garyandpearl

Dec 11/23

I was looking forward to arriving in Morocco, and I’m glad that the weather was suitable for us to stop here for the day.

Here was our first look this morning.

After a breakfast of freshly made waffles, Gary and I headed ashore. Some passengers chose to spend the day on board, but we decided to take the risk of the unknown.

I must confess that I was not prepared for the smog as this is our first time on the continent. Is smog common in Africa? I put a bit of Vicks vapo rub under my nose to help me deal with the smell early this morning.

We took the shuttle from the port to United Nations square, and from there we tried to get off of the bus as taxi drivers aggressively promoted their services. We broke free and collected our thoughts.

We found a souvenir shop which was very calm, so we felt comfortable enough to shop in peace. Our personal shopper showed us their wares, carried my shopping basket, and answered my many questions. Her English speaking was wonderful, and she seemed glad to practice it. 😊 We wondered if it was safe to walk to the Hassan II Mosque by the ocean, and she assured us that it was safe to do so.

So off we went! We wandered through the central market on our way, but the pressure of the salesmen was a bit too much for us inexperienced Canadians. Gary found a dog instead.

Gary safely navigated us to Rick’s Cafe, which is a replica of the cafe from the movie, Casablanca. None of the movie was actually shot in Morocco, but this spot has been recreated and many tourists stop by. It didn’t open until noon, so we kept walking.

We found our way to the mosque which we were told was built to celebrate King Hassan’s 60th birthday. The minaret is 210 m high and towers over the area.

Since Rick’s wasn’t open, we settled for coffee and pastries at the L’Artisan bakery located beside the Gatsby restaurant across from the mosque. After ordering, we found that they only accept their Moroccan currency (Dirham) and no credit card payments. We didn’t have any, but an American couple sitting on the patio gave us 100 Dirham (10 USD) to pay for our food. We were grateful and had a nice chat before they headed on their way.

We walked back to the ship along the ocean road which reminded me of River Road in Medicine Hat. There were fishermen along the way, and, of course, Gary was checking out techniques and gear and cats.

I took a scarf with me today to cover my hair if need be and wore clothing that covered most of my skin since we are in a Muslim country. However, it was about 20 degrees C and I got warm on our 11 km hike, so I took off two layers and exposed my arms (not including shoulders). I noticed a few car honks along the way and wondered if my skin was distracting the drivers. I covered my arms and the honking stopped. Coincidence?? Update: Gary said they were taxi drivers honking to see if we wanted a ride. 😂

We are safely back on board and enjoyed some time in the hot tub this afternoon. My skin felt grimy from the pollution, so a shower felt good.

We have a sea day tomorrow and hope to be in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal on Wednesday.