After our visit to the synagogue we walked through the market where we observed all of the stands selling agriculture items such as fruits and vegetables, and handmade items such as pottery and clothing. I was really surprised by the amount of items actually in the market; every single stand in the market appeared to be overflowing. The part that stood out to me the most of the markets was where all the meat was being sold. It was crazy to see in person. This experience definitely made me think more about about where the food we eat comes from, especially when we never see that part of the process in America. The idea of becoming a vegetarian also may have crossed my mind once or twice after seeing all of the raw meat...
After that we visited a beautiful Anglican church which was surrounded by a large green garden. What really stood out to me about this church is how the architecture was designed to look like a mosque, as the architects didn’t want to build a church that stood out greatly from all the mosques. We also learned that the church is open to people of all faith backgrounds, and that everyone is welcome there. I thought this was interesting especially when compared with the mosque, which did not allow anyone that was not Muslim to enter.
From there we continued to walk through the streets and explore the different sights along the coast. We took a break from walking and stopped for tea at a restaurant that had a beautiful ocean view, before heading off to lunch as a group. - Liv
After spending the morning walking through the medina of Tangier, and having lunch we arrived at a museum called the American Legation Museum within the medina. This museum was a tribute to the American-Moroccan relationship and displayed how our cultures have intertwined throughout history. I was fascinated to learn how Morocco was the first country to recognize US independence. I found this interesting because our guide at the museum seemed proud of this fact, and in American schooling this fact is not displayed and our relationship with Morocco is rarely mentioned in required history courses. The museum guide explained how the building was a US "embassy" before what we know as embassies formally existed. The US gifted the building to Morocco for them to create this museum for just a dollar a month as rent. Many diplomatic meetings were held in this building over the years. The rest of the museum highlighted the artistic influence the two countries have had on each other. The rooms were covered with paintings and pictures of famous American artists who got had their art influenced in many forms such as films and literature about the country, or painters and writers who lived in the country using the Moroccan culture to shape their art. These artists became famous in both countries as Moroccans appreciated their intrigue in their country and their way of life. My favorite part was a true story of an American diplomat who came to receive a gift from Morocco, and was thoroughly surprised when Moroccan men brought him two lions and wouldn’t let the diplomat refuse the gift. Next to the museum was a small garden with a beautiful fountain and several turtles which made for a great Peyton and Liam “thumbs up photo.” Overall this was a wonderful way to wrap up our longest day so far and our last day in the city of Tangier. - Clancy
It has been very interesting exploring Morocco as American tourists because we are presented with Moroccan culture rather than immersing ourselves in it. We have received many comments, both positive and negative, about being from the U.S., but we are also not discreet about being tourists. First of all, it has been absolutely incredible learning about the wide variety of cultures and beliefs; for example, it was enlightening to meet a rabbi and a priest at the same time while in a country where Islam is the largest religion. Despite our group’s various religious beliefs, we were welcomed to both the synagogue and church as guests. Throughout the day, we made efforts to speak in either French or Spanish when talking to shop owners, waiters, tour guides, and more. I knew I didn't seem French when someone responded to me in English! One of the biggest differences between Rabat and Tangier is that the Tangier citizens seem to appreciate having us as tourists more. Today people were saying hello to us and inviting us to appreciate their work. AJ and I were able to take a picture with a man selling nougat, who we met in Tangier two years ago while on Geronimo. Just to show how kind Moroccans are, he gave us two pieces of Nougat for free. When we were at the indoor markets, it was incredible to see how hard people worked, but also how willing they were to show us what they were making and how the goods were produced. At the end of the day, we visited the American Legation Museum and learned about America’s relationship with Morocco. One of the first facts that our guide said was that the museum offers classes for women to learn languages and writing. I believe that these lessons are beneficial for the growth of Morocco, and I remembered that there are many groups of women who are also working on this effort. Overall, it was thrilling to learn about a new culture and see the differences between each city, even in the same country. I cannot wait for the rest of the trip to see how the culture evolves and changes. — Morgan
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