Day 16 - Tangiers - Mokhtar’s home and the beach

July 19, 2018

Today is our last day in Tangier and we decided to take it easy. We are getting tired of doing different things every day. We woke up late, had a nice late breakfast, finished doing some more laundry. I can’t believe that I have even enjoyed doing laundry -- well, it's amazing what you can do when you are not in a rush!

At 2:00pm, our taxi driver from yesterday, Mokhtar, came to pick us up as he had promised. I honestly thought he wasn’t going to show up. I was used to people inviting you over but not really meaning it. I was also hesitant to go to his house because of my wild imagination and my upbringing of not trusting strangers. We found out later that the poor man was waiting outside for an hour. I had said 1:00pm and there he was waiting with his 4 year-old in his personal car because it was his day off.

He drove us to his house, near where we were yesterday, the Cave of Hercules. We arrived and the rest of his family came to welcome us. We were all moved and happy to be there. He introduced his wife, his twin boys, and another lovely brunette daughter. His wife showed us around the house which was a decent size. The entrance room had a couch, a TV and a mat where we left our shoes. The main room was big and fancy with a long couch that covered the three walls around the room. I asked our host why and he said that’s were the family meet for parties and weddings. The master bedroom had only a queen bed. We didn’t see the children's bedrooms which were downstairs. There was also a bathroom and a good size kitchen with a stove. It smelled delicious.

We sat in the main room and a short time later, the wife brought a large dish piled high with couscous, chicken, and cooked vegetables. She placed it in the center and then she gave us each a spoon. We all looked at each other and I said, “dig in.” All 10 of us ate from the same dish, which we thought was odd, but OK. There were no forks but they told us to use our fingers to grab the chicken. The dad stayed in the kitchen cutting the fruit for dessert. Sunshine and I were in heaven with the sweetest watermelon we have ever had. They brought small dishes with honeydew and cherries. After eating, we sat for a little while trying to have a conversation without the dad, who by the way, was the only one who spoke some Spanish, some English and some French. Gregory helped with Google Translate, but we mostly communicated using facial expressions and gestures. Moms are moms all over the world!

The food was delicious and we try to compliment the mom. Mokhtar said, “my wife eats a lot.” I told him that it was normal because she was eating for two and I touched my belly, They thought this was very funny.

Mokhtar seemed very proud of his family and his house. He also shared that his wife was pregnant with the 5th baby! After a while, he took us up to the roof to see their chickens and dove. Daniel loved this part and played with them. After that, we walked down the street to see his other house which he is building little by little. He told us that he loved to work on his land and dug out a dozen or so potatoes and onions for us to take home. I declined and explained that we were leaving the next morning. He insisted and told me to pack them to take to Spain. It was after 6pm but it was still very hot and he wanted to walk to the beach. He saw our reaction and said: "OK, I take car. Let’s go home." We walked back to his house, had some water and got in the car. Of course, we couldn’t fit two families in his old Jetta so he offered to do two trips. Daniel stayed behind with the rest of Mokhtar's family. I thought he was going to be upset but he was fine.

After a while, we were all finally at a beach called Achakar. The children knew where to go, Sunshine and I were just following the little girl. Mokhtar seemed to know a lot of people. He talked to the locals who had sat us at a table on the rocks above the water with an amazing view of the ocean! Of course, they brought fresh sardines that they caught and grilled in front our eyes.
No one in my family eats a lot of fish, but I’m very proud to say that we all tried it and kind of liked it, except my picky eater, Daniel. They also brought baguettes and a delicious Moroccan salad made of chopped and seasoned cucumbers, onions and tomatoes. We were not that hungry but we managed to finish two orders of it between the two families. Gregory was itching for a drink but of course, there was no alcohol! Mokhtar laughed and offered him some Moroccan whiskey, which Gregory knew meant mint tea. We hung out there for a while, watching the fishermen while the children played. It was a very pleasant and relaxing afternoon.

At 8:00pm, with sunset still a couple of hours away, I finally started to think about our departure the next day and asked Mokhtar if we could pay for the fish and of course, he said no. He said there were his friends and that it was ok. We then drove back home around 8:30pm when a lot of local Moroccan families were arriving at the beach when it was nice and cool. On our way down, he offered us to drive us to a beautiful park near the royal palace which was also buzzing with locals but we said we were ready to go home. We hired him to take us to the airport the next morning. We went to get some groceries for dinner and breakfast and then we headed home to finish packing. It was a wonderful day, and we leave Morroco with a big smile and a full heart. The hospitality and giving nature we experienced was more than I can say with words. It was a great learning experience for all!