Morocc and roll

Surprisingly enough, the 45 minute ferry ride which takes you from Tarifa, the tip of Spain, to Tangier, the top of Morocco, was actually the easiest part of our trip. Immigration is done aboard the boat (which we found out as we disembarked, so had to run back onto the ferry and get our stamps) and money exchange is also done on board. We get off and are overwhelmed by the sea of taxi drivers ... there are little petite taxis, which certainly would not carry the 4 of us including H & Io as well as our luggage so negotiating a Grand Taxi is in order. We settle on 20€ to the train station. We could have of course spent 20 minutes negotiating our way down, but it's 5€ each which is still pretty damn cheap! The ride is scary ... we all have white knuckles by the end of the trip but we do make it in once piece. It's quite early, and we have an hour before the first train. The station is just beautiful, there's even WiFi ...



We check our mail, and have a quick snack before boarding the train. The little counter is bustling with people, we start the day with a couple of pastilla - crispy pastry filled with a spiced chicken and slightly sweet nut mix. I have a can of Hawaii, which is a fruit & coconut fizzy drink that is not to sweet.



We arrive at the platform a few minutes early and are ready for our journey to Fes.



The train journey was pleasant, we did of course splurge on a first class air-conditioned cabin. There was a little food cart that just went up and down the isles, which had drinks, snacks, yoghurt, delicious pomegranite juice & bread rolls filled with spicy roast chicken & garlic sauce which kept us amused for the train ride. The scenery went from picturesque to grotesque - quaint little villages with children kicking soccer balls, filled with beautiful colors & intricately designed buildings but on the outskirts just piles of garbage. Garbage that was decomposing in the sun, ferral goat's & dogs picking through the trash. Until you hit the next quaint little village ...

We arrive in Fes mid-afternoon, and are greeted by a member of staff who has come from our Riad to meet us at the train station. We say goodbye to Io & H for the day, with plans to meet them tomorrow afternoon after our solo adventures in the medina. We pile into a little petit taxi with our guide, and head to the Riad. We are welcomed into Riad Fes Yamanda as it is our own palace for the coming days ....



Upstairs to freshen up, we know we won't be going far tonight.