Assilah, a breathe of fresh air

A few posts ago I mentioned that we drove up to Tangier (starting at 2am on Saturday morning). We dropped off a few friends who were catching a boat across to Spain (flights out of Gibralter are cheaper, so this was a less expensive but time-consuming way for them to travel). On our way back we stopped outside of Tangier at a place known as the Grotte de Hercules, which is an ancient quasi-cave in the side of the coast of the Mediterranean where Hercules lived for a time. As a matter of fact, ancient mythologies claim that Hercules founded the city of Tangier. We've read about this place in classical mythology and history books, so it was great to get to see it.

This is a picture we took looking out of the cave and into the sea. Notice that the rock in the bottom left of the mouth of the cave is shaped like a sitting man--hence, the stories about Hercules resting and living in this grotto (also spelled grotte and grottes...not goatee). It's pretty amazing to think that water and sand has largely shaped this place in such beautiful ways.



On our drive out of Tangier (we were driving back through Rabat and then on to Casablanca) we stopped in a small seaside village named Assilah (my spelling is questionable). This is the perfect little place for an inexpensive and low-key vacation, if anyone is in the market. Assilah is known primarily for its art, which decorates many of its walls. Because of the heavy Spanish influence, the village also has an easy-going, almost lazy feel (in a relaxing kind of way).



Also, while we were in Assilah we inadvertently came across the staircase to heaven. I tried to enter but some guy with a long white beard and a white robe wouldn't let me in. It was really strange. Oh well.


For the remainder of our time in Morocco we'll be living in the apartment of some friends who are out of the country. Compared to our living situations the past month, this next place seems regal. It's a three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath place in a typical neighborhood. Our hope is that we can live in this neighborhood, make friends, learn to survive, and learn more about who we are and what we want to do with our lives.