"In Morocco, I trade you for 200 camels"

Excuse me?

In Granada while out on a tapas tour with other people from the hostel, we were all talking about our travel plans and I mentioned I was going to Morocco. A guy sitting nearby, who happened to be from Morocco, made this comment when he overheard me saying I was going there.

He looks at me, says if I was traveling with that guy(pointing at another traveler), the two of them could trade me like a business deal. Me for 200 camels. "Camels are very expensive," he said.

I´m pretty sure the guy was joking around, but unfortunately we don´t share the same sense of humor.

Whenever I mention I´m going to Morocco, the reaction I get is always very extreme. People either love it or hate it. I´m either going to have a great time, or get traded for camels. I will either get constantly harassed because I´m a woman, or I will get left alone because I´m a woman. Moroccans are both the friendliest people, and also just looking to scam you. I have to say, all of this makes me a little bit nervous.

Fortunately, from what I gather, the people who have hated Morocco, have only been to Tanger and I´m not planning on spending anytime there, aside from walking from the ferry to the bus station.

I did meet a girl who has spent the last 2 years doing Peace Corps in Morocco and so far she hasn´t been traded for camels, so that´s a good sign. Also, she´s going to be in Morocco when I´m there so we may meet up for at least part of my travels.

Right now I´m in Tarifa, the southern most point of Europe, after spending about four days in Granada. Granada was beautiful. I spent one day biking in the mountains, which reminded me a little bit of biking in Palo Alto except the mountains were much bigger. Also saw the Alhambra, an old Muslim fortress. Granada was interesting, because it was a combination of Muslim architecture and a bit of Moroccan culture, with Spanish culture. Thus everything still kept the weird Spanish hours, that I still haven´t quite gotten used to. But there was also a lot more tea lounges and Moroccan shops. Granada was also the most laid back place I´ve been so far, which is saying a lot because all of Spain has been laid back. Everyone I met had gone to Granada with the intention of staying a couple of days, but a couple of days usually turned into a week or more. Granada was also not on my original plan, but I went there on the recommendation of some other travelers and am very glad I did.