Lighthouse at Cape Spartel, a few kilometers west of Tangier. An imaginary line between Cape Spartel in Morocco and Cape Trafalgar in Spain delineates the western side of the Strait of Gibraltar. Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com 
David Griggs with the Tangier harbor in the background. Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has been very active in upgrading the port facilities and city of Tangier in general. Courtesy photo
By DAVID H. GRIGGS
Foreign Correspondent
Los Alamos Daily Post
Los Alamos Daily Post
Was that William S. Burroughs at the next table?
La Petit Soco still throbs as one of the highlights of the old medina of Tangier. Sitting at a table at Café Tingis at the top of the plaza, I sipped café au lait and imagined that Burroughs, Ginsberg, and Corso were the fellows smoking cigarettes next to me. Names have been changed to protect the innocent, but I saw ascots, a purple jacket, a long-haired silken dachshund, an Arab n with a head scarf, wing-tip shoes, and a young man with black and gold mini dreds. And wait – those two sinister men with dark glasses at the table in the corner… are they – gasp – spies? “Hey mister, want to buy some kif?” The atmosphere is not to be missed.
I stayed at Hotel Mauritania, a good, inexpensive hotel right on the Petit Soco. The hotel is not fancy, but is clean and convenient as a base for exploring the Tangier medina. I enjoyed having breakfast and coffee in Café Tingis downstairs on La Place Souk Dakhel.
American Legation
A gem of American history in the Tangier Medina in the American Legation. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1982. It was the first (and only) such listing or designation in a foreign country.
Originally given to the United States in 1821 by Sultan Moulay Suliman, the building and property were expanded over the years. During World War II it served as headquarters for United States intelligence agents. When Morocco became independent in 1956, Morocco’s capital moved to the city of Rabat, and diplomatic embassies moved there. Although still owned by the US government, the building is now run as a museum by a private foundation.
In addition to the attractive architecture of the building as it spans a small alley, the American Legation offers some colorful historical footnotes for those who take the time to explore the museum. In 1777, Sultan of Morocco Sidi Mohammed was the first head of state to recognize the new American nation. The museum contains copies of correspondence between the Sultan and George Washington, historic maps of Morocco and North Africa, and details of Barbary pirates.
There is an entire wing dedicated to the American expatriate writer Paul Bowles. He was the author of “The Sheltering Sky”, a 1949 novel of post-colonial alienation and existential despair. My favorite Paul Bowles quote is: “I don’t use a typewriter. It’s too heavy, too much trouble. I use a notebook, and I write in bed. Ninety-five percent of everything I’ve written has been done in bed.”
Night Train to Marrakech
More Trains with Names: I took the “Night Train to Tangier,” and then on my return two weeks later, the “Night Train to Marrakech.” The railroads are run by ONCF, which is from French: Office National des Chemins de Fer du Maroc. Much of the network is electrified.
Savy travelers board the train in the late evening, having booked a “couchette”, a space in a 4-berth-compartment. The price is about $36, and you arrive in the morning at your destination, having saved the price of a hotel room. And in my head are the words of the Crosby, Stills, & Nash song, “Take the train from Casablanca heading south.”
A word about languages: the official language in Morocco is Arabic. The next two most used languages are French and Berber. French is a legacy of the French colonial occupation of the country. When I went to a Rotary Club meeting in Marrakech, the language spoken was French. Spanish is also spoken in the parts of the country (mainly in the north) that were under Spanish colonial occupation.
Chefchaouen: The Blue City
My last prolonged stop in Morocco was in Chefchaouen, the beautiful “blue city” in the Rif Mountains. After a hectic two months of traveling, I found this small mountain city so delightful and relaxing that I stayed longer than I had planned.
The old medina is a mixture of Moroccan and Andalucian influence with red-tiled roofs and buildings painted in different shades of blue. Chefchaouen was originally established in the late 1400’s, when Moorish and Jewish refugees came here fleeing from the Reconquista of Spain. The tradition of blue supposedly comes from the town’s former Jewish population. The streets are cleaner and better taken care of than any other city I visited in Morocco.
I had lunch at Aladdin’s Terrace (kefka tagine with egg) and wandered through the medina: beautiful shades of blue, curves, odd corners, grape vines above some of the alleys, kids playing, water fountains, glimpses of distant mountains… Also, vendors of numerous delicious varieties of olives, colorful displays of spices, fresh rounds of bread, cheeses, nuts, pastries, cigarettes (individual or by the pack), bright red handmade carpets, heavy wool djellabas…
Another day wandering through the hilly lanes: I walked through Bab Osnar (Osnar Gate) to where women washed their laundry next the river. Returning to the medina, I stopped at a restaurant with an elaborately carved wooden sign and had a delicious lunch (eggplant and tomato salad, chicken with mushroom sauce, and eau gazeoise). Then I explored the old Kasbah (fortress). Inside I discovered a stalwart dungeon with iron grilles on the windows high on the walls, thick wooden doors, and chains and manacles.
And then there were cats. Cats abounded in all the medinas I visited in Morocco, and Chefchaouen was no exception. But I almost never saw a dog. When I questioned Moroccan friends about this, I was told that dogs were considered unclean. They said that dogs were alright for herding sheep, but not indoors as pets.
Hostel Aline was perhaps my favorite place to stay during my two months in Morocco. It is a small hostel, with very friendly people running it. Breakfast is simple – coffee or tea, delicious bread, butter, and jam – and is served on the roof terrace with breathtaking views of the Rif Mountains. A woman who works there will wash your clothes for a reasonable charge. As a wired modern traveler, one feature I appreciated was that the hostel had multiple outlets for charging electronic devices such as cell phones, kindles, laptops, and camera batteries.
The two months in Morocco went far too quickly. I have memories of places and good people that will last a lifetime.
In the midst of all the uproar about Muslims, I am glad I went with my decision to spend some time living among Muslims in a Muslim country. As I suspected, they are not the evil monsters that we are led to believe. No doubt there are Muslims who are bad people, just as there are bad Christians (or insert here the group of your choice).
A quick snapshot: We were having breakfast on the roof terrace in Chefchaouen, the blue city, with the jagged Rif Mountains towering above us. The doors of the elementary school next door opened, and the children erupted into the playground for recess. Although we could not hear individual voices, the sounds and laughter were that of children all over the world.
Editor’s Note: Since retiring from Los Alamos County in September 2013, David Griggs has been traveling the world. He is a foreign correspondent for the Los Alamos Daily Post, submitting stories and photographs of his travels for publication.
Chefchaouen – the ‘blue city’. Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com
‘Night Train to Marrakech’. Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com
Chefchaouen – the ‘blue city’. Photo by David Griggs/ladailypost.com