Day 97, Casablanca to Mendes

Medina (old town) in Rabat

Met some lovely ladies at breakfast, mum and two daughters from Sydney. As it turns out, mum went to Christchurch Girls High School and lived in Bryndwr, one suburb over from Ilam! 

Turns out they're on a slightly different tour, but I think we're traveling together the first 5 days.

Visited the third largest mosque this morning in Casablanca. Absolutely breathtaking, only took 6 years to build, from 1987 to 1993, with builders and craftsmen working in 3 shifts, around the clock. Built almost entirely of Moroccon materials, the only imports being the chandeliers and glass from Venice and the door handles being Russian titanium as it doesn't corrode, with the mosque being right on the seafront. The roof slides open to allow prayers in the open air.

Mosque in Casablanca 

From there into Rabat, the capital of Morocco. We had a wonderful local guide, Fatima, with a great sense of humour, who took us to a numb of different sites, last one being the Medina (Old Town) in Rabat, all white washed houses with blue, like being in Greece. Rabat is a beautiful city, gardens and green everywhere, even in this heat, very clean as well.

Getting to know the fellow travellers, a real mixed bunch, singles, couples, young, older, from the U.S., Germany, Aussie and NZ. 

A bit of a drive from Rabat to Meknes for the night, didn't arrive till 7.45, so quite a long day since our 8.30 departure.

Oh, and I fi saw cows! On the side of the road, next to the highway actually, no fence or anything to keep them in, super safe. The other live stock was 6 sheep on top of a van, unfortunately I was too slow getting a picture!

Looking over to Rabat