I was SO excited for this port day. I couldn't believe we were actually going there. Not a place I ever thought we'd go, so never on a bucket list (don't really have a bucket list though). Just like Barcelona, it was fun to research somewhere new!
We decided that because the ship was in port for so long (I think departure was 10pm), that we would do a non-ship excursion. It's a big city, with lots of options. After watching some videos, I knew what places I wanted to see and experience and I started looking on Viator. It can be very overwhelming looking for tours. The cruise group I'm part of on FB had no suggestions. I hadn't yet joined the VV FB group for our trip. I decided to just pick one tour website (Viator) and go from there.
We thought we'd dock at the new cruise port, and would be able to go over to the cruise marketplace and get some McDonald's/Burger King. But unfortunately, we docked at a pier in the industrial section. We were panicking about how to meet the tour, since I had put "Cruise Port" for the pick up location. I tried connecting through the Viator app and they responded back which gave me some piece of mind, but we were still pretty wound up!
We headed out, following the crowd through the customs/security building. Once outside, we spotted a man with a sign with some names, including ours. He directed us to "the first van" and pointed to a short row of vans. We headed over but doubted if he meant the first one at the far end or the first one at the near end. We got it figured out and climbed aboard. There seemed to be a total of 11 or 12 people. Often with these group tours you get lucky and there might be one or two couples, so it was a bit disappointing to see a "big" group, but really, it wasn't big at all.
Our guide, Mohammad, was funny! Very smart, very educated, could speak many languages (he sampled Spanish, French, German, Italian, Korean!). The first bit of business was finding out who had tickets for the Hassan II Mosque. What? I had booked a tour that had tickets included! It seems that they sell several different tours and maybe due to numbers, they got combined. There were two couples that didn't want to go in to the Mosque. So he had to figure out what they were going to do. Then he asked who had bought lunch. What?! I had seen tours with lunch listed, but I was hoping we'd either have a small group and would get to chose a spot, or have time somewhere to grab food. He said we could buy our own food if we hadn't purchased the tour with lunch. Okay...
(Click on photo to open a photo viewer for larger photos) In looking at the photos again now that I'm working on this post, I think we were actually docked at the third pier, on the left side of it (where the label "Ship docked here" actually is, not where it's pointing to). As we walked back to the ship, it was on our left side.
Before we got to the Mosque, we stopped at Rick's Cafe. The movie (Casablanca) was actually not filmed at all in Morocco. We didn't get to go in, but did get a quick photo:
The guy on the right was a Spanish speaking fellow, travelling solo (at least on this tour). He had a lot of camera gear and took a lot of photos. Pretty quiet guy though. The girl in the pink sweater hopped into a car with another girl and they seemed to be on a private tour. Our guide was very big with compliments throughout the day, and he started it off with complimenting my camera. Just a Canon, not even a DSLR. I guess he doesn't see many actual cameras anymore!
We headed to the Hassan II Mosque. It's a huge complex! It's the 2nd largest (functioning) mosque in Africa, and 14th largest in the world! Out of curiousity, I Googled a list of the largest mosques. Wow!! The total capacity is for all the buildings, promenades, plazas, etc. Incredible. 80 000 can pray outside, 25 000 can pray inside. The minaret is 689ft, the second tallest in the world.
I mainly wanted to come here for the architecture and tile work. I remember going to Epcot Centre in 94 and our honeymoon in 97 and falling in love with the tile work and metal work.
I also loved Kaffe Fassett knitting patterns that were based on tile work. The geometry just amazes me.
None of the fountains were running, because of drought. We tried to find out if they are used for pre-prayer washing but couldn't get that info.
When you enter the mosque, you must remove your shoes. They even give you a reusable bag to put your shoes in and carry with you. There are also benches off to the side which is a thoughtful touch.
Upon entering the mosque, our guide turned us over to another guide, his "brother from another mother", friends forever. Another well spoken, well educated man but I forget his name. However, we merged with another, larger group, and we weren't all that certain who was part of our group since we had mainly seen the backs of heads on the bus. We were worried about getting left behind!
Most of the materials are from around Morocco, except the 56 chandeliers.
The roof can divide and retract, in 5 minutes. This is their ventilation system for when there's 25 000 people in here praying.
We didn't find out what this recessed area was for. Some parts were glass and you could see into the fountains (ablution area) below. On Wikipedia, it says there's a view of the ocean, and that it's built over the ocean, but there's no glass floor.
