I need to begin this one with a confession. The header on my blog is extremely misleading. I am at the very northern tip of Morocco, and thus very far away from the Sahara. So far, in fact, that I will not be able to go to the Sahara at any point during my trip. Moreover, I have yet to see a single camel.
Speaking of transit, one of my favorite things about Morocco has to be the taxi system. Most people here don't have cars (and even for those that do, I'm sure that half of them are afraid to join in the crazed tangle of humans and vehicles that makes up the streets of Tangier). However, instead of taking public transportation, which does exist, the best way to get around here is the taxis. For those of you that are have spent time in Europe, where a 10 minute cab ride has the potential to cost you a fortune, this might seem unimaginable, but here in Morocco, taxis are dirt cheap. A 10 to 15 minute ride sets you back around 20-30 dirhams, roughly US$3, and that's if you're alone. There are also two kinds of taxis, petit and grand.
The petit taxis (taxi sghiir in Arabic) are for travel within the city. They are, by law, only allowed to take up to 3 people, and they have meters. Their color changes by city. In Rabat, they were dark blue; in Fez, a deep maroon; and here in Tanja, they are a tacky teal green color with a particularly garish yellow stripe.
If you want a real cultural experience, though, you need to take a ride in a grand taxi. Regardless of where you are, the grand taxis (taxi kbiir) are old white Mercedes Benz sedans. They're primarily used for inter-city travel, but are great for getting around town when you have a large group. None of them have meters, meaning that you need to be prepared to haggle down the price when discussing your destination with the driver.
The best part about the grand taxis is the use of space. They squeeze in 6 people (in addition to the driver): 4 in back and two in the passenger seat. My first experience with this was in Rabat when I ended up wedged uncomfortably between the stick shift and my program director that I had met just hours before. I have since taken two more grand taxi rides, and I must say that the sardine feeling just never gets old.
The drivers also provide some great entertainment. I've gotten to see the full spectrum. Monday, as we were on our way to Marjane (the French owned Wal-Mart of Morocco that screams cultural imperialism), our cab driver was silent, yet utterly terrifying. I've taken lots of cabs here, but none whipped through the streets like this. Clearly frustrated with the traffic, he decided to take a side street at about 60 mph, whipping by people walking down the road. We came up to a stoplight with a line of about 10 cars. Rather than taking his place in line, he sped down the other lane past all the others and turned it into a two-lane one way road while waiting for the light to turn. Just yesterday, we had a driver who was in his first week of work. While trying to figure out our destination, he chatted with other cabbies driving in the lane next to us, and at one point actually stopped and got out to get directions.
In honor of the World Cup (that the US is sadly no longer a part of), we here at CLS Tangier have begun the Ka's Tanjah (Tangier Cup). Every Monday, after the conclusion of our normal class activities, 6 teams take the field striving to be named the CLS champion. My team had a decisive 4-1 victory in our first game, but the next team we face are the prohibitive favorites: the professors and tutors. The difference in talent level makes it quite clear that soccer is much more popular in Morocco than in the States. Below, you can watch the profs team score a goal in their typical fearsome fashion.
And finally, I suppose that it is worth mentioning that Wednesday was my birthday. While marking my 21st in a country where alcohol is strongly frowned upon was not the ideal situation, I still had a great time.
My friends Megan and Sarah attempted to bake a chocolate cake in spite of a lack of leavening. It turned out more like interesting brownies, and they even whipped up some frosting (powdered sugar and milk) and topped it off with my favorite candy bar (Kinder Bueno). All in all, it wasn't half bad and I was very grateful for their efforts.
That night, we went to a concert by a very famous Rai (Algerian fusion folk music) artist named Rachid Taha. It was held in a beautiful colonial era building that today houses an Italian cultural center. As I sat on a massive carpet under the stars in an airy courtyard and listened to the music, I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity that I have here this summer. The highlight of the concert was when he launched into a cover of "Rock the Kasbah", just yards away from the qasbah of Tangier. Even without a drink to mark the occasion, it was the perfect ending to my day. Regardless, I'm looking forward to coming home and celebrating properly!
