Morocco How To #4: Travel

As it approaches the holiday season in America most of you will be traveling for one reason or another.  I thought I would give you an idea of how travel is done in Morocco.  This will give you an insight of what it is like for both Moroccans and PCV's.  This will only cover grand taxi travel and souq bus travel.  There are also regular buses but that just seems to easy to have to explain it.  That two hour drive you have to make to see family will seem like nothing after this!

How to Part A: Grand Taxi Travel
#1: Find a spot on the road or walk to the nearest taxi station and wait for a taxi to pass by or fill up.  Remember that in a grand taxi two people sit in the front with the driver and four people sit in the back.
#2: Strategically place yourself in the taxi.  For a woman this means, put yourself so that you are next to a window or next to other women.  Keep in mind that the worst seat is the middle seat in the front.
#3: Depending on the size of the other people traveling with you you may be required to put your arm up on the backseat, lean forward or sit on your side.  The elderly are less likely to make room for you to fit and don't underestimate the hips on that Berber woman!!  Secret tip: sit down and don't be afraid to hold your ground.  Otherwise you may end up incredibly uncomfortable.
#4: For long distance grand taxi travel, be prepared to shuffle around frequently as body parts go numb or other passengers move.  Don't be scared to fall asleep on your neighbors shoulder because if you don't do it first, they might beat you to it!
#5: For those traveling with large bags or packages, do not be surprised if your bag or packages shares space in the trunk with livestock.  They are well trained and most likely will not eat through the fabric of your backpack or go to the bathroom on it. Also, don't forget your bag or package as the taxi most likely will speed off once they see you walk away.
#6: For grand taxi's that travel a short distance but handle a heavy traffic of people, be ready to get out and get back in frequently.  As listed in step #3, don't be afraid to claim a spot.  Even if it requires you to get out and back in every few seconds, you'll be happy you're not in the middle of the two men who look a little too friendly.
#7: There is no starting and stopping etiquette.  For example, if someone requests a stop close to yours do not feel obligated to get off as well.  Go ahead and make him drive the extra 3 feet before asking the driver to stop again.  No one will judge you.
#8: Paying.  If you are leaving from a larger taxi station, there will usually be a guy in charge of collecting money.  Most times you do not pay until you reach your destination.  If you do not know the cost, agree on one before getting into the taxi.  Some taxis will even have a list of charges on the dashboard.  Do not hesitate to argue if the price does not seem right.
Congrats!  You have survived your grand taxi ride!

How to Part B: Souq Bus Travel
#1: Walk to your nearest bus station, stop or a good looking spot on the road.

• If walking to a bus station, tell the men calling out names of towns where you want to go and they will walk you to a bus and handle the money to get you a ticket.  Be prepared to wait up to two hours as the bus fills up.
• If walking to a bus stop, wave down the bus as it approaches.  You are not guaranteed a seat and you may be standing for awhile if it is a busy bus route.  Even if you do not have a seat, you are still required to pay.
• If waiting on the side of the road, be prepared to wait for awhile until a bus passes that is going where you want to go and stops for you to get on. 

#2: Seats are not assigned so look for a seat that is not in the sun, has a curtain to close in case you end up in the sun, is strategically located next to a window that opens or has a working air conditioner vent.  Also check for broken foot and arm rests, broken seats that are always in recline or that the bottom may slip forward every time the bus is required to stop.

#3: Traveling with a buddy is recommended but not always possible.  When traveling alone, look to sit next to a friendly woman or a respectable looking older man.  Stay away from teenagers, people eating sunflower seeds or crumbly food, all too friendly young men and families with babies.  For women traveling solo on souq buses, one way to avoid awkward conversations with the all too friendly young men, wear a fake wedding ring.  Make sure that when you talk about your 'husband' you give him a solid Muslim name like Mohammed otherwise they will tell you that you need to marry a good Muslim man.  

#4: For those traveling with larger bags or packages, you will need to put them under the bus.  Usually you will be charged a 5 dirham fee for this service.  Make sure to check on your bag on longer stops or as you're waiting for a bus to leave a station.  Try to keep valuables with you on the bus.  As with grand taxis, do not be surprised to see livestock traveling under the bus with the luggage.  

#5: On longer souq bus routes, there will be longer food stops and other stops.  However, you can never tell when those stops will be made so come prepared with snacks.  There are no bathrooms on the bus so control your liquid intake.  Plastic bags are readily available for those who get car sick.

#6: If not traveling to the final bus destination, be careful to pay attention to where you are.  Names of the stops are not called out and it is easy to miss your stop if you fall asleep on the bus.  People are willing to wake you up if you tell them where you are going and also able to help if it is your first time traveling to the destination.  

#7: Souq bus travel is usually loud from multiple people talking on the phone, different sources of music, small children crying, unusually loud bus engines and different forms of body noises.  Bring an ipod or something to help drown the noise out.  Also extremely helpful if you sit next to someone who wants to talk the whole way and you just can't talk in Darija another minute.  

#8: The last thing to remember when traveling by souq bus is that tickets are bought before getting on the bus or immediately after getting on for those joining the adventure after the initial station.  There are ticket windows at the stations where you will get the correct amount.  The men who are calling out the names of towns do not always work for the company that you end up on and do not always give the right price.  If it seems sketchy, don't be afraid to ask someone else. 

Congrats!  You have survived your souq bus travel!!

I hope this helps you readers to understand what it is like for us when we travel.  Even though some of the places we go look extremely close on the map, it may take a long time to get there.  Travel in Morocco can be long and tiring but it is all part of the adventure.  Day trips sometimes mean, four hours to get there, an hour there and then four hours to get back.  Makes that two hour drive seem like a piece of cake doesn't it?  Hope you all have a great holiday season and safe travels to those of you traveling to be with family and friends!!!