New Blue Taxi

Chefchaouen, Morocco

Here we are again!  Restingar Smir...

First stop on our tour was Restingar Smir, Morocco.  We wasted no time booking a taxi up to Chefchaouen though.  Moustafa arrived in his newish blue taxi (well, a slightly newer model than last year’s ancient Mercedes) to carry us over the Riff mountains to our hotel, this time inside the Medina and very close to the central Plaza Uta el-Hammam.  We set off to explore the old city; it was Sunday and many visitors were milling about to celebrate (something – we never did find out what).  There were merchants and market stalls galore, concerts by school children and plenty of local people in traditional dress to add colour to the mountain village’s Berber blue and white colour scheme. 

We'll have one of those, one of those, oh and one of those...

So, after a hard afternoon of souvenir shopping we wandered back to our hotel (Dar Mounir) for a quiet glass of “medicine’ up on the terrace and to admire the view in the evening cool.  We were quite close to the restored Kasbah and a large 15^th c mosque with an unusual octagonal tower so as the muezzin’s call rang around the valley, we tried to imagine how it must have been when it was the stronghold of Berber Moulay Ali ben Rachid. Christians were forbidden entry back then. Infidel travellers found inside the medina were killed; that is until the Spanish occupied the village in the 1920’s. 

The medicine is clearly working

Dinner was local fare and we found ourselves scaling steep stairs up into the colourful outdoor terrace of Aladdin’s Lamp.  Whilst feasting on tagines of beef & prunes, chicken & preserved lemon and highly fragrant couscous (not to mention delectable crème caramels), we were able to watch the evening goings on in the town square below. 

After such a long day, the village was not quite ready for “early starters” the next morning, even at 11am. Souvenir shopping would have to wait!  Meanwhile we strolled to the falls outside the city walls (Bab el Ansar) to watch women hard at work washing their winter blankets at the communal laundrette (actually, the stream).  GS and Mrs KIP ditched the lads and made a run for the markets (when they eventually opened) to make sure the taxi back would be stuffed to the gunnels. 

Plaza Uta el-Hammam

Mohammed, who had promised us a “clean taxi with airconditioning” for our return trip, handed us over to the driver of what could have been Mustafa’s very ancient Mercedes from last year.  It was old, it rattled and the brakes burned as we barrelled back down the mountain road towards Smir.  We would make it, inshallah. 

Inside the Medina

From:  La Linea, Spain Lat/Long:  36:09.53N  05:21.35W   Date/Time: 08/06/13: 1200

To: Restingar Smir, Morocco  Lat/Long: 35:45.25N 5:20.518W Date/Time: 08/06/13: 1730
Time Taken: 26nm (4.5hrs) Distance (this year): 207.5nm (33hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 11032.5nm   Weather: W15-20kts; 0.5m swell; cool
Fastest Speed: Sped along under sail (all of the way!!) doing 8.4kts at times

Blue Streets of Chefchaouen

Restinga Smir, Morocco

Itinerary Chefchaouen, Morocco: 5-7th October 2012.  Sail to Restinga Smir, Morocco.  (Also, just be sure WJ3’s really out of the EU.)  Taking time for a ride up to Chefchaouen to walk through blue streets of the walled Medina to the Kasbar… 

Goodbye Gibraltar, let's hope for a good sail south

Second stop on our “hectic” sailing schedule was Restinga Smir, an interesting introduction to Moroccan marinas.  From there we hired an ancient Mercedes, driven by an equally ancient Moroccan, up into the Rif Mountains to the delightful village of Chefchaouen. 

Old Medina walls, so pretty in blue

Artfully balanced beneath steep, grey peaks, the blue & white old medina is just perfect for getting lost in (well, finding yourself walking in circles actually!).  Originally the village was established as a Berber stronghold (1471), from which attacks on the then Portuguese settlement of Ceuta, were launched. Christians were forbidden to enter and those who tried paid the price with their lives. 

I feel a whole new change to our renovations coming on...

Thankfully, times have changed.  Our accommodation, Dar Ech-Chaouen was perfect; more so as it had a pool for a luxurious afternoon swim – well deserved after wandering the heavily terraced medina.  Our Cap’n resumed duties as “bag boy” while GS & BCK peered into every little bolt-hole shop, admiring everything from hand-woven hemp clothing, silver jewellery, woollen blankets and brass teapots.  And it was only week 1 of BCK’s four week stay with us…

Blue on mesmerising blue

We people watched in Plaza Uta el-Hammam over seriously sweet mint tea, commented on how laid back the merchants were in contrast to Marrakesh, then strolled the historic Kasbar and its quaint museum.  Here, GS was able to see some interesting examples of Berber embroidery, while the others strolled through the garden courtyard, marvelling at Moroccan plumbing.

Shops, shops and more shops (this one had dyes)

Later, we admired spectacular scenery as we wound our way back down by car to Smir.  Green valleys, full of life, contrasted with steep, stark peaks of the Rif Mountains.  Soon we reached Tetouan, a larger city at the mountain’s base and were astonished at the number of families who strolled tiny patches of green park, obviously a cherished Sunday evening ritual.  Even more paraded along the waterfront corniche at M’Diq, and quiet Marina Smir had come to life.  WJ3’s crew, tired from all that shopping, left late night partying to the locals and hit their bunks.  Relaxing Chefchaouen proved to be a perfect conclusion to the Motley Crew’s Moroccan sojourn. 

Come on girls!  We have to go.  There's no money left.

From: Gibraltar Lat/Long: 36:08. 963N  05:31.227W  Date/Time: 5/10/12: 1020

To: Restinga Smir, Morocco Lat/Long: 35:45.176N  05:20.542W  Date/Time: 5/10/12: 1440
Time Taken: 34.5nm (4.5hrs)  Distance (this year): 246nm (38.5hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 10483nm   Weather: Winds ESE 6-7kts; overcast    
Fastest Speed: A very calm intro to sailing for BCK; lots of dolphins frolicking about

Morocco Top Ten: Riff Resort

Chefchaouen, Morocco

#4.  Chefchaouen

This blue and white medina up high in the Riff Mountains has won many hearts and minds including ours.  But more on that adventure later when we visit with our friend, Miss BCK….

Seriously Blue and White

Forget the blog, we've got shopping to plan..