Incredible...they could just go with the standard plastic poles and fabric ribbon barricades like at amusement parks or the airport, but no. Everything was designed to be pleasant, interesting to look at.
The mosque has these pillars, and the sound system was designed to be integrated and not noticeable (as opposed to just about everything else in the building!). In between the two columns, you can see the very skinny, long speaker. You can see the one at the back too. They were all around.
This is from the ablution area under the mosque. It was also incredible. There is also areas for getting traditional hammam, which is a massage and body scrubbing. Like in the mosque, men and women are separate.
This picture helps to show the scale of the building. Massive. Keep in mind, only men are in this centre section. There are sections for women off to the sides, on an upper level. I wish I had taken more pictures. We just didn't know how long we'd be there, or how much there was to see in the tour. I wish I had thought to use the panoramic feature on my camera!
We had been told to "wait there" for Mohammad. Our group sort of re-grouped, I guess each person was recognizing someone else in the group. It helps that Rob's pretty recognizable! We didn't know exactly where we were supposed to meet him, and it was kind of rainy. Did we meet where he left us, or where we got on the golf carts? He had said if we needed a ride to let him know... There was the one couple that did need a ride. I believe the rest of us decided to walk across the plaza to where we had gotten on the golf carts initially. Indeed, we found him and the van.
I think that's our van.
What an incredible place to see. I can understand some not wanting to go in, based on religion, but I feel knowledge is power and the key to getting along. Just like when at the Sagrada Familia, I could feel the importance of the building to their spiritualness. I am happy that these people can buildings they can be proud of, that might help build bridges among communities. As an atheist, I get these feelings when in the glory of the great outdoors, in certain places, but still sometimes yearn for something more symbolic and static.
Square of Mohammad V was next in the tour listing, along with Church of Notre Dame of Lourdes and Old Medina of Casablanca. Now, we went to the Habous (also Hubous and Habbous) which means: an inalienable charitable real estate endowment for Islamic religious purposes or charity. Not sure what the "inalienable" part means! However, we were told that the land was gifted to the people by a Jewish businessman. Wikipedia goes a bit deeper, saying that it wasn't appropriate for a Jew to gift land to the Sultan, so a government entity was created. It was developed around 1916, when the French were still newly in control. There is so much French influence in Casablanca, from the streets being called "Rue" to names of businesses being French. This is also known as "The New Medina" and "The Old New Medina."
This is the Mohmaddi Mosque, from the 1930s.
This is the Great Habous Olive Market.
Mohammad bought a bag of a variety of olives which we all passed around and sampled. I'm not sure if anyone in the group actually bought any. It was a dreary, drizzly period.
On the walk back to the van, we passed little shops but we weren't given time to go in and shop.
Not sure what kind of tree this is, it was along the street, and fairly large.
From here we went over to the Royal Palace.
There were armed guards at the gatehouse, and we were told we would have to wait. They "don't usually allow people to come in and take photos." we were told. About 5 minutes later though, we were let in to the compound. This is where the royal family works, not lives is what Mohammad told us. However, Wikipedia says this is where they live. Whatever. Might have been a language/accent thing. Anyway, the Palace itself is not open to the public.
I wonder if the bigger doors actually open and how heavy are they?
Mohammad did not pass up an opportunity for a photo. He said to please post videos on YouTube so he can become famous LOL. The palace was built in the 1920s, and it's interesting how it's quite plain, except for the doors, the photo opportunity area. Hey, look at the light pole! I wish I had seen our honeymoon photos before we came; I would have made Rob hug it!
We had noticed that almost everywhere, the cars were newer. Mohammad exclaimed that Casablanca is the financial centre of Morocco and people believe in presenting their best sides and no one wants something old looking.
We were supposed to go inside but apparently it was closed. There was another cathedral on the list we were supposed to see, L'Eglise du Sacre-Coeur, but I don't know what happened with that. A couple times we stopped but no one wanted to get out for photos in the rain. After passing this Catholic church (remember, the French controlled Morocco for a while), I really don't know where we went. This is where it got super confusing. There didn't seem to be a stop for the Central Market, or the Old Medina, or the other cathedral. We were told we were going to the Arts Collective, an amazing treat because it's not always open. This is where handicrafts and rugs are sold.
First we stopped at Mohammad V square. On the map earlier, it's right near the church we didn't go to. The red line basically goes through the square. Our guide again posed for pictures and one of our group got pooped on.
Rob wanted a picture of the brown pigeon at the lower left. Yes, he has his own phone/camera!
Google Lens tells me this is the Consular General of France building. It's right by the Mohammad V square.
