Morocco -- Tangier and Casablanca

We left Gibraltar and headed to Tangier – a mere 20 miles away.  I am not going to spend a lot of time on Morocco as it was really a big disappointment (with 2 exceptions -- the home-hosted lunch and the Hassan II mosque).  Both Tangier and Casablanca are large cities that resemble most other large cities.  While there is some Moorish and French influence in the architecture and in the Kasbah or local markets, there is not much to set them apart (unlike Marrakesh which has a strong Moorish or Arab style).

Tangier was first founded by the Carthaginians in the 5^th C. BC.  The Romans then conquered the city and it remained part of the Roman Empire until the Arabs took control in 702 BC.  When the Portuguese began their colonial expansion in the early 1400s, they finally captured Tangier in 1471.  The Portuguese in turn gave it to Charles II of England in 1662.  In 1684, England was forced to withdraw as a result of a crippling blockage by the Moors.  However, before leaving, the English destroyed the town and its port facilities.  In the 1800s, Tangier fell victim to an English blockage and French bombardment in retaliation for the piracy emanating from this region.  In the 20^th Century, Morocco was divided between France and Spain, and in 1923, Tangier was made an international zone under the joint administration of France, Spain, and Britain.  After a brief occupation by Spanish forces from 1940-1945, Tangier reverted back to its pre-war international zone status.  In 1956, Tangier joined with the rest of Morocco following the restoration of full sovereignty of Morocco. As a result of its history, Tangier is an uncontrolled mix of North Africa, Spain, Portugal and France.

When we left for our excursion in the morning it was raining.  This was the only day that we encountered rain on our cruise.  The first part of our Tangier tour was a panoramic bus ride around the city.  As it was raining, there was not really much to see.  And at the one planned bus stop to overlook the sea, no one wanted to get off the bus. 

We then headed for Asilah, a fortified fishing village about 25 miles down the coast from Tangier.  It is noted for its whitewashed walls and houses and its cobalt blue-painted window frames.  It was first used by the Phoenicians in the 1500s BC as a base for trade.  In 1471, the Portuguese conquered the city and built the sturdy stone fortifications, but abandoned the city in 1549 because of an economic crisis.  In 1692, the town was taken by the Moroccans.  During the 19^th and 20^th centuries, it was a haven for pirates preying on ships in the narrow Strait of Gibraltar.  In 1829, the Austrian government bombarded the town in response to its protection of these pirates.  Today the town is a popular seaside resort.

Our first stop in Asilah was the medina (the old part of town) located within the fortified walls.  The cobblestone streets were narrow with small homes on either side of the streets.  The most interesting thing about the homes were the large carved wooden, doors.  There are many murals painted on the walls of some buildings, remnants of a mural-painting festival held each year.  The walls close to schools in the medina are particularly interesting, but as you will see in one of the pictures, math does not seem to be their strong subject.

After touring the medina, we were divided into groups of 8 and sent by taxi to our home-hosted lunch.  Overseas Adventure Travel/Grand Circle Cruises includes at least one-home hosted event per trip.  They feel that this is the best way to really see and experience the culture of the area you are visiting.  We have been to many home-hosted meals and whole-heartedly agree (although sometimes the menu is not quite what we are used to – like the roasted guinea pig in Peru).

Our hosts were a fairly young couple, Blaine and Sophia and their 5 year-old son (name escapes me).  Blaine is a fireman in Asilah.  There are only 5 firemen and they have to cover a lot of territory, especially in the summer with wild fires and ocean rescues.  They rent a very modest apartment with two bedrooms, a large living/dining room, and a kitchen.  Sophia had prepared a typical Moroccan dinner – a wonderful salad with potatoes, tomatoes, beets and greens; homemade bread, tagine chicken, and a chocolate pound cake.  After the meal, she served a very sweet tea heavily laced with mint.  It was very good and very filling.

