a community and they’re all in it together. “People would look down on me if I didn’t fast.” It’s fun to see the children in traditional dress. Some of the little girls have makeup, while their moms wear none.

It’s a travel day today. We took the bus to the ferry to the bus, and arrived at dinner time at the hotel. It was raining and gray most of the day. We’ve had great weather so far.