Tangier - Shadow Hamilton's Blog

I spent three wonderful months here. A fascinating place I swear here I used to eat the best fish and chips I have found in my travels the fish so succulent, the batter thin yet melt in your mouth yum. There was a cafe we often frequented called Cafe Royal it was cavernous with a stage and behind it a stained glass window, on the stage or Dias there were two thrones, what a splendid sight they were. The room smokey and fragrant from the hooker pipes. The Moroccans would sit puffing away on hookers or clay pipes some just sitting staring at the Dias, others playing chess or backgammon.
I was there in 1973 and most Moroccans wages were 4 drachma  back then a £1 was worth 7 drachma. so we lived like kings and queens in a tropical paradise busy bazaars selling anything and every thing many tattered children wanting to take you round for a small fee. I stayed until funds got low and with regret headed back to the UK. What a journey I had I got together with a fellow Brit who said if I wanted I could travel with him and his friends so I agreed. To my horror when we went to the vehicle hold they were travelling in a psychedelically painted van, a most motley crew aboard 2 Swiss guys who owned it an egyptian doctor, 3 spaced out hippies in rags. At Spanish customs   they hauled out all our luggage checked both it and the van and waved us on phew. we travelled up towards Switzerland breaking down on the way. I left them just before the border and hitched to Le Have by now I was broke so I went to the police, first the took me to the ferry but couldn't get me on one, next we went dockside by the most decrepit  liner I had ever seen the crew looked like pirates my heart dropped I was sure I would disappear into white slavery. Luckily they were just picking up a stowaway, they put up a camp bed in the commissioner's office where I spent the night. In the morning the embassy man came and sorted out the ferry for me and I got home safe what I hadn't said was that I was wearing a wig with a kilo of Moroccan solid under it (value £3 over there) So you can see how I freaked at the van lol.