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Searching for the crystal shop in Tangier

May 14, 2020 | Michael Turtle | 12 Comments

LITERARY TOUR

Tangier, Morocco

Looking up a hill, I wonder if this could be the one I’m looking for. Is there a crystal shop at the top? Somewhere here in the Moroccan city of Tangier, I’m hoping to find one.

Not that I actually want to buy any crystal, mind you. And not that I expect that the one I seek actually exists. But, in my head, this is the association I have with Tangier.

Somewhere at the top of a hill is a crystal shop with an old man who has given up on his dreams, waiting out his days with a resignation void of inspiration.

The Alchemist in Tangier, Morocco

It’s this reference to Paulo Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist, that I think of as I walk through the old medina of the city.

In case you haven’t read the book yourself, Tangier is where the protagonist, Santiago, arrives from Spain on his way to the Egyptian pyramids on the search for his personal legend. He, however, gets waylaid in Tangier after he is robbed and spends a year working for the man at the crystal shop.

The Alchemist in Tangier, Morocco

Like most of the places and characters in The Alchemist, Tangier and the shop’s owner represent something deeper. They are symbolic of a melancholic routine that does not look for emotional innovation and does not seek the potential within.

Santiago helps the shop grow and gives its owner the means to follow his passion in life.

Paulo Coelho’s depiction is perhaps unfair in reality, although it serves its allegorical purpose. Tangier is, in fact, a bustling city where the constant ferries bring European influences to the entrance of North Africa.

Spanish and French mix with the sounds of Arabic and English. Everywhere people are coming and going, the distant sight of the Spanish coast on the other side of the water a comfort for some, a hope for others.

There’s also a lot of history here and I would recommend using a local tour to get the most out of your time here. One of these might suit your circumstances:

 
The Alchemist in Tangier, Morocco

Paulo Coelho was not the first writer to find inspiration with Tangier. This dynamic blend of cultures in an environment of exoticism brought many Americans to the city in the 1940s and 1950s. People like Paul Bowles, William Burroughs, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Jack Kerouac.

William Burroughs is said to have liked it here because of “the hashish and the boys”. For many of the others, it was more about having a familiar community of expatriates in an unfamiliar world.

This was the age of the Beat writers and the genre flourished in this Western pocket of Africa.

The Alchemist in Tangier, Morocco

One afternoon I take a seat at the Central Cafe in a small square in the heart of Tangier’s medina. A middle-aged waiter with a waistcoat comes to take my order.

He does not look particularly Moroccan but nor does he look like any other particular nationality. He, like the city, is international.

I, terrible at languages and confused by this situation, order a long black in a mixture of about three tongues: “Could I please have a cafe noir grande, por favor, merci.”

The Alchemist in Tangier, Morocco

It’s at this cafe that the American writers of the Beat era would often converge.

Back then, half a century ago, I can imagine it being a slightly more chaotic and authentic experience, loud conversations fighting with a haze of smoke for control of the space beneath the awning.

Now it’s popular with tourists – not because it is much different from all the other cafes in the medina but just because its location on a main central path makes it a natural place to stop for a rest.

The Alchemist in Tangier, Morocco

“Do you want some smoke, some hashish?” a man sitting next to me asks.

I shake my head and smile and think that maybe things haven’t changed too much since the days of William Burroughs… except that it’s quite likely this is some kind of set up or scam.

All over Tangier, I’m constantly being offered hashish. There is nothing exotic or hippy about it, though. It just feels dodgy and annoying.

The Alchemist in Tangier, Morocco

Outside of the old medina, a large and rather modern city has grown. Along the promenade of the main beach, nightclubs and large restaurants proudly proclaim their European influences – in other words, you can drink alcohol here.

In the centre of the city, there are large clean boulevards with busy shops and cafes. This is not the Tangier that I had expected and it’s certainly not the one the writers moved through half a century ago.

The Alchemist in Tangier, Morocco

I’m not going to find my crystal shop at the beach or in the city centre anyway. I’m actually coming to the realisation that I’m not going to find it anywhere. And that is probably a good thing.

Santiago found his in The Alchemist because he needed to – he was on a quest to realise his personal legend and this was a step along the way. I am not on such a quest at the moment and Tangier is not the city to me that it was to him.

