Casablanca
There is very little to see in Casablanca, the medina is extremely small, the traffic and smog are almost unbearable, and the poverty is extreme. Casablanca is one of the least interesting places to shop in all of Morocco. Around the old Medina it's easy to find places selling traditional Moroccan goods, such as tagines, pottery, leather goods, hookahs, and a whole spectrum of geegaws, but it's all for the tourists. Much better to wait until you're in Fes or Marrakech and can bargain with someone who sells things to Moroccans and tourists alike. We were only there for one night as we were catching a morning train to Marrakech. We stayed at the Casablanca Novotel which was fine, although the "security barrier" set up in the entrance was laughable. The barrier itself was broken and anyone could enter the hotel through the marked "exit" door of the hotel. I don't understand why they even bother having the barrier when it is broken like that. The big place for my GF was that in Morocco (and most 3rd world countries) you can smoke pretty much anywhere, and the fact that I do dab in a cigar once in a awhile, made it quite enjoyable to be able to smoke indoors other than my home. Casablanca is also the most liberal of Moroccan cities; there is an affluent base of citizens with their designer wears and women tend to dress much more in the "western" style than anywhere else. Clubs and bars are much more prevalent than Marrakech or Tangiers for example. There are only 2 sights I'd recommend seeing:
First, The Hassan II Mosque, designed by the French architect Michel Pinseau. It is situated on a promontory on the Atlantic. The mosque has room for 25,000 worshippers inside, and a further 80,000 can be accommodated in the mosque's courtyard. Its minaret is the world's tallest at 210 metres. The mosque is also the largest in North Africa, and the third largest in the world. Work on the mosque was commenced on 12 July 1986, and was intended to be completed for the 60th birthday of the former Moroccan king, Hassan II, in 1989. However, the building was not inaugurated until 30 August 1993. During the most intense period of construction, 1400 men worked during the day and another 1100 during the night. 10,000 artists and craftsmen participated in building the mosque. This and the old Tin Mal Mosque are the only mosques in Morocco that are open to non-Muslim visitors. The only way you can access the interior is through a guide tour, which cost around 12$ US. The first shot below was taken with my Nexus phone. I've also included 3 photos that were taken by an acquaintance on his recent visit since I unfortunately did not bring my camera for the visit. The Mosque is really something to behold, not in terms of sheer artistic splendors like you would find in a Gothic Cathedral for an example, but in it's use of space. There is an intimacy that is remarkable in relation to its vast size.
Second, having a night out at Rick's Cafe. Now for anyone familiar (who isn't
) with the movie Casablanca will of course remember Humphrey Bogart's legendary character Rick and his eponymus Cafe. Kathy Kriger is an American who served as the commercial counselor for the US Embassy and after 9/11 she decided to leave her post, stay in Morocco and "do something that demonstrated true American values". And Rick's Cafe was the end result, an almost identical rendering of the famous gin joint.
My GF and I had a wonderful time! This isn't really a place for a foodie per se (although the food was very good and simple) but a place to have a romantic dinner. We had our table right next to the piano player and the place was packed and hopping. It has a wonderful drinks list and a good Moroccan wine list. The bar area is also a great place to have a drink before or after going somewhere else. Here are a few snaps with my Nexus:
