Morocco: Busy Casablanca

Still alive in the heat..


And here comes some more subjective reflections from my travelling;

It is a bit cooler than Marrakech since Casabanca is by the sea.

The city is big; busy and with intense traffic. Acctually most I talked to adviced me not to go to Casa but to choose nicer and more tourist friendly destination, like Essaouira or Agadir... but since the bus tickets to Essaouria were sold out I jumped on the train to Casa.

I have to admit it is not a beautiful city and the poverty is widespead.
Here it means a lot that you give an extra tip to the cleaner at your hostel or to the waiter at the cafe. Acctually a small gesture like that will give you much more than it costs you when you see the happy face expressions on some faces.

My hotel is very simple... costs less than 8 E per night: On the other hand there is no shower included and if you are too sensitive of small creeps it is not a good idea to stay in one of those cheaper hotels here in the Medina. There are several cleaner and nice ones that cost you about 20-30 E per night.

The second biggest Mosque Hassan 2, in the world, after the huge Islamic Mecka, is here in Casablanca at the Atlantic cost side. It is yet to be discovered today.

The mentality is harder here than in Marrakech. It is bigger, more elitistic and city-like whereas at the same times the poverty seem to be more obvious. The contrasts are big. While there might be a huge luxorious hotel in one city street there is still a very poor and dirty street just next to it. People at the poorer quarters seem to have less understaning for strange tourists who dress unrespectfully... and I even got hit by a man yesterday ...probably cos of my shorts and top, that looks western indeed. Well; after that experience I do not walk those worst quarters anymore if not necessary.

According to the guide at the tTourist office this attitude difference between Casablanca and Marrakech is cos of the fact that the tourism has not really reached Casablanca yet. It first came to Marrakech - which probably is the most famous city at this point. By the way, the so called Tourist office is a small glass box that was not open til the 4 th time I went there... There were a couple of thin prospects you could get from there but no map of the city itself was available.

Tonight I am gonna meet some local females and stay at their place before I backpack forward with train to the capital Rabat.

Alja