At some point in the day, Mohammad produced a box of traditional cookies. We could have half of one. They were quite good, but I had really wanted to go to a bakery in person.
I really wish I knew where we went next! It's not in the description. Somewhere I read that if selected, you'd get to go to a secluded cafe and have mint tea. I can't find that anywhere now in the tour info though.
We were in an older section, with smaller streets and older vehicles. I was trying to take a picture of a truck but there were people standing around and I didn't want to do it with them there. If I had that, I might be able to Google the location!
We passed by a man reading a magazine with women in swimwear, and were ushered into the back room of a business and sat on benches around the room. Somehow we ended up right in the middle of the back. They started off with offering mint tea, with or without sugar. Many were unsure about this, but it was fine.
As we waited, they started their sales, oh, I mean, educational, spiel. This place dealt directly with the rug making collective of women out in the mountains. We learned about the different fibers that are used (wool, agave, camel and more). We learned about how they're made.
I really liked this blue one! Very different but not crazy different.
Not sure why I took this picture. They were all pretty neat. The agave fibers were pretty cool. They're sort of like silk, good for allergies and I think if you have pets.
This one was also cool, and reminded me again of Kaffe Fassett designs.
I also liked the couple neutral coloured rugs they had.
Then, they teach you "yes" (?maybe?) and "no" in Arabic, I believe. As they roll up each rug, they want you to answer yes or no, if you wanted more information. Which they didn't give you right then. Somehow, it whittled down to me and a group of Australians beside us speaking for the whole group.
At the end, there were only two of us (I think) that wanted more info--an Australian and me. They took each of us into separate rooms of this stuffed business, and the rest of the group headed to a pharmacy. The seller said the rug was from his tribe and wasn't it lovely. It's only 1200, including shipping. I ask if that was Dirhams, Euros, American dollars...what currency. It was US dollars. Mmmm'kay. Too much for me. I said that's more than we would spend on carpets, we're just not into buying things like that, especially while on vacation. Oh, but shipping is included!! The Australian had mentioned that she'd had many rugs shipped from Morocco with no problem. I said it was just out of our budget. He asked how much we would spend. I said "Well, we bought a rug a few years ago from a local shop and it was about $250, we're frugal type people." He looked and me, pointed to the doorway, and said "We're done, please leave."
Ooohhh. I wasn't saying we'd pay $250 for THAT rug! It was gorgeous! If money wasn't a concern (and yes, I know, we were in the middle of a 2.5 week international trip), I would have gladly spent $1000US. But you've also got to figure the exchange rate. Not in our favour!
We got out and found the Australians who also did not buy, and we headed into some "pharmacy". In there, we were ushered to a back room with rows of benches in an L shape, with a podium/table in the middle. There, a funny but bit racy, black man told us about each of the lotions and potions they had for sale. Morocco is known for the argan oil, and I was hoping to get some but the best deal was multi packs and I didn't need that much or wanted to spend that much.
Then. He told us about black seed. What kind of seed? Black seed. Google tells me it's probably black cumin seed. He said it's amazing for congestion, snoring, respiratory issues. He puts a bit in a piece of cloth, and rubs his palms over it vigourously. Then he went up to the first person at the end of the bench and
WHAM
to the bottom of her nose. Not a gentle "Sniff this". No way. It was forceful and her head moved back. We were all a little shocked but then he walked down the bench doing it to each person. Rob managed to get his hand in front of his face, and I backed my head up hoping just to get a little sniff but he sniff made full contact with me. I was the last of the 11 or 12 of us. I hoped no one was sick!!!! I would have liked to buy it but Rob said no way, we'd probably get searched.
After that, we waited in the main area while some people bought stuff. Many needed the washrooms, which were little cubicles opening to the main area, with swinging doors, not even full doors. One man got stuck in his cubicle!
We headed outside, hungry, wet, tired. Finally, we were going for lunch. We were assured we could order off the menu and pay individually. I had taken note of the restaurant name on my phone, thankfully....Solamo's Cafe.
Some of the group were seated inside the restaurant, and some of us were seated in a sort of outside covered area. I think those of us outside were the ones that hadn't paid for lunch already. It had lovely green velvet seats, but something felt sketchy. There were extension cords everywhere, things seemed disheveled, there was a very skinny cat who was lame in the rear end.
I took this photo so Rob could see all the cords behind him LOL.
We had a great time talking with the other couples, something that was really hard to do on the bus or at the various stops. There were people from all over the US. One couple had been hiking the El Camino and when it was time to return to the US, they found out the cruise was cheaper than air fare (we heard this at another time from another couple that were in Spain for another reason).
