EUROPE BLOG May 23rd, 2023 - CHEFCHAOUEN

5/23/23- A van is set to pick us up for our daytrip to Chefchaouen this morning at 8am. I ask the hotel about our included breakfast and find it’s also not ready until 8am. Thinking we may be out of luck on eating first, I get a message that the van is running late, which gives us plenty of time to have a few bites and take some with us.

The drive is a long 2 hours and we get some sleep on the way. It’s also raining so we’re hoping it clears a bit to get some clean photos and to not get drenched. Miraculously, almost the moment we arrive, the rain stops. We meet our local guide who takes us to the top of the old medina part of town so we can work our way down.

Chefchaouen is known as the Blue City due to its blue colored buildings and streets. It’s used to ward of mosquitos and became a theme throughout which solidifies it’s culture.

Our guide (who was born and raised here) goes over the history thoroughly while taking us to the best photo spots. We could have walked the city on our own but the extra $20 is well worth the cost.

Cats are also the main theme as they are literally on every street. Kelvin leans down to take a photo of one while another jumps into his lap, and his eyes light up. He’s missed his own for the past few weeks so I’m glad he’s able to enjoy other cats along the way.

After about an hour and a half of walking through town, the rain begins to hit, which gives us time to look at a few local shops and their handcrafted work. Even though we don’t buy anything, they still welcome us with tea and aren’t pushy at all.

Getting close to 1pm, we sit down to eat lunch ordering pasta, beef skewers and a cappuccino. Like before, they freely give us bread and olives that fill us up quite nicely and all for $10 per person. We were told by our guide they take credit card, but cash is the only option. Luckily we came prepared.

It’s now 2pm and time to go back to Tangier. We outlast the 2+ hour trip back and it’s still pouring. Can’t believe that window of no rain worked out perfectly, even our guide made mention of how lucky we are. Once at the hotel, we stay in for the rest of the day enjoying the rooftop and planning out tomorrow. Less than a week remains on this long journey and honestly I’m looking forward to home.

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