A Traveler’s Tale: How to Survive the Many Modes of Transportation in Morocco

I haven’t written anything on exactly how PCV’s travel around this relatively tiny country and it’s a topic that is quite important to a PCV’s sanity or lack there of… why you ask?...

Well to preface all the information I’ll talk about, let me first tell you about my travels the weekend before last. I decided to meet up with a PCV in the capital of our province which is only about 80 km away from my site. If I could hop into a car and drive at a normal speed, it would take almost two hours to arrive in Azilal. Well… since as PCV’s we are not allowed to drive in country (and where in the world would I get a car anyway), we use modes of transportation that more often than not require lots of waiting and scheduling for waiting time. What should have been a two hour trip ended up being a little over 7 hours. I got into town around 7 pm and was hoping to leave the next morning around 10 am. Almost not worth the trip right? I’d say yes, but to make up for it I stayed in Azilal til the afternoon. The trip back... was 8 hours and a required a little light bending of PCV travel rules… oops. So I hope this little short story sums up the wonderful frustrations one can have while traveling in Morocco. Now let me tell you exactly why my trips were so long…

To have a car in Morocco is a wonderful luxury and in a lot of the small towns and villages that PCV’s live, it’s usually safe to say that most families don’t own a car. But it’s not like these towns are isolated, so how do they get around? Here are the top five ways to travel: 1.Grand Taxi 2.Souk Bus 3.Transit 4.The Back of a Truck 5.Donkey, Horse, On foot even. The preferred and Peace Corps approved means of travel are Grand Taxi and Bus (also train, but that’s only between major cities).

What do I mean by grand taxi? Grand taxis are usually old Mercedis Benz or other big boat like cars. A grand taxi does trips between towns, major cities, basicly anywhere. A lot of waiting can be involved when using a grand taxi, because a grand taxi fits 6 passengers and a driver won’t leave until the car is full or all the seats have been paid for. So if you’re lucky enough to be the 6th passenger as soon as you walk to the taxi stand, then off you go, but if you are the first person wanting to go to a destination (depending on the destination of course) then get ready to wait.

It’s incredible the number of factors that go into the estimation of wait time for a taxi to leave… you have to consider if it’s a place people travel to a lot (say big town like Beni Mellal), what time of day it is (anytime near lunch time… no good), what day of week it is (travel when a souk is going on is usually easier), and yeah all sorts of factors. To give a few more examples… the weekend I went to Azilal as I waited in Oui (the town in between Tag and Azilal) for almost 2 and half hours. During that time I watched as 5 (and yes that’s a lot) taxis went to Beni Mellal. But just last weekend when traveling with David, as soon as we got into Oui from Beni Mellal, we were the last 2 to fill a taxi and off we went. No wait time. I like to call it traveler’s luck. You either got it or you don’t, and it’s a cruel thing that comes and goes. I’ve had the worst luck this past month.

Of course if you had the money to pay for extra seats a taxi will leave sooner, but I tend to use it as a last resort. This is where the rule bending comes in… PCV’s are not allowed to travel when it’s dark. I honestly think it’s a good rule considering the roads have no streetlights in the mountains and yeah sometimes grand taxis are scary enough during the day let alone at night. So the weekend I was stuck in Azilal, I finally got to Oui and was stuck there. I was pushing the last 15 minute window I knew I could leave and get back before dark. Thankfully another person in the taxi couldn’t wait and so we split 3 seats between us. It was a hit to my wallet and the latest I’ve ever traveled in Morocco.

Grand taxis deserve their own blog posting and so I’ll talk just a little about the drivers and then pick up this blog later. I like to think that there are two kinds of grand taxi drivers… the ones who drive like bats outta hell and the lil old grandpa’s with their hands at 11 and 2. I’ve grown to love the crazy drivers, because while at times you think they just might drive right off the cliff, they do save you time. Heck I was a fast driver in the States and I’m still a speed demon here, because when you’re driving with grandpa in a super crowded, hot, stinky, taxi up a mountain and he’s going 10 mph… that’s the worst and takes me to the brink of my sanity. So yes, safety aside I want the guy gunning it up the hills and blaring his horn around the corners so he doesn’t have to slow down. Don’t let my perceived craziness of the driving here worry you, dear reader. Every good story needs a little exaggeration.

And while traveling in Morocco can be frustrating at times, its one of those things that Im getting used to and beginning to enjoy. One time I read 4 magazines while waiting for a taxi. Gotta look for the bright side and my reading and people watching is greatly benefiting from long waits. I will continue this blog soon. These are very important aspects of life that need to be addressed and after that, my wedding and other celebration stories thus far. Believe me there are some quirky customs here.