Morocco: What Will You Find?
And the good news just keeps coming. I arrived in Casablanca by Irish Air before the scheduled arrival of my Air Morroc flight. How does that happen?
The airport in Casablanca reminded me of any airport in smaller American airport facilities–sort of sterile like county hospitals with fluorescent lighting so glaring you can’t tell whether it’s day or night outside My friend Marc was scheduled to arrive the day before and meet me at the airport. Well, every travel companion has their idiocyncracies, and if they are not too numerous or aggregious, you put up with them. Marc’s is tardiness. So, of course no Marc at the airport.
I took the time to check out my surroundings. There were the usual major car rental kiosks and cabbies trying to get your business. By the time I located the buses that take you to your hotel–I must admit I was surprised to find such a service in what I consider an exotic country–Marc arrived.
Let me digress from my story about my travels in Morocco. I want to make this blog something more than just a trip down memory lane. My hope and plan is to encourage those who would otherwise have not traveled because of a variety of fears, to reconsider. Not only do I believe travel helps us live longer, but it brings people closer together when we get to know others in a World where we seem to be growing apart.
Even when I randomly pick a location to travel to, I like to somehow relate the experience to my interests. If you’re not sure where you want to go, this could be at least a starting point. That means even if you stick a pin in a map, you will have some reason to go there.
I can start with one of my favorite movies about Morocco–”Casablanca.” It’s a classic. I don’t even miss the color that is absent in the black and white movie. But you will not miss the color in the country itself. It is vibrant and everywhere. I would venture to say, the reason for the colorful rugs, fabrics, jewelry, furniture, tiles, etc., is the lack of color in the landscape.
If you find basing your travel selection on a movie too trivial or far fetched, perhaps history is more acceptable. I love to travel to places because of history. The Hotel d’Anfa at Anfa Plage, Casablanca was the site of the “Anfa Conference” in January of 1943 where Roosevelt, Churchill, and DeGaulle met abut the World War II allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. Stalin was invited but chose not to attend.
Although the beautiful Hotel d’Anfa was demolished, I stayed at the hotel that replaced it. It’s not quite the same thing–the original hotel was elegant and one could imagine black tie and ball gowns gathering for over-the-top parties, music playing in the background while dignitaries hobnobbed and white coated waiters served champagne from silver trays–oh, wait! I’m back to the movies.
In the real thing, the replacement Anfa Plage Hotel is a string of modest rooms nestled into the hillside on the beach. I believe there may be other hotels with the same name that are further inland and high-rise buildings. Never fear! There are five-star hotels in Casablanca for those who love traveling in the luxury and elegance of the original hotel of 1944.
If you are a person who wants to relax on the beach and do a little sightseeing, Morocco has some of the most beautiful beaches along its coast. There’s nothing more relaxing than stretching out on a lounge chair, watching the waves lapping the sand, while sipping a cool glass of mint tea. Europeans head there to escape the bleak winter weather in their country.
If you want to shop, you can find the high-end shops you would find in any major city around the world, as well as the shops you would find in the flea markets and swapmeets everywhere. There is a city named Tiznit where they sell, almost without exception, silver. You can find jewelry, household serving pieces and accessories, and much more, all made of silver.
There’s more fun to come. If you want to know how I made this a “Profitable” trip, go tocategory “Travel Profits” and see my blog “Morocco: Travel That Paid For Itself.”