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Casablanca, the White City. My entry to exotic Morocco.
Have to say she made an early impression. We landed at sunset so it was dark by the time I left the airport. The taxi rank comprised a long line of silver Mercedes, or Grand Taxi's as they are known here. They also come at a grand price!! Despite that, the drivers here appear to use both headlights and indicators, and also seem to adhere to line markings and speed limits. And NO BEEPING!! Very civilised.
My first day in Casa was a bit hit and miss. I got an early start out into the streets, before many of the shops had even opened. I couldnt find a map anywhere so just followed my nose and allowed myself to get lost in the maze of streets, knowing that the hotel was only a short petit taxi ride away. The city is full of patisseries, creperies and cafes. It is very French. It is also very Middle Eastern. The architecture reminds me a lot of Alexandria, only here the people let you go about your business, no hassle. After an hour or so, quite by accident, I managed to stumble down the street the hotel was on. Score!
I did have a lot of trouble communicating though. The majority of people seemed to speak French, though it is meant to be a second language, after Arabic. English is a very poor third. Most dont speak it at all, and those that do, speak it as well as I speak French or Arabic. Looking forward to hooking up with the tour guide!
Speaking of which, last night I met my new tour group, which consists of me and 5 other women. Enough said. Oh, and my new tour guide is named Mohamed. Again. With our intro meeting over we headed out for dinner, but were disappointed to find a largely western menu. We are all keen to get into authentic Moroccan cuisine!!
First official day of the tour today.
The King Hussan 2 mosque is really the only attraction in Casablanca. It is exquisite. And massive. It is the third largest mosque after Mecca and Medina in Saudi, but it boasts the tallest minaret at 200m. It can cater for 25,000 worshippers at one time, and has two sliding panels in the roof that open to the sky.
We were all excited snapping pictures of the gorgeous tiled wall fountains all over the exterior. Then we got inside. I cant begin to do justice in describing the artisan interior. Intricately carved and painted cedar ceiling panels; carved plaster columns, corbels and cornices; tessallated marble floor tiles, titanium door frames, venetian glass chandeliers..... Every surface a jaw dropping spectacle of craftsmanship. It looks more like a palace than a place of worship!!
And that brings our Casablanca leg to a close. Next stop, the 17th century Imperial City of Meknes.
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Karen Fisher Hi my Cherylee, sorry I missed you before you left. You sound like you're having a grand time! You always did have a way with words. Hugs, Fishy.