So Morocco - I started off in Casablanca as this is the main airline hub in the country. It does not have a whole lot else to boast about, from what I can see. It claims to be Morocco's city of culture, but it gives more the impression of a regional administrative and military base. I still enjoyed my day-and-a-half here, simply because I was in Africa.
A beautiful full moon welcomed me at the airport and a slightly bedraggled but efficient train (Dublin take note!) took me into the city.
It wasn't a difficult transit, but the fact that the train station platforms have no signs and that there are no announcements made was completely alien to the spores of Japanese efficiency that must still be clinging to me.
The initial impression on arrival is more of France than anything more exotic, truth be told. I wasn't complaining though - it was comforting to be able to speak some French. I've been amazed at how much has come back to me, as I really thought my time in Japan had made me completely forget the language. I guess after Japanese and my continuing fruitless struggle with German, French feels a walk in the park.
A new country and whole new bunch of national costumes to get used to. Way more people wear the djellaba hooded (and often tassled) gown and the pointy balgha slippers than I was expecting.
My sense is that Moroccans are happy and proud to be who they are. And maybe that's what makes them some of the friendliest, most helpful people I've come across. I've felt welcome, safe and un-threatened at almost all times here so far.
To be honest, the scariest experience of the trip by far has been trying to cross the roads in Morocco. There are precious few lights, no apparent rules, and a multitude of vehicles (car, bike, moped, donkey and cart, camel) coming at you at various speeds and from various directions. You really just take your heart in your hands every time. But so far, no accidents and only one close scrape: I had to have a bit of a shaky sit down after a 'petit taxi' came out of nowhere and just missed me.
I swore not to take a single taxi while I was here as a result of that little scare, but of course I couldn't stick to my pledge in a city where the two main stations are miles apart and there is no direct service running between them. It was funny, I was afraid of getting ripped off and asked the hotel staff what to expect to pay for my trip. The final bill didn't even come to half what they said, so I gave a big tip. Of course, the driver did pick up and drop off a whole other passenger along the way without once asking permission or acknowledging this action to me. But what was I going to do. So I just smiled and wished my fellow passenger 'Assalamu alaikum'. (Full discolsure: whenever I try to use this greeting I have to physically restrain myself from saying 'Shamalama Ding Dong' instead - damn you, Community!)
Casablanca has lots of boulevards and avenues lined with tall palm trees. It also has a strong terrace cafe culture, and I am happy to say that almost all of my meals in Morocco have been al fresco.
But Casablanca nonetheless has a very crumbly aspect to its backstreets, as you can see.
But I think the standard of living in the cities might be relatively high - you can see these run-down homes still boast satellite dishes.
There are a lot of beggars on the streets, though. They are not at all forceful and will give you your space - unlike in many Asian countries I've been to - and the strongest advance they will make is a 'Bonjour, Monsieur'. Still, I know this would made it a difficult place for many more compassionate people than me to enjoy travelling in.
Coming from Abu Dhabi, the place also doesn't feel that Islamic. I thought Friday-Saturday would be the weekend here - as it is in the Middle Eastern states - but Morocco follows the same weekly calendar that we do in Europe. Also, though there are mosques throughout the city, they do not seem to be the centre of daily life and I do miss the call to prayer a little.
However, the most famous (cruel people would say 'only') sight in Casablanca is a mosque - the Mosque Hassan II. You can see the architectural style is quite different to the one in Abu - a simple retangular tower and plain body construction is adorned with intricate tile work.
You might also see in the last picture that these two men are holding hands as they walk to the mosque. It's quite a common sight to see in Arab countries. It reminds me of how South Korean women often hold hands as they walk through town. Such behaviour would draw stares in Japan (and possibly Ireland). Again, it shows that any idea of what constitutes normal really depends on who you're asking, and being reminded of this is one of the great benefits of travelling.
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