Yalla Yalla Casablanca

The intrepid travelers gathered for a group photo on our last evening in Essaouira, just prior to the Gaura concert (see previous day). Tour manager, Mostafa, is at the far left.

The long bus ride to Casablanca passed through scenic and agricultural areas. For lunch, there was a stop for hamburgers and chicken skewers with wonderful fire-grilled flatbread.

Casablanca is a modern city, although it has its less modern sides as well. We primarily saw the city from the bus windows because structures like the palace and other large Moroccan buildings would take too much time. We stopped at a Catholic church that had beautiful stained glass, in an effort to demonstrate religious tolerance for non-Muslims. (I think that all the tours stop here.) 

Street art

Notre-Dame de Lourdes

We drove by Rick's Cafe (the mythical cafe in the movie, Casablanca) and were given the opportunity to take an exterior photo. No one got up. Next, we stopped at the Hassan II Mosque. It is the second largest functioning mosque in Africa, it is the 14th largest in the world, and was finished in 1993. Its minaret is the world's second tallest minaret at 210 metres (689 ft). Only Muslims are allowed to enter. Non-Muslims were allowed to use the restroom and then hustled out. (In Turkey, non-Muslims are allowed to visit all mosques.)

From our room, we had floor to ceiling windows looking out over the mosque.

The call to prayer at dusk. 

We gathered together for our last dinner together, which began with an elegant roasted vegetable salad and ended with a desert potpourri plate. The food was delicious and the atmosphere mirrors the colorful country of Morocco. We will definitely miss our tour leader, Mostafa, telling us to "yalla yalla" (come on, come on) whenever it was time to hustle up!

"Good night and good luck." (Edward R. Murrow)