Driving out of Casablanca this morning, we noticed traffic was at a stand still coming into the city. They are trying to make a truck lane with no passing to help with both the traffic and safety. The population of Casablanca is 2.6 million. They are tearing down most of the buildings on a 20 km stretch along the Atlantic. They will be improving it with parks, a long sidewalk, and a futbol pitch (specifically for the next world cup games).
They tore down slums and moved the indigent to social apartments. They also have created an Eco city called, Zeneta, with nice apartments, hospitals, schools, bicycles and a tram for commuting. It will have solar power.
The Hassan II mosque can hold 100,000 people, using the inside and outside areas. It cost $800 Millon to build and is currently the 7th biggest in the world.
Rabat
It is about a 2 hour drive from Casablanca to Rabat, the capital city of Morocco since 1912. The roads are nice and most are 120 km speed limit (75 mph). Once in Rabat, we stopped at the Kasbah of the Udayas. A kasbah is a fortress, those with fortified family residences. Most of this kasbah was built in the 12th century and another part by the sultan in the 17th century.
The sultan that added on to the kasbah added these gardens and his palace. (Kenny, the cat pictures are for you and Shelia.)
There was much fanfare around the Mohammed V Mausoleum. The King was coming to commemorate the death of King Hassan the II, 28 years ago. There were military, other royals and high ranking officials.
Meknes
The Meknes medina is a historic UNESCO World Heritage site known as the “Versailles of Morocco” for its grand imperial architecture and quieter, less-crowded atmosphere than nearby Fez. The wall of the medina has almost totally been renovated.
For lunch we had a restaurant all to ourselves. Bryan had lamb with prunes and I had chicken with vegetables. They were served in a crock called a tajine with a cone shaped lid. The cone shape traps steam, cools it at the top, and lets the moisture drip back down onto the food. The food was very different, but delicious.
Fes
It was early evening when we made it to Fes. This city has a more organized feel, and mountains in the distance. We went to the pool before dinner to relax and enjoy the view of the city. For dinner we ate at the Italian restaurant in the hotel.
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