Make Time: Tangier - The Gateway to Africa…and kinda sketchy

I find the bus station pretty easily in Sevilla, jump on the bus headed to Tarifa - which is the closest city in Spain to Tangier, Morocco. My bus was pulling into Tarifa about 2.5 hours later, and I only had about 25 minutes to get to the ferry, which left at 1pm. I run through town with my two backpacks on, and head down to the port. Luckily it's easy to navigate this small town. I run into the ferry terminal and head to the embarkment signs, where there is a Spanish woman who doesn't look to pleased that I'm the last one to board. She takes my print out tickets and says that they are not valid - I have to go to the counter to transfer them into real tickets. Ugh. Run back to the counter and the woman there is laughing and says it's all good - hands me my tickets and I run back and get on the boat. Whew. The boat is packed with Spaniards and Moroccans, and some tourists here and there. An hour ferry ride across beautiful blue and green waters and we land at Tangier, the "Doorway to Africa". We land at the port and the boat pours out onto the dock. We make our way up and around the terminal building and immediately there is a guy asking me where I'm going and if I need help. I show him where I'm going on my phone because I already saved my hotels location on GPS - so I could easily walk there. It's less than a half mile away, yet the guy I'm talking with (who has an official shirt from the dock and is not a haggler) says I need to take a cab. No way man. I walk when things are this close. I know it's a bit sketchy considering everyone has warned me about Tangier being full of thieves, but it's so damn close on the GPS that I need to give it a shot. I walk out of the terminal and immediately there are 20-30 hustlers there, each asking where I want to go and if I need a ride. One in particular latches on to me and I say I'm good and I don't need a ride. He continues to push and I eventually tell him to get out of my way. I'm from Chicago - we don't take shit from no one. I walk out along the terminal where all the cabs are located and again am bombarded with guys asking if I need a ride. Nope - no gracias. Apparently most people know either Spanish or French here, so I switch to Spanish and ward people off. I get outside the gates of the port and finally feel a little space. Walk along the waterfront and am about to enter the medina (the old part of the city) and again another guy comes up and doesn't leave me alone when I say I'm ok. Eventually I just keep repeating myself louder and louder - "Gracias pero no necessito nada". He gets the point. I walk up into the medina and it's bustling with amazing life. People everywhere selling anything - so many colors. So many women and men dressed in long garbs - very Islamic. I get haggled a little here and there, but I'm putting off a pretty "don't mess with me" vibe which seems to be working. I see groups of tourists that are absolutely getting bombarded. Sad to watch as hagglers push them this way and that and they seemingly can't defend themselves. I see why people would not like this city. I quickly and easily get to my hotel in a matter of about 20 minutes. Never a problem - exactly as I thought. Here is a link to my hotel - real nice place. They are nice when I check in and I get to my room and am completely happy. Such a nice classy place - lots of space. I sit and relax after my hectic journey. After about an hour I walk about the medina and get lost a bit in the city - grab a kebab (shocker) and then watch people some more. I meet a very nice guy who's wearing a superman shirt and has no teeth - he asks me about the US and if I like Obama. He is a huge fan of Obama apparently. Lots of laughs with this guy and then he tells me to have a great trip and I do the same to him. Glad to see there are very nice people in Tangier. I stop back to the hotel to regroup and then head to this coffee house on the cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean - it's called Hafa and is very famous. I get there and the views are breathtaking. I sit and get a mint tea, which is so refreshing and perfect in this moment - with the sun going down and Spain in the distance. I'm in Africa. I'm in AFRICA. Such a cool moment for me. I sit for an hour and a half just chilling and having tea and then head back to my hotel where I speak with one of the guys who works there. His name is Ibraham and he's a little younger than me. We talk about Chicago and Tangier and about women and about marriage. He tells me that it's completely normal and accepted to have up to 4 wives. The problem nowadays is that most guys can't afford 4 wives. Very shocking to me to hear this. I mean, I'm obviously not married yet, but I cannot imagine having (or wanting) 4 wives. Such a different culture. I really don't think women are regarded with much respect here, which saddens me to the core. I leave Ibraham and head to my room where I pass out to the sounds of the call to prayer in Tangier. Such an amazing sound - heard all over the city - of men chanting verses from the Koran for all to hear and pray along with. I recorded some of it and hope you enjoy. The next morning I am planning to get to the bus station to head 3 hours south to the town of Chefchaouen. It's a smaller place and is known for it's very colorful blue and white walls, great art and music, and overall good vibe. I'm excited to get out of Tangier to see more of Morocco - gonna be an exciting day ahead.