I'm so glad to be back in Spain.

Paloma had a week of vacation, and we decided to go to Marocco. You know, see the sights, meet the people, that sort of thing.

We arrived in Tanger on monday evening, an even found an ATM. Armed with enough dirhams for a few days, we set out to find a bus to somewhere else, since we had read in the Lonely Planet guide to Marocco that Tanger wasn't a very nice place. (It isn't. Do Not Go There. Go to Ceuta or something).
_{10 Dirhams is about 1 euro by the way}.

Getting a bus to Casablanca isn't very hard, if you've done it before and speak french fluently. Unfortunately, we did neither. About ten maroccans swarmed around us and were trying to make us go places we didn't want to go (cheap price, specially for you!) and sell us stuff we didn't want (cheap price, specially for you!).

After about half an hour we had our tickets, but we still had to wait for three more before the bus left. Some guy (naturally called Mohammed) gave us a quick tour of the city, and eventually led us to a restaurant, where we had a rather nice dinner. He was some kind of hustler naturally, and in league with the restaurant, but it was still a reasonable price for dinner (by european standards). Afterwards he demanded 200D for his ¨services¨. We eventually paid 150. It wasn't really a good time or place for pissing off the locals.

After about 7 hours in a sweaty bus with loud arabic music, we arrived in Casablanca, which is really cool. It has a few rich places, many, many poor places and a fabulous mosque. (The Hassan II Mosque). We stayed at the camping De l'Oasis, which is quiet, relatively clean and near the center.

After two days in Casablanca, we took the bus back to Nador, and then Melilla (part of Spain in Marocco) due to the fact that we were quite fed up with Marocco and Maroccans in general.

Here a small list of annoyances:

• You have to haggle over fucking everything. From a pack of cigarettes, a cab ride to the price of two nectarines. Two nectarines, really. I detest haggling.


• It's a smelly country. No really. There are many poor people, who live in the streets (and cannot afford deodorant), most cars are diesel fueled, and there is crap lying everywhere in the streets.


• If you are a woman, everyone (no, not everyone. Only all the men) stares at you. Constantly. Impolitely. All The Time. (Oh, and if you're blond with spikey hair? Guess what).


• Since you are obviously wealthy westerners, everyone tries to sell you stuff, and wants to drive you to Marrakesh for a hefty fee. (I don't know why Marrakesh)


• If you don't speak french, you're fucked. If you speak a bit of french (I did five years in school, seven years ago), no one will talk slowly or clearly, even if you ask them.


• If you don't have a car, you're fucked. It means you have to take buses. There are usually two buses a day between larger cities, and they take about 7 to 12 hours. Our last busride took 11 hours. The front door almost fell off (there was a guy employed especially to keep it attached to the bus). On the bus, you will hear a lot of arabic music, which is played very loud. ALL NIGHT LONG. And even worse: arabic comedians who imitate animals. We heard that tape twice.


• Do you know those really narrow roads in the mountains? with abysses beside them? In the middle of the night (streetlights? I laugh at your naïveté) the bus will pass other traffic with about 120 km/h and two or three meters to spare. With a broken windshield. (did I mention the door that almost fell off?).

Well, that was basically it. Marocco is a nice country to visit if you are at least with four people, speak french and own a car. One thing is for sure, this was not the beginning of a beautiful friendship, kid.