Best story ever: donkey, hash, and a Walkman
Plus Moroccan tea culture, hash in the Medina, and second languages
While staying in my favorite hostel in Tangier, I became part of an unlikely threesome for a few days. (No, not that kind ;).
And heard a true story that made me smile for days.
The atual storytelling took place on the hostel’s rooftop terrace where people talk, lounge, eat, drink tea, sleep, etc.
Every day about 1:00 pm, Mohammed (a 30-something local who works there), made the classic Moroccan mint tea for himself and anyone else around.
Here is Mohammed’s tea (see the fresh mint on top?) This is our table on the rooftop terrace.
I’m gonna rave about Moroccan tea now, so hang on…
Did you know that EVERYONE in Morocco seems to know how to make this mint tea that you find EVERYWHERE? And that they make it with care, attention and mysterious fresh herbs??
I mean they don’t just slap a “Moroccan Mint Medley” teabag in a pot and call it good.
The tea isn’t made from mint by itself, but with dried green tea leaves plus other odd herbs in shades of light or deep green, added for special occasions or for reasons I did not learn. Yet.
A waiter pouring my tea at a restaurant in the medina:
Yes, Moroccans pour tea from up high, even at home! Usually a few inches, not the ridiculous height above, but high enough to hear the water burbling.
Even in Paris, my Algerian-born Parisian friend poured tea for me about six inches above the cup and told me it was the “correct” way!
Back to our story:
Somehow a Spanish guy (seen in the photo) and a Swiss guy and I ended up chatting every day for three days straight while sipping the fabulous tea made by Mohammed.
I would laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes.
Let me paint you a picture of these two guys and show you that hostels are not just for people under 30. I regulary met people in their 40s and older, including my friend who is 84!
The Spaniard: same age as me (exactly, we figured out), rough around the edges, speaks French and likes to smoke a little hash and drink some whiskey.
The Swiss: about 40, also smokes (not a little) and is waiting to marry a Moroccan gal. She lives with her family until they get married.
He has some kind of online business that supports him living away from Switzerland.
We spoke French together which worked really well for a couple reasons:
1. Both the Spaniard and I speak french as a second language. It’s easier to understand than a fluent native speaker who uses slang and talks blazingly fast like most french people do.
2. Swiss people speak French slowly!
Before I get to the actual story (yes, it’s coming! ), I must first explain something: there is a whopping big hash trade in Morocco. I think especially in Tangier as it is a port city.
Now hash is illegal, but so what?!?
In fact, Mohammed told me 90 percent of the hostel folks come for a hash vacation, or at least to imbibe while touring. Even though you are not supposed to smoke it at the hostel.
(For reference, I don't smoke anything).
Here is how this plays out for tourists: if you are a man, you get hit up on the streets in the medina (the old city center).
Example: one evening I was walking in the Petit Socco area of the medina with my Syrian friend. We speak English together.
Basically we looked like a European couple. And even though he was with me, he was hit up 5 times for drugs and once for women! I wasn’t ever approached for drugs.
But let’s get back the actual STORY…
The Swiss guy told us the following story about what some local Moroccans did to transport drugs without getting busted.
They loaded up a donkey, put a WALKMAN on it with headphones and a cassette tape, and set it on a path.
When it needed to turn right or left, it heard the directions on the headphones!
When it got to the destination, it got a slice of flan (custard). Who knew donkeys like flan?!?
Then people unloaded the drugs and flipped the cassette, which had its donkey directions for the return trip, and sent it back on the trail.
No lie.
I asked him about five times if it was true and he said yes.
Is this the origin of the term, "drug mule"? 😂
I was sad when those two guys left the hostel.
those random conversations are gold