Magical Morocco

I arrived in the famed city of Casablanca on Saturday. I have never seen the movie all the way through, but I can say it was not what I was expecting. It was a hot, very developed but basically a nondescript place. Obviously our tour company didn't see much cultural value in the place as well. We spent the night there and hit the road early the next morning. We did make one stop on the way out of town at the largest mosque in the country, Hassen II. It was exquisite in its carvings and decorations. We are traveling during Ramadan, so the Muslim rituals and customs are very much in the forefront in our discussions and interests as a group.

Our first destination was the capital city of Rabat. We were taken on a guided tour of the exterior of the Royal Palace and the mausoleum of Mohamed V. Both again showed off an amazing level of detailed carvings and artwork. The blend of Arabic and Moorish qualities are beautiful. There are layers upon layers of marble and plaster carvings. Then it is interspersed with mosaic tile work that is all hand chiseled.

In many cases the building and craftsmanship was completed in astonishing time frames as the workers were on site 24 hours a day. The work is incredibly consistent as well. It would be amazing to see that quality of work put into buildings in North America today.

We were also taken to our first Kasbah. Which is apparently a city within a city. The one in Rabat had been a garrison, but now seemed to be more of a hippie community (if such a thing can exist in an Arab country). This one overlooked a beautiful beach on the Atlantic coast. The locals were having a great time in the surf. I can honestly say that I didn't expect to see surfers here - but why not. The surf looked great.

We stayed over in Meknes, an imperial city. The first of four we were going to see. In the morning we were on our way to Fez, with a stopover in Volubilis. Volubilis was an ancient Roman city. The number of intact mosaic artwork was impressive. Many of the houses still had enough definition to understand where the individual rooms had been. Again, I was taken aback by the openness of the ruins to the public and the elements. In North America I would expect to see something like that completely sealed up and visitors kept at a secure distance. Thankfully that is not the case here.

Fez has been a highlight so far. It has a medina (ancient walled city) that is a wonderful labyrinth of alleyways. It is a complete city unto itself with plenty of industry to keep a strong local community thriving. In fact, the population has boomed enormously in the last thirty years. We weaved through the Medina with a local guide who had grown up on its twisted streets. He kept up a feverish pace so by midway through the day most of us were pretty tuckered out. We had been taken to several Arab outlet shops. That is where the guide gets a bit of a kick back when his tour buys. Therefore the price is never quite as good as you could get on your own.

We had spent two night in Fez. Which allowed us to get a better vibe for the city. With Ramadan on the city comes alive when the sun sets. At seven o'clock the fast breaks with a quick drink and snack and then evening prayers takes place. Afterwards, everyone has their breakfast and comes back to life after their long day of no food or drink. There was a long boulevard near the hotel that seemed to be a meeting place for festivities. Many people strolled along the wide sidewalks, or sat at the tea houses catching up with friends and family. Even young children were up late playing in the fountains and taking in the action. Much of the activity went on well into the night as people stayed up to make the most of their time to eat and drink. Another long day of fasting awaiting them at the next sunrise.

Today we made our way south past the Middle and High Atlas. We are now settled into our Sahara section of our tour complete with local Berber accommodation, music and hospitality. This reminds me of my recent experience in the Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Which was a significant highlight, so I am excited to see where this opportunity will lead. However there are two camel rides in my not too distant future, not my favourite thing to do by far. Fingers crossed I will survive the hard humps!

Note: Photos to follow. Morocco is not known for its Internet service so uploading is proving to be a real challenge.