The most adventure we've had in one day (and a half)...
...and that's not even an exaggeration. With video!
I am prone to exaggeration, I admit. But the title of this post is completely accurate. This past Monday, Nour, Burhan and I left the house at 5:30 A.M. for a whirlwind day-trip to Spain. Since Burhan and I are not officially residents of Morocco (yet), we have to leave the country every 90 days to stay legal. So, a month ago, we planned the following itinerary:
6:05 A.M. - High-speed train from Casablanca to Tanger
9:00 A.M. - 60-minute ferry from Tanger to Tarifa, Spain
4:00 P.M. - Ferry back to Tanger.
9:00 P.M. - Train back to Casablanca.
Certainly a lot to pack in to one day, but exciting, and gets the passports stamped.
However, things were about to get much more exciting. Coincidentally, I had decided to do a mini-vlog of our trip inspired by my sister and brother-in-law’s vlog of their recent vacation, so I have lovely video evidence of our wild adventures. You can watch the video first and then read, or you can read and then watch the video - it’s a choose-your-own experience :)
Problem #1 - Upon arrival to Tanger, we learned that all ferries were cancelled due to high winds.
Solution #1 - Nour quickly found a cab to take us to Tanger Med, a different port an hour away where the ferries are much larger and more stable and therefore would still be running.
Burhan slept for a bit on the cab ride there, and the cab driver got us there in record time so we could make the 10:30 A.M. ferry.
Problem #2 - When we got to Tanger Med, we quickly realized that A. many of the ferries there were also cancelled, and B. all the other people who’s ferries had been cancelled had had the same idea as us, so the lines were very long and very slow.
Solution #2 - We changed our destination from Tarifa to Algeciras so we could get tickets for a 90 minute ferry that would be leaving a bit later, but would get us to Spain.
The process was relatively straightforward but slow, and eventually we were able to board the ferry through the same loading deck as the freight trucks and passenger cars. This ferry is clearly one that mostly transports vehicles and freight, and there weren’t even any individual seats, just tables and chairs in a cafeteria area, but it worked! Due to the high winds, the observation deck was closed, so everyone just got seasick together in the cafeteria.
Problem #3 - About halfway through our journey, Nour got news of the electricity blackout in Spain.
Solution #3 - Just gotta go with the flow on this one.
When we got to Algeciras, it was immediately evident that everything was pretty shut down. No traffic lights were working, so the sounds of police whistles directing traffic was everywhere, and almost all the businesses were closed. We walked through one market, consisting of mostly Moroccan vendors that was just starting to close, and we found a Moroccan restaurant that was open where we got delicious paella, cooked by the owner at her house next door. Right before we left, their electricity turned back on - we learned later that this was due to Moroccan energy companies helping out. It was immediately evident how much ambient noise electricity creates in daily life - the hum of the refrigerator, the buzzing of the lights, phones, TVs - the immediate noise made me realize just how quiet it had been!
Problem #4 - While the Moroccan restaurant had gotten electricity back, the offices at the port had not. When we tried to buy our ferry tickets back to Morocco, the guy at the desk told us he had no way of knowing whether or not the ferries were running, let alone buy us a ticket. There was one line that was running, but it was a much later ferry to Ceuta, Spain (which is in mainland Morocco, and is where we did our first visa run!) and they could only take cash, and we did not have enough Euros left.
Solution #4 - Nour sprinted back into the town with the intention of exchanging money to get more Euros. He entered a travel agency and ended up explaining the issue to the Moroccan man working there. Amazingly, this man’s system was up and running and not only could he see exactly where our ferry was, but he could buy us tickets with Nour’s card. Nour trusted him, got the tickets, exchanged some money, and sprinted back.
Problem #5 - We didn’t board our 5:45 ferry until 6:45, and it didn’t leave until 7:30. What was supposed to be a 90 minute ferry ride (which would get us back to Tanger Med at 8:00 P.M. with the 1-hour time difference), turned into an almost 3 hour trip with very large waves.
Solution #5 - We stayed patient and present and took each moment as gracefully as possible! Nour spent time making sure we had all our documents in order for the return border crossing, and I followed Burhan while he made friends with the other families in the same boat (literally). There were very few people on the ferry - I’m not sure if that’s normal or if it was a result of how hard it was to get tickets - so both in the waiting area and on the boat Burhan had a lot of room to roam. He made friends with two Moroccan brothers, ages ~7 and 12, and a Dutch boy ~age 9 who had some fun toys and a soccer ball. Of course it was way past his bedtime, but the waves and the wind and the friends kept him happy. He was only miserable when I tried to get him to go to sleep!
Problem #6 - We disembarked the ferry at Tanger Med at 9:10 P.M. Moroccan time, and our train left at 9. That train was the last one to Casablanca, so we were stuck in Tanger for the night.
Solution #6 - We split a cab with some other guys headed back to the center of Tanger. Once we were back by the train station, Nour found a man who had an apartment for rent where we could spend the night. We walked to the apartment with a very grumpy Burhan, and settled in. By 11:30 Burhan was asleep, Nour had found food from a rotisserie chicken place nearby, and we were able to settle in.
The next morning, Burhan woke up at 6:20 full of energy and ready for more adventures, and thankfully the second day of our trip had zero problems. We walked to the train station, got a bit of breakfast and some coffee, caught the 9:00 A.M. train to Casa, and were on our way. We arrived back home at around 11:30, and although we were all completely worn out for the rest of the day (and for Nour and I, the next day as well), our mission had been completed and we were home.
Some random thoughts -
1. We all stayed in remarkably good spirits the whole time. In some ways it helps that we had absolutely no control over most of what was happening - can’t control the weather or freak national blackouts - but practicing staying in the moment and accepting what is was immensely helpful. Honestly, I greatly enjoyed our adventure, chaos and all, and Burhan loved it!
2. This same sense of calm applied to almost all the other people who we encountered. I found myself imagining what it would have been like if the same thing had happened in the US - I imagine there would have been a lot of yelling and foot-stomping and general anxiety - and certainly we saw a couple of people who were understandably upset - but for the most part, people were calm, patient, and courteous.
3. I am always impressed with Nour’s ability to figure things out, but especially how he always seems to find the right people at the right time - he says sending up a couple prayers helps with this too :) He didn’t need his passport stamped, but goodness gracious I’m glad he was there, and I’m glad we get to keep going on adventures together!
4. Man, kids are resilient. Yes, when we arrived home, the first thing Burhan said was “no boat!”, but when he woke up the next morning he asked “more adventure?”. I, on the other hand, spent the rest of Tuesday and all of Wednesday in a fever-like zombie state and felt like my feet were going to fall off. Ah to be 2 and a half.
Some parting recommendations:
Recent Music: Not really recent, but Burhan’s favorite - The Okee Dokee Brothers! My friend Moriah introduced them to us, and they’re great for little ones and for big ones.
Recent YouTube: Last Meals - part of the Good Mythical Morning content umbrella, Josh Scherer, a fantastic chef and host, interviews celebrities about what their last meal would be if they could choose while eating those foods and talking about all sorts of things. That’s not a great plug, I’m tired, but it’s a fabulous show.
Thanks for sharing! That sounds like quite the adventure!
Looks like it’s a day you’ll remember and tell stories about for ever!