Rock the Kasbah
Speaking of transit, one of my favorite things about Morocco has to be the taxi system. Most people here don't have cars (and even for those that do, I'm sure that half of them are afraid to join in the crazed tangle of humans and vehicles that makes up the streets of Tangier). However, instead of taking public transportation, which does exist, the best way to get around here is the taxis. For those of you that are have spent time in Europe, where a 10 minute cab ride has the potential to cost you a fortune, this might seem unimaginable, but here in Morocco, taxis are dirt cheap. A 10 to 15 minute ride sets you back around 20-30 dirhams, roughly US$3, and that's if you're alone. There are also two kinds of taxis, petit and grand.
 |
| A Tangier petit taxi |
The petit taxis (taxi sghiir in Arabic) are for travel within the city. They are, by law, only allowed to take up to 3 people, and they have meters. Their color changes by city. In Rabat, they were dark blue; in Fez, a deep maroon; and here in Tanja, they are a tacky teal green color with a particularly garish yellow stripe.
If you want a real cultural experience, though, you need to take a ride in a grand taxi. Regardless of where you are, the grand taxis (taxi kbiir) are old white Mercedes Benz sedans. They're primarily used for inter-city travel, but are great for getting around town when you have a large group. None of them have meters, meaning that you need to be prepared to haggle down the price when discussing your destination with the driver.
 |
| All packed in a grand taxi with awesome decor |
The best part about the grand taxis is the use of space. They squeeze in 6 people (in addition to the driver): 4 in back and two in the passenger seat. My first experience with this was in Rabat when I ended up wedged uncomfortably between the stick shift and my program director that I had met just hours before. I have since taken two more grand taxi rides, and I must say that the sardine feeling just never gets old.
The drivers also provide some great entertainment. I've gotten to see the full spectrum. Monday, as we were on our way to Marjane (the French owned Wal-Mart of Morocco that screams cultural imperialism), our cab driver was silent, yet utterly terrifying. I've taken lots of cabs here, but none whipped through the streets like this. Clearly frustrated with the traffic, he decided to take a side street at about 60 mph, whipping by people walking down the road. We came up to a stoplight with a line of about 10 cars. Rather than taking his place in line, he sped down the other lane past all the others and turned it into a two-lane one way road while waiting for the light to turn. Just yesterday, we had a driver who was in his first week of work. While trying to figure out our destination, he chatted with other cabbies driving in the lane next to us, and at one point actually stopped and got out to get directions.
In honor of the World Cup (that the US is sadly no longer a part of), we here at CLS Tangier have begun the Ka's Tanjah (Tangier Cup). Every Monday, after the conclusion of our normal class activities, 6 teams take the field striving to be named the CLS champion. My team had a decisive 4-1 victory in our first game, but the next team we face are the prohibitive favorites: the professors and tutors. The difference in talent level makes it quite clear that soccer is much more popular in Morocco than in the States. Below, you can watch the profs team score a goal in their typical fearsome fashion.
And finally, I suppose that it is worth mentioning that Wednesday was my birthday. While marking my 21st in a country where alcohol is strongly frowned upon was not the ideal situation, I still had a great time.
 |
| Sarah and Megan preparing my birthday cake |
My friends Megan and Sarah attempted to bake a chocolate cake in spite of a lack of leavening. It turned out more like interesting brownies, and they even whipped up some frosting (powdered sugar and milk) and topped it off with my favorite candy bar (Kinder Bueno). All in all, it wasn't half bad and I was very grateful for their efforts.
That night, we went to a concert by a very famous Rai (Algerian fusion folk music) artist named Rachid Taha. It was held in a beautiful colonial era building that today houses an Italian cultural center. As I sat on a massive carpet under the stars in an airy courtyard and listened to the music, I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity that I have here this summer. The highlight of the concert was when he launched into a cover of "Rock the Kasbah", just yards away from the qasbah of Tangier. Even without a drink to mark the occasion, it was the perfect ending to my day. Regardless, I'm looking forward to coming home and celebrating properly!
Rock the Kasbah
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