Al Dar al Baida
Trip Start
May 26, 2012
1
5
Trip End
Jun 25, 2012
Where I stayed
What I did
Casablanca, Morocco
Sunday, May 27, 2012
After clearing customs and finding SIM cards for our phones, Emma and I made a dash for the nearest cafe for breakfast and coffee. We then picked up our rental car, a beautiful Kia "Picante," and then waited for Kate to arrive from Madrid. Though she paid less for her flight, Kate somehow ended up in business class on Iberia Airlines, and looked well rested when we picked her up.
Driving into Casablanca was an adventure in itself. We had printed directions, but failed to realize that hardly any of the crowded streets of the city had signs or even names. To make matters worse, there were no lanes, stop-lights were optional, and the street had to be shared with donkeys, pedestrians, handcarts, and the like. We eventually found our hotel by asking other drivers along the way. Needless to say, it took a while. Once we had checked in and parked, we went to see the tallest building in Morocco, the Hassan II Mosque. The mosque was beautifully decorated, and enormous. Apparently it can hold 25,000 worshipers inside and another 80,000 on its grounds. It has glass floors so you can see the water as you pray, and features a laser beam which points toward Mecca from the top of the minaret. Unfortunately, we missed the daily tour times for non-Muslims, but I was able to sneak into the "men only" entrance and snap a few photos with a guide.
After the mosque, we walked through the colonial city of Casablanca, to the Place Mohammed V, which was designed by Prost and features many of the city's government buildings and courts. We then visited the Habous quarter, which was built in 1930 by the French as an idealized Moroccan marketplace. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel to find the pool, which it turns out was a figment of my imagination. Disappointed, Kate decided to go to bed (it was 7:00pm). Emma and I walked around for a bit, and found a very authentic Moroccan pizzeria where we ate and sampled the local brew.
Comments
I FOUND SPAULDO!
what do you mean you found spauldo?
You'll find out soon enough. MWUAHAHAHAHA!