5th day, april 20th 2023

Tanger Med – Tanger

As-salamu alaykum!

First night in Morocco behind me. Breakfast was simple but tasty. We were the only bikers at the hotel, a group of about ten from the Netherlands. They worked late into the night fixing a KTM with engine trouble, but this morning everything was sorted.

I left the hotel around 9 am to head to Tangier. I took the coastal road, and it was really impressive to see the traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar. It looked like a motorway for ships, mostly freight vessels.

When I arrived in Tangier, I spotted my hotel, but getting there on my bike was impossible. The streets were blocked off. I asked a security guard for directions, and he explained I had to cross the paid car park without paying, then turn left, take the blocked road, turn right, and follow a one-way street! Sure enough, I found the hotel’s car park. A good Swiss would have refused to break all those rules!

The Continental Hotel (http://www.hotelcontinentaltangier.com/index.htm) is no spring chicken, but I imagine it must have been very elegant in its heyday. It’s still charming, and the view from my room is fantastic, I overlook the port. Hauling luggage up to the third floor with no lift was a marathon!

In the afternoon, I wandered through old Tangier, the Medina, and the Kasbah. It’s a maze of narrow, charming little streets. Some were bustling with tourists, others only locals. I bought some dates from a vendor who claimed to have the best in Morocco, if not the world! They really are delicious.

Tangier seems less strict about mealtimes during Ramadan. I saw plenty of restaurants and terraces open. Now I just need to find a restaurant that’s not too touristy for tonight, but the hotel reception has already given me some good recommendations.

Today I drove 45 km in 1 hour and 15 minutes.