Page 11 - Tangier

The day trip to Tangier on Saturday was amazing to say the least. We left about 8 am and got to Tangier around 11:30, with two stops on the way to use the restrooms and eat a snack. The rest areas in Morocco are pretty nice and modern, with very clean toilets, cafés, snacks, and sometimes a bakery on site. 

Our first stop in Tangier was at the Darna Association, a cultural initiative to help women in need. In Tangier, the association offers embroidery and weaving training, as well as crafts and cooking lessons. With these skills, women are able to make business and generate income and help their families. The small complex houses a boutique with crafts and clothing, and an inexpensive restaurant in a sunny courtyard. The students dined on meat, chicken, and vegetable tagines.

After lunch, the students were divided into two groups (by choice), where one group stayed at the Darna Association to learn traditional weaving, and the other group went on a guided tour of the Medina.

After the tour, we headed to Cape Spartel, a promontory in Morocco that’s about 1,000 feet above sea level at the entrance of the Strait of Gibraltar, 12 km west of Tangier. Students took time to enjoy the gorgeous view and take lots of photos.

Our last stop was at the Caves of Hercules, an archaeological complex located in Cape Spartel. The cave has two openings, one to sea and one to land. The sea opening is known as "The Map of Africa". The cave itself is part natural and part man-made. The man-made part was used by the Amazigh people to cut stone wheels from the walls, to make millstones, thus expanding the cave considerably.  

We returned to Rabat around 10. Sunday was spent resting and relaxing with host families.