Another Day In Casablanca, Morocco.....

Today in Casablanca began with a decent breakfast in our hotel before we headed out on the road. Because our usual google maps does not work here, Clyde used Waze to find his way around. Before long the Waze lady directed him down an alleyway that really didn't seem fit to be driving on, but there we were with no way out. A local man waved us on through and continued to walk in front of the car to ensure that we got through the maze of narrow streets unharmed. Clyde DID stop to give him a nice tip since he earned it.

This Is A Street For Cars

Look Out....Here We Come

All Types Of Outfits Here

Plenty Of Fruit Everywhere

This Is Our  Savior Who Led Us Out Of The Street

Our first stop was Hassan II Mosque, the 3rd largest mosque in the entire world. This impressive complex of tiled buildings sits in front of the Atlantic Ocean, which today casted an eerie fog over it.
While most mosques are NOT open to non-Muslims this one is ONLY with guided tours. This mosque is SO huge that the inside can hold up to 25,000 worshippers and the outside 80,000. Muslims typically pray FIVE times per day either in the mosque or anywhere they are. Prayer call is done in a song-like type of chant that goes out over loud speakers throughout the city.

Hassan II Moque

Some Of The Ceiling Inside

Granite Walls And Columns

Large Room Where Up To 1,500 Men Can Wash At One Time

Muslims Wash The Face, Nose, Ears, Head And Feet Before They Pray

Women Have A Separate Washing Area

A Public Bath Called A Hammam Inside The Mosque

This One Has Never Been Used Our Guide Told Us

I Am Covered Up Because Women Are Supposed To Have Their Knees

And Shoulders Covered Here....Despite The 100 Degree Heat

When it was time for lunch we headed over to the famous Rick's Café. Inspired by the mythical bar from the 1942 film, "Casablanca," an American woman came up with the idea after falling in love with Morocco. She took the ideas off the silver screen and brought them to life in a real life restaurant. Despite this place being a tourist trap, the food was excellent, the atmosphere lovely with every detail well thought out, and the prices not too bad.

Rick's Café....Casablanca

What To Eat?

Our Waiter Takes My Order

Lunch Is Served

Chicken Topped With Caramelized Onions, Couscous, Vegetables,

Alongside Is Mint Green Beans And Beets, And Bread

Fettuccini With A White Sauce, Mushrooms, Sliced Beef And Bread

Looking Down From Second Floor

Throughout Casablanca there are locals trying to make money. Men and women stand nearby stores, restaurants and tourist attractions offering to help park people for tips. They REALLY do come in handy by stopping traffic while we park and therefore do deserve some money. But since Clyde has no idea what the denomination of money is here, he just hands them some coins. Usually they are happy and offer a word of thanks by saying, "allah." Today there was one man that sputtered something in Arabic. Even though we had NO idea what he was saying, just the tone of his voice portrayed that it was not enough money. Clyde handed him another coin and he smiled and walked away.

Arabic Stop Sign

Not Sure Where This Guy Is From But Gotta Love That Hat

Stopped In This Restaurant To Buy Bottled Water

A Sink For Hand Washing Prior To Eating

Typical Moroccan Food Is Eaten With Fingers Of The Right Hand Only

Moroccan Women All Covered Up Eating

Woman Nearby In Normal Clothes Even Showing Her Shoulders

Loose Spices For Sale At Grocery Store

We did some more sightseeing after lunch then picked up a few groceries to take back to the hotel for dinner. Flat bread, mustard, ham, cheese, salad greens and a tomato and for little money we have some healthy wraps for a quick meal. Morocco is beginning to grow on us and we are enjoying being immersed in a culture so extremely different from our own to broaden our horizons as we travel.....along the gringo trail.

Chaotic Casablanca, Morocco....

From the moment we stepped off the plane in Casablanca, I felt the different attitude all around me. It was almost like I was invisible. Men would step in front of me or try to nudge me out of the way in line. We stopped to buy sim cards for our cell phones but Clyde had not found an ATM yet to get Dirham's, the local money. He asked me to stand there while the clerk was activating our phones while he ran to get cash. There I was with our cart of luggage watching the young lady fiddle with our phones when a Moroccan man stepped in front of me at the counter and began talking to the girl. She said something to him in Arabic and pointed in my direction. Apparently she told him to wait his turn because she was waiting on me.



