Tangier….. at last, after an eternity on this ship, I finally see the shore, it seems like hours have passed since I left spain, the old lady in front of me fell asleep, she seems so peaceful, she’s not moving a finger, the wrinckles on her face and her ragged clothes remind me of those beggars who live in the slums of Malaga, my natal city, her bag is wide open, I can distinguish some objects, her lipstick, some candy and a bottle of cheap perfume, I smelled it on her the moment she entered the room and an old book that I’m tempted to read, you can learn so much about a person when you read the books he reads, you understand him easily, you get his ideas and you see how strong his personality is, the man sitting next to me however looks alerted, he looks at his left towards me, and observes me for a few seconds, than he looks away, than places his eyes in my direction again, like if I was a threat to him, I’m amused, I even let a smile get out, this man has a few scars on his face- a fighter I presume – he’s well built, his hair is dark, but mysteriously turns reddish in front of sunlight, his eyes twinkle but his beard looks intimidating, suddenly he gets up and leave the room in a hurry, looking simultaneously at his phone and at his watch, I figure he has an appointement maybe, The ship stops and everyone gets out, tangier looks even more beautiful than the last time I came here, there’s something magical about this place, the people are extremely nice and generous, the summer breeze gives you a feeling that everything is ok, I like to go to the old city, those old houses built by the Spanish colonization, the tight alleys that give you the feeling as if you were in a museum, you find kids playing, yelling and laughing, you find old men playing chess and drinking Moroccan tea, that delicious drink - my favourite – it’s made with menthe, it gives a wonderful flavor, old women selling herbs, small cafés where everyone is talking and playing cards and passing time, it’s what makes this city so beautiful, so panoramic, but it’s not all, because this place is full of surprises, there’s a place I know, a café, It’s very popular between the real tangerians, those who have been living here for generations, It’s called “ El hafa “ and It’s not popular for the quality of the service, nor the animation inside the café, no… It’s popular because of landscape it offers, the meditéranean sea, you can see the mountains of Tarifa from there, on the other side of the sea, I go there to sit back and relax, enjoy the view, and the most beautiful scenery that you can see there, is at sunset when the sky turns red, when it seems like there is fire in the sky It’s irresistible, magical and so poetic.
But one of the most intriguing places in the “ Bride of the north “ the name they call this city, is the cave of Hercules, while everyone knows the legend of Hercules, this powerful man, who was the strongest man in the greek mythology, no one knows the exact story about this cave, some say that it was his hiding place, others disagree, but no one knows the exact truth, I visit it everytime I come to tangier, at the end of the cave, there sort of hole in the wall, where the waves of the ocean hit the rocks of the cave, making it one of the most known landscapes in Morocco
Yes indeed, tangier looks more and more beautiful every year, I call a taxi to take me to my hotel, let the journey begin....
Thank you for reading, feel free to express your opinion
by : Aymane Rahmouni