Student Reflections: Diana, Sarah, Saida, Bianca and Nora

Our trip to Tangier was short but something we will remember fondly. I wish that we could have stayed longer because the Madina was so beautiful, especially the architecture as well as the colors. Tangier had its own type of culture, and I think it was because of Spanish influence. The Hercules Cave was extraordinary. It was a lot different from what I imagined (I thought it would be more close up), but I feel like it was so beautiful because of the waves crashing up against the rocks, and the little view through the cave was incredible. I wish we could have seen the sunset through it though. Overall, I absolutely loved Tangier and it was different from the other cities that we visited so far here in Morocco. 

-Sarah Ikram

Our day trip to Tangier was short but really fun. We arrived in Tangier after a 4 hour drive and went straight to the Hercules cave and the Cap Spartel which were both amazing. Our lunch that day was really great. We had a huge salad with vegetables, tuna, rice, beets, and more. We also had beans and lentils, a plate of fried seafood including shrimp, calamari, and fish, a couple tajines, and of course, a bunch of bread. After lunch we had some free time in the Medina. It was super interesting comparing the cultural differences between the different areas of Morocco and it was definitely one of the best parts of the day for me. The trip was a lot of fun and super memorable. 

-Diana Berk 

Walking around the Medina was my favorite activity that we did. The shopkeepers were really nice and would joke around with me more than the ones I met in Rabat. I bought a couple keychains and small Moroccan cups. Seeing the differences between the Medina’s in different cities and comparing them, is really interesting because there’s no Medina that is exactly the same. I prefer the Rabat Medina.

-Saida Nor 

One thing I found very refreshing from our time in Tangier is the genuinely kind nature of the majority of the people. I also like how ethnically diverse the people of Tangier are which can be seen either visually or when you’re talking to them and they switch up the languages many times which is really cool to see. Being able to see the medina in Tangier is so cool because I think that the Medina reveals a lot about the people living in that city. For example, people in the Medina in Tangier are more chilled out living the beach life, while the Medina in Rabat is very busy and everything is rushed and moving fast similar to the people who live there. . 

-Nora Benallal

I’m very thankful to experience the change in environment on our day trip in Tangier even though it was only for one day. The cave and Cap Spartel were two beautiful places that I will always remember. Communicating with other people that lived in the area was unique and a bit challenging. While on this I’ve been trying to challenge myself more and while in Tangier I was able to do that while talking with locals in the cave and bargaining for a necklace at Cap Spartel. After sightseeing, getting to sit down and enjoy a huge meal with everyone in the program was one of my favorite parts because of  how happy everyone looked together. The last part of the trip wasn’t as fun as I had hoped, mostly because i'm now very used to the media in Rabat and being in a different Medina felt strange. I get a bit disappointed each day that this trip is coming to an end but am also so thankful that I’ve been able to live in a different country for 4 weeks and explore different cities. An experience unlike any other! :)

-Bianca Hernandez