Discovery Channel Abu Dhabi

“Moroccans bring their parents inside and put their pets outside.”  This was one of the first lessons our Moroccan Studies professor taught us, and it’s a lesson that fits Morocco well.  Stray cats may lurk on street corners and in dumpsters, but Moroccans make a point of caring for their elderly at home.  Even if life seems different from the outside here, there is always a lesson to be learned underneath.

Now I admit, some lessons are harder to find than others.  Casablanca is a city that never sleeps, and if you’re a light sleeper you likely won’t either.  It took a few nights to get used to taxis honking and people yelling across the street into the morning, but I’ll probably miss Casablanca’s “white noise” back at home. 

There’s also notably more men than women walking around at any time of day.  Females endure a good share of cat calling when walking in the evening, but it’s rare for advances to ever go beyond this.  There’s also little worry of pick pocketing except for on the crowded streets of the Old Medina.

After class we spend free time at the beach, cafes, or taking surfing lessons for just US$10 a session.  I can only speak for the channels in our apartment, but so far TV consists of Arabic news stations and game shows, German movie channels, soccer, and my personal favorites, Cartoon Network in Arabic and Discovery Channel Abu Dhabi.  Coverage of North African and Middle Eastern affairs by French and English news outlets is also more in-depth and widely available than in the U.S.

Braving the cold water for some surfing.  

Looking over the Atlantic on Casablanca's beaches. Still waiting for the temperatures to warm up so we can take advantage of the sand and sunshine.

A view of the ocean from the Hassan II Mosque. Part of the mosque was built over the ocean giving it great views from the inside.

 
This week we traveled to Morocco’s capital Rabat.  If Casablanca is the NYC of Morocco, Rabat is its D.C.  Clean, embassy lined streets make up Rabat, with King Mohammed VI’s main palace and the tomb of his father, King Hassan II, as several highlights.  We also took a tour inside the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca which fits an astounding 24,000 people inside and 80,000 people in the court area surrounding the mosque during Ramadan.  Take that Willams Brice.

Tune in next time for more astounding figures, fun, and, as you guessed it, S’Moroccan stories from the Western Kingdom.

The gate into the King's main palace in Rabat. He has several palaces throughout the country and a portrait in almost every restaurant and business in Morocco. 

Outside Rabat's train station. They're not Palmetto trees but they'll do.  

Changing of the guards outside King Hassan II's tomb. 

Stopping by a bakery in Rabat's Old Medina. Once you swat a few flies away everything is fresh and delicious. 

Watching a butcher cook the last of a whole cow.  Its skull is sitting on the left side of the grill, but I decided against a close up. 

Rabat's harbor in the evening with the Old Medina at the top of the hill to the left. 

Inside the Hassan II Mosque. The cut outs in the floor are filled with water during prayer time to create small streams down the center of the mosque.  The roof of the mosque also slides open during the summer time to cool off the inside. 

There are two top sections on each side of the mosque to allow for the separation of men and women during prayer. Women pray upstairs and men pray on the bottom floor.