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Tetouan, my stay
My famous bionic natural gps system came to it's limits here in the medina of Tetouan !
For the first time in my life that was.
Somebody asked me if I was well.
"Yes, why ?" I answered.
"Because you look like a dromedary" he said ...
I was "delivered" to this hotel bij a nice guy named Louttfi who turned out to be a fixer.
Read about that in the
former blog 🖱️.
He was very calm, friendly, polite and non-intrusive and spoke english very well.
In a medina every building is very old and so was this hotel.
The stairs and steps were very uneven and steep.
And the ceilings in the rooms were very low.
The keyhanger was in style too.
The ceiling in my room was about 1.85m heigh and the door was just about 1.50m low.
So, of course, the first thing that happened was that I banged my head badly 💣.
That evening I made a (very short) walk into the medina.
I realised I would get lost here within minutes ...
I had a good night's sleep anyway and got this breakfast (which was inclusive).
The only things I could appreciate were the coffee and the orangejuice.
Everything else was actually just made of sugar and sugar only.
Sugar that I have avoided for 15+ years now, but I knew I would have to consume it again in Morocco
while there is just no alternative.
Morocco is high on the worldlisting of people having diabetes.
Here, in this medina, I was for the first time in my live disappointed in myself haha.
All my life I have a very good sense for local geographical situations.
In other words, I have a photographical memory for locations and routes, etc.
I never get lost and always know exactly were I am, how I got there and how to return.
Not in this medina ...
As soon as I walked out of the hotel my brain got lost here.
No matter into which direction I was walking.
I only dared to walk around maybe 3 or 4 corners max and then realised walking on would make me get lost.
This combined with an absent gps signal caused me to be isolated and stuck in the hotel.
The second afternoon I had an appointment with that guide to have a drink somewhere.
At my very special request he showed me thouroughly how to get (return) to the hotel from the main square next to the medina.
By looking very concentrated at every corner in order to have bionic "waypoints" into my brain I managed to get convident
about walking there all by myself.
The third day I had an appointment with Loutffi, the guide, to show me the innertown of Tetouan.
This photoshow presents you the medina part of my tour with him.
He asked Mad 200 (€ 20) for a 4 hour excursion and promised me I would be very satisfied about it.
He is a nice guy and I liked him.
Besides that I was sure that I myself would not find the insider spots here.
And indeed, I was very satisfied with his tour.
He i.e. explained something interesting about this door.
The knocker at the regular (small) door is used by people arriving by foot.
The knockers higher up are used by people arriving by donkey.
However, some knockers are not used at all.
And you yourself could be "knocked" by beautiful handcrafted products.
Those crafts(wo)men are all very proud of the things they create.
Although you wont't see the women, only the men ...
After my return to the hotel I found a menucard but was told diners had to be reserved the day before.
However, the woman in the kitchen made it clear I could have diner here tonight so I ordered it.
It was very tastefull and the lemonade and the water were bought for me somewere in the medina.
The hotel is full of beautiful details.
There is also a rifle available 👍.
I discovered a small bar next to the hotel .
That is, I saw a very dark "hole" with an awfull lot of tables and chairs and that was it.
It looked so dark that I actually saw very little.
Nevertheless did I take a carefull look 👀 at the entrance.
And asked for coffee at the friendly owner.
That was the best coffee I had for a long time 👏.
I took a look inside the fishmarket.
And discovered some new species.
And how to deal with the climate change ?!
Just sit still in the plain Sun and use your jacket !
In the meantime I had discovered a cafe where they served a decent breakfast 👍.
Here only the bread was with sugar ...
It was near the King's palace.
The Moroc King has a palace in every major town.
A photoshow with general pictures of Tetouan.
And a photoshow with detailed pictures of Tetouan.
While making an evening trip I smelled some nice food.
BBQ-ed stuff !
A butcher and a bbq-man were cooperating just next to the medina.
Choose the meat you want, explain how much you want, pay for it and it is prepared for you.
Very tasty !
I had already noticed that in the centre of Tetouan there are no supermarkets of the type europeans are used to.
There are only very small 2 x 2 meter shops that sell "everything" you could possibly ask for 👍.
Except for any products with alcohol 💭.
Since I forgot to install a fridge at my OnTheRoad 4.0 I carry a metal bottle with some whisky with me.
It is the only drink with taste for a traveller if it is 35C+++ at a campsite.
But now I had finished it and didn't know where to buy some.
At the reception I was explained that alcohol is more ore less forbidden in Morocco.
Although certain (big) shops have an allowance to sell it and do so.
But it would be possible to order a bottle for me by phone which then would be delivered at the reception within 10 minutes.
I did and indeed, shortly after a man arrived with the ordered bottle (which was packed in a newspaper).
I payed Mad 200 for this bottle of "contrabande" and Mad 20 for the service.
A fair price considering the situation.
Morocco does not sell alcohol.
Except for certain big shops that do officially sell alcohol.
And others sell contrabande.
Double mentality ?
No problem !
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I went to sleep, without banging my head. Time had come to travel on.