Morocco
Roches Noires

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    • Day 16

      Casablanca rest day

      March 8, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      Quiet day today after yesterday's unwanted excitement. All we had to do was move hotels in preparation for the start of our tour tomorrow, so we had a sleep in, lunch locally, then caught a taxi to our new hotel near the train station.

      We purchased a new SIM card for Oliver's phone, had a relaxing mint tea at a cafe and a walk around the station precinct, before a shawarmer for dinner.
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    • Day 5

      Moving house

      March 17, 2023 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

      Today is time to leave my Ryad and move to a hotel to join the first tour.

      Before I left I found a post office and posted some souvenirs and an excess drink bottle back home......already!!!
      I've tried to pack light but still don't have room for any excess stuff. So as I had decided to post a box, I found another nice souvenir and actually found a lapel pin with the Moroccan flag. I collect one from every country so now I have the obligatory Moroccan souvenirs, so if I don't get anymore ( no room) I'll be happy.

      My lovely reception lady at the Ryad suggested I get the tramway to my next hotel. It's only 3 km away but a bit of a trek with luggage.
      Turns out it was a great suggestion as both ends of the journey are very close to the hotels. And only 8 dirhams or about $1 AUD. I had a very helpful tram assistant show me how to get my ticket. It's a cardboard ticket but must have a microchip or something in it because you tap on and off like in Australia. Felt right at home. Followed Google maps so I knew when to get off. Hotel Al Walid was right there.
      If I'd taken a taxi I could have ended up anywhere!!

      There's also a major train station here so went to Starbucks for a salad lunch. A bloke came in and looked at me twice and said " you were at the Ryad yesterday weren't you?" I looked at him twice and answered "yes, that's right you were at breakfast!" Nice to be noticed 😂 He's on his way on the train up to Tangier.

      Casablanca has been a cultural immersion for sure. Not just the cultural expectations but the fact the English is not a first language, it's probably a fourth. I was told that there are now more English speaking tourists than French ones now so that might change. English is taught in high school apparently but not high on their agendas.
      I feel comfortable pretending I'm a local and so don't tend to get picked on too much if I look like I'm "on business". Have learnt it's ok to be rude (with a smile) to the men who hassle you for a taxi ride or go into their market stall.

      When people ask where I'm from I show them my kangaroo key chain on my bag and say Australia!! Most people know the kangaroo. "You from Sydney?" Ummm, no.

      Traffic is chaotic with lots of horn bipping. There are many pedestrian crossings but driver's ignore them so crossing a road can be perilous. I generally go with the thought that there's safety in numbers so usually cross with others or if a car actually stops!

      I'm ready to move on and be a part of a group now.
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    • Day 6

      Casablanca

      April 29, 2022 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Der Frühsurf bot Benne und mir eine neue Challenge. Direkt vom Felsen der Insel in das Lineup springen. Bei jedem Wellental ein, zwei Schritte vor am Riff. An der Kante angekommen muss man auf eine geeignete Welle warten, die am Stein bricht, einem die Füße umspühlt und freundlicherweise den Meerespegel auf ein erreichbares Level hebt und dann nurnoch abspringen und so schnell aus der Riffzone rauspaddeln wie möglich. Augen zu und Sprung. Wie immer enttäuscht uns der Pointbreak nicht, dennoch wollen wir auch in ein neues Abenteuer weiterziehen:
      Casablanca. Schon alleine der Name dieser sagenumwobenen Piratenstadt weckt viele Bilder in unseren Köpfen von großen bunten Märkten und einem wunderschönen Hafen, an dem sich tausende Händler unterhalten und gemeinsam mit einem tiefen Seemannslachen die nächsten Routen planen. Dieses Traumreiseziel Nummer eins von Kreuzfahrtschiffen können wir nicht auslassen. Ins Navi tippen wir nur schnell Hafen ein und es leitet uns geradewegs in die schmerzhaft genaue Realität der Stadt: zum Industriehafen.
      Casablanca. Eine 3 Millionen Einwohnerstadt, in der statt zu Blinken gehupt wird, dieses Konzert der Disharmonien nimmt einem den Kopf in die Greifzange. In welcher sich dreimal so viele Menschen als in Köln auf engsten Raum einen Platz suchen. In welcher der Smog schon sichtbare Schlieren vor der nächsten Hausreihe zieht und dich große traurige Straßenbabyaugen angucken. Tausende Autos auf sechsspurigen Straßen hupen sich jede Sekunde ihren Weg frei. Die Stadt wirkt noch fremder, da durch Ramadan keine Cafés oder Restaurants geöffnet sind, wir Bahnen uns hungrig den Weg weiter in die Stadt. Und dann kommt der Königspalast. Eine riesige Fläche die keiner betreten darf nur für die Auffahrt. Eine Fläche der Größe eines Gutshofes nur für einem Mensch inmitten dieser überlaufenden Stadt. Haushohe Bourganvillen und Hibiskuspflanzen ranken sich ihren Weg an der Fassade hoch. Bäume, Blumen und Springbrunnen bilden einen umzeunten und bewachten Park der Ruhe. Gleich daneben ein kleiner Markt unter prunkvoll verzierten Torbögen, in welchem schöne Roben und Kleider dich in allen Farben schimmernd anleuchten. Straßenbäume, die mehr Orangen als Äste tragen. Und auf einmal diese Ruhe, die anscheinend nur für Reiche langt. Genug gesehen von Casablanca.
      Als Ausgleich suchen wir uns einen Spot außerhalb zu welchem man nur über Sandwege gelangt. Direkt am Meer und so wenig Bebauung wie möglich. Hier ist es fast wie Urlaub von der Stadt. Wir machen Dünenweitsprünge und warten über die von der Ebbe aufgedeckten Riff Landschaften, während die Sonne schneller als zu Hause am Himmel herunterfällt.
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    • Day 18