We ordered tagines, since we were in Morocco. The ones we chose were lemon and olive, and I thought that would be a really cool combo.
While we were sitting there waiting, the Australian people walked past and out to the sidewalk. Rob said they were stopped by someone who wouldn't let them walk away on their own. They walked back up to around where we were, so we got up and formed a big group. They did not have a good experience--one said their chicken was raw so none of them ate the chicken. They were appalled with the French fries. Everyone else thought the food was "okay" but not what they expected.
While researching this post, I found the restaurant on the map and was surprised at how close it was to the Hasan II Mosque. I don't know if the Australians were going to walk to the Virgin Voyages shuttle bus that comes to the Mohammad V square, or the tram, or to the mosque or even to the ship.
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The red pin is where the cafe is, it would probably be a 20 min walk to the port but not sure about through the port itself.
However, the most incredible thing I found out while researching...five months before we were there, the 5 story building next to the cafe FELL DOWN. Partially on the restaurant!
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The restaurant is between the pile of rubble and the white building. According to their FB/IG pages, they had to close for awhile, but I don't know how long. This explains why pictures I found on Google, Trip Advisor, etc did not seem to match with what we remembered. It seems they had not totally finished repairs. Also, menus and reviews on line showed that they were "known" for their pizza--but we don't recall seeing a pizza menu!
This is actually the red "infinity" dress that I was planning to wear on Scarlet Night, with a lace Amazon skirt (that I cut the slip out of) over top.
I had the lamb shank and Rob had fried chicken and biscuits. This meal was not like the other times we had been there. It was SO slow. The waitress was expressionless and seemed to move in slow motion. I think she was also our muster station attendant. I had picked out a drink on the menu, the popcorn drink, but then when I saw it at another table, I changed my mind. When the waitress came to get our order, I started with the popcorn drink and then the food, then remembered my mistake and told her which drink I wanted instead. Well, you can see the corner of it....she brought the popcorn drink. The food was so slow too. These two photos were AN HOUR apart!! Our reservation was 5:45, and this photo was 6:33.
New research says "the owner of the neighbouring cafe that was affected" might be partially responsible because they removed a concrete support. The buildings were evacuated 15 minutes before the collapse! At the right edge at the start of
this video, you can see the corner of the cafe sign. On this page, you can watch an actual video! It says they were evacuated the day before. I don't know about the restaurant though, if it was open at the time. Although it happened 5 months before we went there, it still feels a little too close. You read about these collapses in cities and towns around the world and think you'll never be in those places....I wonder if the cat was injured in the collapse. It certainly explains why pictures don't seem to match our images!
this video, you can see the corner of the cafe sign. On this page, you can watch an actual video! It says they were evacuated the day before. I don't know about the restaurant though, if it was open at the time. Although it happened 5 months before we went there, it still feels a little too close. You read about these collapses in cities and towns around the world and think you'll never be in those places....I wonder if the cat was injured in the collapse. It certainly explains why pictures don't seem to match our images!
Mohammad showed up and asked how the meal was and the group was pretty quiet. He said that we have to let him know if something isn't right, so he can let the proper people know and they can change things. No one spoke up though and it was a fairly quiet ride back to the port. I did thank him and tip him, but I never know how much to tip!!
It was quite a bit of a walk through security and down the pier. I wanted to take the shuttle bus back in, but our dinner reservation was in only an hour, hour and a half! I really didn't think we would be having lunch at 3:30.
In our cabin, another "Splash of Romance" treat was waiting for us. The description of the package on the website mentions treats to keep things spicey, but I wasn't really expecting all the treats to actually BE spicey. They were okay--very well made, but not really our cup of tea.
I got dressed up for dinner, in red and black, because we were going to Razzle Dazzle (again) where it's all red and black.
After dinner, we walked around outside, I really wanted to get some photos of the mosque. It was definitely a Hallowe'en sky, especially with the mix of modern and old. It
We really realized how small The Manor is. We were upstairs and there's not much seating there if you want to see the show. There's not a lot on the floor either, especially with tables.
We went back outside to watch the sail away.
You can just make out the green laser in this photo!
Not sure what these piles were of. A grain? Salt? Sugar? Sand? Google Maps indicates there's grain silos there.
And that was our day in Casablanca! We did things I never thought we would; we didn't do things I was hoping to do; the weather sucked for much of it....but it was still an amazing day. How could it not be? It's CASABLANCA!!
