“If you see her, say ‘hello’, she might be in Tangier…”
This Bob Dylan song came to me, along with “Boots of Spanish leather,” while crossing the strait of Gibraltar a few days ago. It was no different than any other ferry crossing, just more significant. Leaving Tarifa, Spain’s final beach, for the minarets of Morocco follows the thread of many a famous traveler.
I frequent ferries in Italy, going from the mainland to many of the outlying archipelago. Yet, leaving Europe behind to cross over only 9 miles of open sea to end up in North Africa, has adventure written all over it. Especially for those who swim it.
When I meet fellow Americans traveling abroad here in North Africa, I ask them, “What did you expect to find here?” Almost without exception, regardless of the way they express it, the answer reduced to its simplest terms is: a sense of mystery.
~ Paul Bowles.