      Casablanca encore

      February 24, 2020 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

      Breakfast at the Passage Souimka - and 2 almond fourrie pour moi!!
      As delicious as I remember - I ask the clerk if he speaks english - his reply , very clearly
      'not very well' - lovely -

      Lunch at Venezia ice (includes ice-cream) on Zerktoni Blvd. --

      We go to Habbous..by olives and some spices - Deb some lovely Berber style earrings-we walk to my pastry shop Moulay Ismail - almond pastries not ready - return downhill for an
      avocado juice (forgot to say no sugar) / coffee -- return for pastries 1kg in 2 boxes - 170mad per kilo.

      Return to Hamam - Im surprised 2 people remember me and my name 'Valerie' how nice to see you - it's been a long time!!

      Home to hotel we are happily relaxed and ready for a quite evening - Deb says the hamam maybe her 'highlight' ..we both had gummage she an additional massage - we are both very clean, relaxed.

      ...mmm seems I've lost my beloved red-hat -- I like it and everyone I travel with likes it because they can find me!!

      February 25
      Tuesday morning - breakfast again at the patisserie and I buy 2 to bring home then we
      walk to the Central Market - although it opens at 7 - there is little activity - shops just beginning to open..we buy spices, organic (huge) dates, walnuts and navel oranges to bring home. We ask for one v.large orange to be weighted 650g!!- didnt buy it.
      Oranges are 12mad per kg...about 1.50cad so about the same price as us - we're about
      1.69
      We've also had two tastes of fresh strawberries about 8mad for 500grams - they were delicious and red all the way through!!

      Our car is ready at 1.30 off to the airport - tickets say Terminal 2 but of course we are
      at Terminal 1 - long walk - 300mad trip to airport.

      It's been lovely much as I remember and I did remember some!
      - much cleaner than I remember, including the medina
      - blue sky clear and goes for miles or kilometres!
      - food delicious
      - one squat toilet in 3weeks!!
      - people helpful and friendly and appreciative of a word or two of arabic
      Hamdalilah - thank God for a wonderful visit!
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    • Day 16

      Casablanca... pour la denier fois

      February 22, 2020 in Morocco ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

      We arrive about noon - harrira at 'la fleur' not the best but available!

      We walk to the old medina - I can't find the vegetable market -- quite busy, We buy
      'mitts' for the hamam...and dodge groups of 'clandestine' immigrants from sub-saharan Africa who are here waiting to find a way to Europe - not loads of them (mostly male) but a bit daunting all the same.
      I do a trial walk to the boulangerie with the best 'fourrie' in Casablanca - about 8min from the hotel - all the doormen are happy to give me suggestions! I make it - ready for breakfast tomorrow!

      We eat dinner in the hotel - we like the food and choice but one restaurant is trying to set a 'certains standard' and the servers are quite 'snooty' -- almost underbearable. The style is the new deconstructed - I have tangi one night - tasty! The millefaille with amalou also
      deconstructed - not quite so impressive.

      HassanII mosque is on our list - we are late starting out but fortunately so are the tours we catch the 10qam english!! - about 20 people in our group. The Mosque never fails to impress - it is beautiful and showcase of all the best workmanship in Morocco -- we go
      from here to the ridiculous Morocco Mall - 100mad and about 20min away -

      The Mall doesn't seem nquite as 'glitz' as when I saw new and the french store AuPrimtemps is no longer here. However lots of people with 'bags' so someone is buying!
      We have a lovely lunch sittiing on the balcony looking at the Atlantic Ocean...really nice.

      Take the Casablanca Tram back to centre ville and hotel - the trip is 8mad and 13stops!!
      A little difficult to see where we should transfer but everyone very helpful - Im following Deb!

      Another dinner in hotel
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