A Tango With Tangier

After our surreal morning, we headed back into Tangier for a local afternoon. Our tour guides showed us around the medina, pointing out the markets and small shops, and then brought us to a traditional Berber pharmacy. I didn't know what to expect for this, and of course they tried to sell us their products (the guy was truly a great salesman as a lot of us ended up buying items - some even had large bags of several things!), but the experience was really interesting. We not only learned about local products and traditions but got to try some of the products ourselves. Black cumin is often used to cure headaches, sinus problems, and colds, and I could see why - it was a sniff of refreshing air, sort of like a mint for your airways. I knew about Moroccan oil, but didn't know there were different kinds. Turns out there is Moroccan oil for sensitive skin, for general skin, and for your face; it's the same oil but pressed differently for each purpose. We got to try scented oils, each with a different purpose. One was with rose leaves, another with orange musk, among others. Some were for soothing stress, others relieving pain. My shoulders and back had been killing me for quite some time so I decided to really slather it on and after a few minutes really did feel a lot better. If only I hadn't flown to Spain with a full plastic bag of liquids -- I would've loved to bring one bottle of that home with me! Another interesting thing we tried was a ginseng oil that you drink a few sips of to improve "laziness." It was tangy for sure, and that alone woke me up!

After our visit to the Berber pharmacy, we had some free time to walk around the medina. We were hungry so of course we checked out the local eats at the markets. Some warm bread and fresh raspberries later, I was satisfied! My friend Emily had 75 cents left and still managed to buy a pizza sized circular piece of bread -- there's also something you can get. I also tried a sip of a friend's Moroccan mint tea and regret not buying one myself.