EUROPE BLOG May 25th, 2023 - CASABLANCA

 

5/25/23- It was a good night’s sleep (although the morning prayer is heard around 4:30am). We leave around 11am and walk toward the medina markets. I’m skeptical about this area as I read that it’s not nearly as good as other cities in Morocco and can seem very invasive regarding the type of locals there.

Once we get there, the reviews were right as the smell is just horrid and food stands look anything but tempting. I also don’t dare to stop and look around for too long as people are ready to hound us every time we do. It’s definitely not a place to enjoy (I mean who sells a used toilet on the street), but it’s a means to an end to get to our next destination of the mosque.

The walk takes around 35 minutes from the hotel to get to Hassan II Mosque and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s located right off the Atlantic Ocean shore and very quiet compared to where we just came from. The subtle breeze also helps cool us off from the 75 degree sunny day beating down on us.

We get our tickets ($13 US each) and are amazed with the size of the complex as we approach. I know it’s not even noon but it baffles me there’s hardly anyone around (our pictures are so clean of people it makes me wonder).

I see stairs leading into the mosque that lead to underground baths of a sort (not sure exactly what it’s used for) and soon find another set of stairs leading into the worship area itself. At first I’m just taking photos and enjoying the large, open space before realizing other people inside have their shoes off. Immediately, I take mine off and hold onto them, but not long after I’m approached by security escorting me to an English-speaking guide for interpretation (all while pointing at my shoes).

Turns out, we entered through the back of the mosque and he needs to check our tickets to confirm everything. Once he does, he hands me a bag to place my shoes in and allows me to carry on. Kelvin isn’t so lucky as they make him exit and go in the correct way.

I’m in awe over the high ceilings and grand detail as it’s definitely a marvel in itself. Ready to move on, we check out the small museum before walking around the complex to the shoreline.

There are locals swimming next to the mosque but not much else, so we continue walking the shore while enjoying the peace and quiet. That is until realizing we’re walking toward a dead end, and to backtrack would be a 25 minute walk around. Being presumptive, we keep on hoping there’s a path not on our GPS and we find one that ends with a barricade just short enough for us to climb over, thankfully.

This takes us to the marina, which has a large, clean modern mall. We grab some food, rest our legs for a bit and then walk the remaining 20 minutes back to our hotel. We try to find souvenirs along the way but only see some magnets which we’re not too interested in.

We end the day ordering pasta and a sandwich from our hotel, "Here's looking at you, kid". Casablanca is an industrial city and I’m glad for the short stay as one day is plenty. I can’t wait for our train out tomorrow to our next destination as our trip is winding down and I can see the finish line.