After the lunch we returned to Tangier (fortunately the rain had stopped) and our local guide took us to the souk or market place.  We first walked through the stalls where vendors were selling all manner of fish and seafood.  The smell was overpowering – one of our ladies actually had to leave and go outside for some fresh air.  We then walked through the small streets where vendors were selling everything from souvenirs, clothing, leather goods, etc.  It was very typical of the souks we had seen in Marrakesh and Istanbul.

Back on the ship, we got ready for our dinner.  We got a pleasant surprise when the Captain announced that for Happy Hour that day the bar was free – that doesn’t happen often on any cruise ship.  Our dinner that night was a Moroccan buffet with about 50 different dishes prepared by our chefs.  And after dinner they brought in a belly dancer for our entertainment.  Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures because I didn’t bring my camera to dinner.  I wish they had told us about the dancer – she was very good.

That night we sailed to Casablanca, our last stop in Africa. Of course everyone associates Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart from the movie “Casablanca.”  Overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Casablanca grew from a small hamlet in 1515 to a 20^th Century powerhouse under French rule, to the center of Moroccan industry that it is today.  Definitely not the Casablanca of the movie!  We drove past Rick's Place but it does not open until later in the day and will only play "As Time Goes By" in the evening.

In the morning we had a bus/walking tour of Casablanca. Our first stop was the Hassan II Mosque, the second largest mosque in the world (Mecca has the largest.)  This mosque has the world’s tallest minaret, rising nearly 700 feet and shining a green laser beam toward Mecca at nightfall.  It has room for 25,000 worshippers inside and another 80,000 outside. It was funded entirely by donations from Moroccans, and understandably, it has become the symbol of the city. It stands in a large square on a promontory looking out to the Atlantic Ocean. It took seven years to complete (1986-1993).  To say it was stunning would be an understatement.  It is truly one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture that we have seen.  We were lucky to be able to go inside – only three mosques in Morocco allow non-Muslims to enter.  The walls are of hand-crafted marble and the roof is retractable.  Everything inside the mosque came from Morocco except the Italian chandelier. The prayer room on the ground floor is so large that it can easily house the Notre Dame of Paris or St Peter's of Rome.

Below the prayer room is the purification room.  It has many round fountains (that look like mushrooms) where Muslims go to cleanse and purify themselves before praying.

Following our visit to the mosque, our bus dropped us off at a local market with stalls selling everything from fruits and vegetables, seafood, meats (to include horse meat), live turtles (for the garden, not to eat), and flowers.  We then walked to the British Imperial Hotel where we were served yet another Moroccan meal.  While the food is good, we were getting a little tired of the same types of dishes.  Right about now a lot of us were just wishing for a good old American hamburger. As we left the hotel, we were serenaded (not sure that is the right word for this type of music) by musicians playing typical Moroccan/African music/chants.  After lunch our buses dropped us off at the Presidential palace where we had a quick look at the outside (you cannot enter or take pictures of the military there).  We then walked to another souk that was selling the same things we had seen the day before.  With four buses, you would think that at least one bus could have taken the non-shoppers back to the boat.  So we just sat at an outdoor café and drank a soda while we waited to go back to the boat.  We try to buy shot glasses for our son Scott in each city we visit.  We walked up the street looking for one from Casablanca.  I made the mistake of telling a shop keeper what we were looking for.  He sent someone to another shop and returned with several.  He wanted €10 for it (we usually pay $3-$4) and was adamant.  As we started to leave he offered €8, so Bill figured he could bargain.  But he wouldn’t go below €7.  Bill had €6.80 and he took it.  While we were waiting for the bus, Bill went down the other street and in another shop saw the shot glass we had bought for €6.80, asked how much it was and was told €3!  But at least we got the shot glass.  So much for Bill’s bargaining technics!  Tonight after dinner (which thankfully was not Moroccan) we set sail for Portimao, Portugal – our last stop before arriving in Lisbon.