Our plane landed in Casablanca around 10:30 this morning after a short two hour flight from Madrid, Spain. We made our way through the long lines at immigration, standing in front of mean looking men who barely looked up at us as they stamped our passports. Those that stepped over the red line or approached the agents before it was their turn were sternly scolded. Then we were directed to yet another line where men in suits checked to see that our passports DID get stamped by the grumpy immigration officers



Then we were free to pick up our luggage in a place that looked like a bomb went off and splattered suitcases all over the place. It literally looked as through ALL luggage from ALL planes that landed that morning was dumped onto the floor. There were Muslim women covered from head to toe looking for their bags with babies hanging under their arms. Tourists and others alike searched for their bags too. We were directed from one place to another and really thought we would never be reunited with our stuff again. But finally there in the corner of a large room we spotted our first bag, then the next and finally the last ones.

Being the adventurous type we opted to rent a car here and see the sights of Morocco on our own instead of paying for high priced tours. Clyde feels that if he could drive in Panama City, Panama he can drive anywhere. Eventually we made our way to the rental car desk, picked up our car and took off to find the city of Casablanca. Apparently google maps does not work in Morocco but resourceful Clyde managed to find his way around anyway.



A kaleidoscope of honking cars, tuk tuk's, kids on bicycles, busses and taxi's went whizzing by us, with little regard to any road rules. There were few to no traffic lights or stop signs so moving seemed to be a free for all though the crowded chaotic streets. We made our way to our hotel and were actually wowed by the size and niceness of the room which we booked for around $70 a night.

After resting up a bit we headed out to find some dinner and wander around the streets. While we passed by plenty of cafes and restaurants ALL were full of local men ONLY sitting there facing out to the street, people watching. Where were the women and were they NOT allowed to eat in restaurants with the men?

We stumbled into a crowded souk or market full of clothes, shoes, electronics, food and more. The maze of streets filled with merchandise went on forever and we wondered IF we'd ever find our way out? As in any big city the air was thick with people and the smells of strange foods, trash, cigarettes and other nasty stuff. We pushed our way through the crowds, dodged cars whenever we crossed the streets since there are no traffic lights here, and mingled with the locals.



The people here seem way to serious and really NOT happy about life. This is a man's world where women are second class citizens, or so it seems to us. According to their tradition and beliefs, women are not allowed to show their shoulders, knees or much of anything else. Visitors must respect their values and while I will NEVER blend in, or look like a Muslim woman, I will cover my knees and shoulders while we are here.



As for dinner we played it safe and came back to our cushy hotel to eat in their restaurant. The choice was a buffet of mostly fresh cut vegetables, rice, sauces, chicken, soup and fruit. It was a delightful array of healthy, fresh food that tasted great.



As our first day of Morocco comes to a close we realize that the next few weeks are going to open our eyes and senses to many new things. A whole new world to explore, taste, embrace and experience as we explore the North African Kingdom of Morocco.....along the gringo trail.

The Historic City Of Segovia, Spain......

The city of Segovia, Spain is located in the region of Castile and Leon in the province of Segovia. Just a little over an hours drive outside of Madrid, we set out to explore this picturesque, hill top village. Segovia was founded in 1076 BC by Hercules and later taken over by the Romans who built the famous acueduct that still stand today. The whole town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site meaning it has significant importance. The town lies on the main route of The Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage that crosses Europe ending at the tomb of St. James in in north-west Spain. The "camino" gained worldwide attention in the 2010 movie called, "The Way," that features an unlikely cast of characters who decide to make the arduous journey.

Upon approach to the city it is the massive, well preserved acueduct that takes center stage. This marvel of engineering consists of 25,000 granite blocks held together without any mortar. It spans 818 meters with more than 170 arches, the tallest being 29 meters high. If that wasn't amazing enough we merely had to turn the corner for our next impressive view.

Roman Acueduct

Up Those Stairs We Go

The Alcazar is a royal palace built on a stone peninsula between two rivers was perhaps built in 1122, although no one is really sure. Its fairytale good looks make it the most visited castle in all of Spain. Many believe that it was the Alcazar that gave Walt Disney the idea to built Cinderella's castle in Walt Disney World using a similar design.

The Alcazar Palace

My Knight In Shining Armor?

Ok Someone Who Works There

The Segovia Cathedral is the last Gothic cathedral to be built in Spain in 1768. It is considered to be a masterpiece in Basque-Castilian design and is known as, "the lady of cathedrals."

Segovia Cathedral

The entire city of Segovia is gleaming with medieval architecture around most every corner. The old walls that surround the city were originally made up of granite blocks along with reused gravestones from the old Roman necropolis.

Sights Around The City

Designs On Building Wall

These were just a few of the many historical stops throughout the city while there were others that we missed visiting. Our trip to Segovia was a nice change of pace from the big city life of Madrid, and something we will long remember as we contine......along the gringo trail.