Passengers were warned that Tangiers was not the sort of place one should wander around on one's own. This same advice had been given back in 2009 for Mumbai, and in 2011 for Haifa and on those occasions I had totally ignored the advice and had perfectly wonderful days meandering around on my own. I dearly wanted to do the same here but perhaps age is catching up with me. I gave in and booked a P&O excursion - Artistic Asilah.
My experience and memories of places is always from the photos I take and from the small shops which I pop in & out of looking for local crafts. Years later I can look at a photo and know exactly how I was feeling at that particular moment in time. I can put on a necklace or bracelet and instantly remember the inside of the shop where I bought it. On an organised tour the chance to take photos is limited and hampered by all the other tour members. Popping in & out of local shops is a "no go" unless the guide actually tells us we have time to ourselves. So although I was eager to experience Asilah I did not have high hopes for the next 4 1/2 hours.
The first catastrophe was the fact that after a long coach ride from Tangiers to Asilah we were told that our toilet break would be after the 90 minute walk. "But what can one do?" - the guide's words not mine. Well, for a start, the tour could have been arranged so that the toilet break came BEFORE the walk - but there we go. For once I was not desperate so hopefully I could last another one & a half hours.
The town was certainly very beautiful and I did manage to get some good photos.
The Street Sweeper:
The builder contemplating the days work:
The young man on his way home from the mosque:
The overworked traffic cop:
The fisherman:
The shoe shop:
The hat & tassel shop:
Blue and white buildings that blur into paintings:
Beautiful windows:
which make excellent doorways for the local cats:
At the highest point of the town, whilst looking out to sea, I happened to sneeze. That did it - I needed a loo!!!! We were only halfway through our walk so needless to say no loos in sight. The remaining 45 minutes were a challenge to say the least.
At last the 90 minutes were up and we were back at the main gate to the town.
Perhaps we were to be led into the cafe opposite for our refreshments and toilet break? Perhaps we would then be allowed 20 minutes free time so that we could visit some of those charming shops we had passed. Not on your life. First we had to find our coach, reboard, and then be whisked off to an "out of town" hotel. Quite why this break could not have been given on the way in 105 minutes earlier is anyone's guess. Note to self: Comment on this on the feedback form.
At the hotel there were naturally long queues for the loos but at least relief was only a matter of minutes away. Murmerings of discontent as one of the loos refused to flush!!
After the Relief of Mafeking we sampled small glasses of local (very sweet) mint tea. Then it was all back on the coach to be whisked back to Tangier with some beautiful scenery along the way:
And uncompleted building projects - too numerous to mention:
And lots of roadside markets:
On arrival in Tangier we were given 20 minutes in Grand Socco Square.
If I had wanted to see Grand Socco Square I would have booked myself on one of the Tangier City excursions! Why, of why, could we not have been given this 20 minutes within Asilah? Note to self: Submit a whole new timetable for this tour!
One of the most glorious sights of the day was seeing the sun set over Tangier as we steamed out at dusk.
The Captaine (as he himself prounounces the title) announced that due to an imminent depression we were going to have to make a mad dash for Cadiz to try to outrun the storm. Storm Angus had caused destruction and mayhem in the English Channel and here it was now heading down to us. This would mean arriving in Cadiz at 2230 hours instead of 0730 hrs the following morning. Apparently we would be amongst a very privileged group of P& O passengers who would have arrived in two countries in just one day.
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