Casablanca Morocco 10-19-08

Hi,
I found a small internet cafe in Marrekech. This the first one I have found in Morocco as most hotels do not have business centers anymore. They have WIFI or WEEFEE as the French pronounce it. You need your own computer to use WIFI. Maybe I'll have to start carrying one. In this internet cafe off a couple of blocks from our hotels down a dark alley of shops, little kids speaking French and Ababic are crowded all around me at small tables playing games on their internet stations in a very dark long skinny room. This is probably the most interesting place I have found to type.

The computer is set up for French and so is the key board. The owner changed it to English keyboard but you can't look at your fingers as you type as the letters are different. It is a challenge so I appolize ahead of time for misspellings.

After a lengthy flight from NY to Casablanca (6 1/2 hours) they skirted us off to start our visit. No hotel or bathroom visit. We stopped first at the largest Mosque in the area. The country side is filled with argriculture. Some primitive type square homes had haystacks in the fields covered with plastic. They were stacked with an oval top instead of square.

It is more humid than expected and still warm from summer. There are plam trees, eucalipus in groves dotting the highway. People selling wares sit on the side of the road along the frontage road on a chair with a small table and a cloth draped over their goods.

Highways are 4 lanes and compounds (farm houses) have arched gated enteries in this part of Morocco

Folage and climate is similar to California with bouganvilles and palms. Casablanca is expensive compared to other parts of Morocco. It is rich ecomonically and life too live their is also.

Starlings fly around the city and countryside. People here don't particularly like them, as they eat the olives during harvest. October is olives harvest season.

A phone, for example cost $50/cell phone with no contract. Free calls are available to families on the same plan. Everyone no matter their economic situation seems to have a cell phone.

We found we didn't need to wear scarfs in the Mosque unless you want to or if is is prayer time. This is the tallest mosqeue in the world. Third largest in the North African region. It is huge and filled with marble and inlaid tile with majestic designs in the ceilings. People come to the Mosque particularly on Fridays. Men on main floor. Women up to the second where there is ornate lattuce work so women can not be seen. It is impressive and expensive to imagine the construction of the place.

Last evening we went for a small bus ride around the city of Casablanca and stopped off in Oliveris - an ice cream parlor. It reminded me of the pastry shops in Boston where people line up for 1/2 a block to buy goodies. We did the same here. For 40 dirhams ($5 each) we had a chocolate and pistaccio. It was a cup of yummy delight wraped with a paper cone filled with fresh whipped cream.

Several of us took a walk about a block away to the ocean. Children were playing scoccer in the sand. The smaller children were playing behind a large rock to keep their ball from rolling into the sea.

Gas is 7 dirharm (their money or about $1/liter or $4/gal).

Now we ventured to Marrikech with our fellow travelers by bus. There are 33 of us from US, Japan and Canada. This is a Friendshop Force trip. We are looking forward to the homestay in a few days.

It's great fun.
Joyce