Like so many of the people here today, Tangier is just a city for me to pass through as I head further along my travels.

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN TANGIER

The best area to stay in in Tangier is within the medina, where you’ll find some lovely traditional riads.

BACKPACKER

If you are looking for a backpacker option, Tangiers Hostel is a comfortable and friendly place.

BUDGET

For a simple safe budget hotel in town, Hotel Marrakech offers good rooms and helpful service.

BOUTIQUE

With beautiful rooms and a lovely terrace, Palais Zahia Hotel is a real gem in Tangier.

LUXURY

And if you are looking for something with a touch of luxury, Kasbah Rose is a beautiful and bright hotel with great views.

Morocco Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MOROCCO?

See my Morocco Travel Guide

To help you plan your trip to Morocco:

  • My tips on the best things to do in Marrakech
  • Why it’s worth doing a side trip to this seaside city
  • Visit an incredible World Heritage Site used for filming Game of Thrones
  • My suggestions for the best things to see in the Medina of Fez
  • What you’ll find when you explore the blue city of Chefchaouen
  • The grand buildings of the old imperial city of Meknes
  • Finding the new and the old in the capital city Rabat
  • Visit the ancient Roman ruins that are now a World Heritage Site
  • How to deal with touts in Morocco
  • Details about all the World Heritage Sites in Morocco

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a Morocco tour, rather than organising everything on your own. It’s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a ‘Wanderer’ with G Adventures and they have great tours in Morocco.

You could consider:

  • Morocco Kasbahs and Desert (8 days)
  • Highlights of Morocco (15 days)
  • Sahara and Beyond (15 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. It’s not worth the risk, in case there’s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Natalie |

    April 2, 2015 at 8:37 am

    Reply

    I agree – Being offered hasish wherever you go sounds dodgy! Maybe a scam because people would not go to the police after

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:25 pm

      Reply

      I’m sure it’s some kind of scam. Either the police suddenly swoop and you have to pay a bribe to get out of it… or the hashish is just grass or something. Thankfully I have no inclination to find out.

  2. Linda |

    April 2, 2015 at 8:37 pm

    Reply

    Beautiful piece, lovely writing, matched by super pics. I only went to Tangier once, and, because we had little time, we hired a guide who said he would take us to Gore Vidal’s house, which he did (I think) but only to look at the outside! Although I love his books I’m guessing his interests there were possibley the same as Burroughs!

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:29 pm

      Reply

      Thanks for the lovely comment, Linda. I think you can see all the highlights in a limited time so don’t feel like you missed out on anything. And you’re probably right about Gore Vidal… there was a lot of that going on back then! 😉

  3. Sophie @ Sophie's World |

    April 3, 2015 at 8:35 am

    Reply

    Very atmospheric, Turtle. Haven’t been in Tangier in more than 20 years – and all of a sudden, I was back.

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:34 pm

      Reply

      Thanks Sophie. I wonder if it has changed much in 20 years. The medina still feels very ‘old’ but it may have lost its charm a little bit these days (I certainly didn’t enjoy it as much as the country’s other medinas).

  4. Laura @Travelocafe |

    April 8, 2015 at 6:32 pm

    Reply

    It feels like a mythical place.

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 12, 2015 at 1:58 pm

      Reply

      I guess the crystal shop is mythical… which is why I couldn’t find it. That’s probably the point.

  5. Aijika |

    April 21, 2015 at 5:24 am

    Reply

    Nice! Great Post, Another interesting sharing informative about on this blog . Keep it great ! 😉

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 17, 2015 at 4:29 pm

      Reply

      Thanks for stopping by!

  6. Glenn van Zuylen |

    September 25, 2019 at 6:40 am

    Reply

    Once you know the inside of Tangier, it is actually a city to stay. To stay for a very long time, especially if you are american, British or Spanish in origin.

  7. MC |

    November 29, 2020 at 7:13 pm

    Reply

    Another piece of writing by somebody who spends a couple days in Tanger and thinks they can pass judgement on the city making it look exotic and corrupt. You would do well to read orientalism by Edward Said and examine your travel writing to see how it seeks to ‘other’ the subject.

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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