A Slice of Life
Bill Lites
Day 7
The next morning after breakfast there at the hotel, a professor from the local Abdelmalek EssaâdiUniversity (ENSA) came and talked to us about the Islamic influence on Moroccan life. He told us about his own modernized family, and how most of the Muslim world are not extremists. He emphasized that most of them only want to live a trouble-free life, as we do. I’m sure this presentation had been hurriedly arranged by the Moroccan government to give our tour group, and all Americans visiting their country, a feeling of security after the recent 9/11 attacks.
After that informative presentation, we packed our bags so we would be ready to head back to Spain after our morning adventures. We were offered an opportunity to take a quick trip thru the bazaar again, and we jumped at the idea. It was in the bazaar this time, as we finished our shopping at one of the small shops, that the owner approached us and said, “Please come back, we need you.” I guess the working-class people were already beginning to feel the effects of the global shutdown of tourism.
After the quick trip thru the bazaar, we were taken to a local café, there in Tangier for a wonderful lunch (with Moroccan rhythms playing in the background). We were always so pleased to know our tour company had contracts with the local cafés and restaurants where we took any of our meals, assuring us that all food and water was safe for our consumption (no side effects).
After lunch we boarded our bus for the short trip from Tangier back to the ferry landing. Our Program Director was pleased that we had all had a good time and again drew our attention to several points of interest, as we made our way north along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. A boy and his donkey was there to bid us ‘Fair Well’ and to ask us to come back soon.
It was another beautiful clear day, and we enjoyed the 1½-hour ferry trip back to Gibraltar. On this ferry trip from, Morocco back to Spain, DiVoran got really thirsty and purchased a bottle of water from the snack shop there on the ferry. We didn’t think anything about the water not being pure since it was sealed but, upon later thinking, the safety procedures for that bottled water may not have been as stringent as those in the U.S.
Our bus was waiting for us at the ferry landing in Gibraltar. On the ride back to Torremolinos our group was treated to another one of our Program Director’s discourses on the various points of interest we may have missed the day before. We arrived at the Bajondillo in time for a short rest before dinner at the Cetus Restaurante’. It was really good to be back at the Bajondillo where we could unpack our things and sleep in our own bed tonight.
—–To Be Continued—–
Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 64 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing. He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville. Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.
One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is: John 10:10
Old Things R New 
This is wonderful. You even have a cliff-hanger about the water. I’ll be looking forward to see what happens next.
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