a whole new world

With the abundance of things to see in the city, it is easy to look past some of the smaller essences that make the city its own. From the moment I stepped foot in Tangier, I've noticed one thing in particular that sets it apart from any other city- the smell.

The city air surrounds me as I walk down the street, past busy people walking by. The culture hugs my body, allowing me to feel welcome to the new city I've arrived in. As I start to feel a sense of comfort within the foreign land I stand on, something completely new hits me. The pungent smell of spices rushes into my nose. Kosher, ginger, black pepper, white pepper, sweet paprika, hot paprika,  cumin, cinnamon, saffron, turmeric, anise, nutmeg, gum arabia, fenugreek, bay leaves, Ras El Hanout. These scents are unfamiliar; so different from the smell of spices at home. Bins are filled with spices along the streets of the city, within the souk and of course behind the walls of the medina. The people, the places, the things all carry the smell with them wherever they go. This is the smell of Morocco. The one things that sticks to the air, reminding me just how far I am from home.