Fai Tira Blog

Fai Tira in Smir Saturday and Sunday 17-18/10 35:45.12N 5:20.49W

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This weekend the BWR team organized a rally to Smir in Morocco. We left Gibraltar at 8.30am on Saturday.  The forecast was for a fresh easterly wind.  I was invited to join David and Susan on Enchantress for the trip.  This gave me the opportunity to relax and not have the responsibility of being skipper.  We have a great crossing of the strait of Gibraltar towards Africa dodging the commercial shipping. 

            Not so close. This boat is actually at anchor.                                     David and Susan on Enchantress

We arrived in Smir put our clocks and watches back by two hours and immediately got involved with African bureaucracy.  David had to fill out forms in triplicate being the skipper of the boat.  We left the customs dock and moored up and Susan provided lunch for us. 

                        Enchantress in Smir                                                                                       Me at the helm.

A coach was waiting to take us into the city of Tetouan.  When we arrived we greeted by an English speaking guide and two plain clothed policemen and number of wiper inners.  We followed the guide though the souk, which was amazing.  The sights, sounds and smells were overwhelming.  The narrow alleyways were packed with people selling everything from live animals to TV’s. 

                                    Fish with fly’s.                                                                                     Pot shop.

                                                Nuts.                                                                                        Silk shop

There was even a shop selling rocks!!  

                        Narrow alliways.                                                                                 Rock Shop.

We were later treated to the sight and very very horrid smells of a tannery which still used urine to tan the hides. 

                                    Tannery                                                                                   The smelly bit.

Next was the obligatory visit to the carpet shop where we were treated to a not so hard sell carpet sales man who was quite entertaining.  I don’t think anyone actually bought a carpet. 

                        Carpet shop                                                                                                    Boring.

We then visited an herbalist shop which did a lot better out of us selling all sorts of remedies for all sorts of aliments.  I actually bought some cream that cures everything that you have wrong with your skin.  I hope works on my wart!!  Later was a traditional Moroccan evening meal with live entertainment. 

                                    Traditional Meal.                                                                     Entertainment.

Morocco is a Muslim country so no alcohol was available.   David who is a malt whiskey connoisseur had an answer to that so it was back to the boat and a bottle of Talisca. 

The next day we had no wind what so ever so we motored back to Gibraltar in glorious sunshine and flat seas arriving back at about 6.00pm.

                                    Local Fishermen                                                                     Bye Bye Africa

Bye for now. 

Pete and John