Had good sleeps and were up at 6am then down for breakfast at7am- on the road at 8am. Abdulawahab (Ab-Doo-lah-wah-harb) our tour director (he is Moroccan born and bred) has a very dry sense of humour which I like and think he will be great value.
We drove around Casablanca which he said is actually pronounced Cas-a-blonk-a (the French altered it to blank as in ‘white’) and went to a massive mosque built only in 1998. It took 5 years to build and was done all by hand. Apparently Morocco is very open and all religions are respected, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and he said you can wear whatever you like clothes wise too.
There are heaps of Muslim women in the streets wrapped up in the head scarf and wearing tracksuits and caps while out exercising!! 75% if the population is under the age of 35 which makes it a very young city overall (4 million people in Casablanca alone), but no anarchy to be seen. We drove past ‘Ricks Café” from the film Casablanca- nothing to be seen except a lunch bar on the corner of a dirty street though. Graeme cracked up as we drove along, there was a concrete letterbox like structure on the sidewalk that was a urinal- complete with Arab peeing in it!!
Then on the road to Rabat which is the capital of Morocco and they drive so slowly it is funny, but the police can take your license easily so I guess that’s why.
Had lunch in Mc Donalds as directed because Abdul said absolutely not to eat anything that isn’t cooked and No salad unless it is in your hotels. He said McD’s was the only really safe bet! SO no sandwiches this tour?? Now that would make you happy Danni!
On to an unfinished mosque, some of which was centuries old and another which was half way through building when the king Mohammed died and the end of this dynasty left the work forgotten. Inside were 2 marble coffins containing these rulers and always a muslim guard sitting with them to read the Karan. There were guards on arab horses standing out the front which looked fantastic too.
The mosaic tiling in this country is outstanding and many of the walls and floors are decorated in this manner.
Next we were taken to Meknes a city with the only mosque we can go into, it too had amazing tiling and the intricacy of the doors and minarets is fantastic to the eye.
Back on the road and the scenery changed constantly from barren and flat to big hills. There are really no fences, but in some places they have these huge spiky cacti that border the corners of the fields with stock or grapevines etc- very interesting to gaze at. This bus driver (who looks like the easter island rock carvings!) is such a fantastically smooth driver after our last tour with miserable Mike in Britain. He also drives very slowly so you get to see a lot more.
Now we are in Fez for 2 nights in the Ramada hotel- look at the pic of our bed and how wide it is- Gray couldnt even reach it from side to side! Abdul had been telling us that “oh the bed, it will be so teeny tiny”! lol
Funny for the day- Abdula as talking about buying a fez and how it has “testicles hanging down the back” then he realized what he had just said and it was meant to be ‘tassles’!! Ooops very funny.
We have an included dinner tonight with belly dancers, so should make all the guys happy!
Later- OMG! Abdul brought in a lady with the traditional muslim costumes and they pulled us out and dressed us up so that our honeymoon ‘would last forever’ (shrinking in my boots!) Then we were presented with music and the belly dancer to the crowd lol!
We drove around Casablanca which he said is actually pronounced Cas-a-blonk-a (the French altered it to blank as in ‘white’) and went to a massive mosque built only in 1998. It took 5 years to build and was done all by hand. Apparently Morocco is very open and all religions are respected, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and he said you can wear whatever you like clothes wise too.
There are heaps of Muslim women in the streets wrapped up in the head scarf and wearing tracksuits and caps while out exercising!! 75% if the population is under the age of 35 which makes it a very young city overall (4 million people in Casablanca alone), but no anarchy to be seen. We drove past ‘Ricks Café” from the film Casablanca- nothing to be seen except a lunch bar on the corner of a dirty street though. Graeme cracked up as we drove along, there was a concrete letterbox like structure on the sidewalk that was a urinal- complete with Arab peeing in it!!
Then on the road to Rabat which is the capital of Morocco and they drive so slowly it is funny, but the police can take your license easily so I guess that’s why.
Had lunch in Mc Donalds as directed because Abdul said absolutely not to eat anything that isn’t cooked and No salad unless it is in your hotels. He said McD’s was the only really safe bet! SO no sandwiches this tour?? Now that would make you happy Danni!
On to an unfinished mosque, some of which was centuries old and another which was half way through building when the king Mohammed died and the end of this dynasty left the work forgotten. Inside were 2 marble coffins containing these rulers and always a muslim guard sitting with them to read the Karan. There were guards on arab horses standing out the front which looked fantastic too.
The mosaic tiling in this country is outstanding and many of the walls and floors are decorated in this manner.
Next we were taken to Meknes a city with the only mosque we can go into, it too had amazing tiling and the intricacy of the doors and minarets is fantastic to the eye.
Back on the road and the scenery changed constantly from barren and flat to big hills. There are really no fences, but in some places they have these huge spiky cacti that border the corners of the fields with stock or grapevines etc- very interesting to gaze at. This bus driver (who looks like the easter island rock carvings!) is such a fantastically smooth driver after our last tour with miserable Mike in Britain. He also drives very slowly so you get to see a lot more.
Now we are in Fez for 2 nights in the Ramada hotel- look at the pic of our bed and how wide it is- Gray couldnt even reach it from side to side! Abdul had been telling us that “oh the bed, it will be so teeny tiny”! lol
Funny for the day- Abdula as talking about buying a fez and how it has “testicles hanging down the back” then he realized what he had just said and it was meant to be ‘tassles’!! Ooops very funny.
We have an included dinner tonight with belly dancers, so should make all the guys happy!
Later- OMG! Abdul brought in a lady with the traditional muslim costumes and they pulled us out and dressed us up so that our honeymoon ‘would last forever’ (shrinking in my boots!) Then we were presented with music and the belly dancer to the crowd lol!
6 comments:
Had to take a second look to see who the 2 locals were sitting on the couch! In you honeymoon clothes, ow! All sounds like good fun, perhaps Morocco will turn out better than you thought Dins. What are the temperatures like, and are the vehicles air-conned? certainly hope so.
wow that bed is so so so huge!!!
you guys look funny in you costums!lol
love Danni
xoxoxoxxo
Hi Guys- you are on at the same time altho it is late here. yes the costumes are a laugh, mine was very imtricate and detailed (never got a crown before!) and Graeme quite suits his dress thingee!
The muslim woman took us out and did the lalalalala thing like the woman in eatern countries do, like a highpitched indian chant!
Yes Danni the bed is massive- it is 2 BIG singles together I think (havent got in yet!)
The temp is around 22C, just nice and hot and yes the coach has air cond and this driver uses it- yay! There are only 39 instead of TT 49 seats, so heaps of leg room and less people. May be the way to go from now on!
You guys sound like your having fabulous fun!!! Really liked the monkey's and the canceled plane story - thought you handled that very well - bit spooky that you'd watched that program the night before though - dun dun dun dun!
Will keep in touch now I have figured out how!
Paris
Nice..... now are you certain that was the ceremony they said it was??? Maybe it was a fertility rite and you are going to carry quads or something???? One never knows!
I blanched when I read Cath's suggestion about fertility rites and quads.. OMG. Twins - yeah -ok, one each for Da & I to look after, but quads? be sensible!! On second thoughts, can the twins too - (that sounds wrong doesn't it) we're getting too creaky ..
Post a Comment