Morocco Is a Country that Surprises Even its Own Citizens

letstalk

letstalk

Booking a flight ticket with a better deal could be very challenging especially in the month of December, but not to worry cheapoair.com, the English version of it, is the website where you should browse and I am sure you will find some great deals to any destinations in the world.





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I booked my flight with Air Transat Portugal airline. And then another flight from Lisbon to Casablanca. The price was 50 per cent cheaper than Royal Air Maroc or any other airlines. I only paid 740 USD round trip with cheapoair.com. One thing you should expect to happen when traveling with Air Transat is the delay. Both my flights were delayed but I liked it. I found very strange that the crew of a Portugal airline were all French people except one man who made some announcement in Portuguese language during the flights. In my coming back, the French crew were too noisy and had endless conversation among themselves all along the trip. I was at the back of the airplane and I could not get some sleep but at the end I did. I think airplane space is a public sharing space and one must respect that.

The food and the beverages

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The Air Transat food was chicken rice that comes with some bread and small salad and some butter. the beverages were hot and cold beverages like juices, tea, coffee, or even wines. In addition, one snack. I am a tea drinker so I had only that. I personally don't rely on airplane food. I had some food before embarkation.

The luggage

It depends on the type of the flight but mine had a maximum weight of checked baggage no more than 10 kg but I had a carry-on as well. I traveled light so this did not bother me. You can check the luggage allowance here https://www.airtransat.com/en-CA/travel-information/baggage/weight-dimensions

Casablanca Airport (CMN)

There are two areas at the airport: the registration and the embarkation.

If you are at the registration area restaurants the menu is like the one below. The price is in dirham currency. But as soon as you enter the embarkation area the food prices are in Euro and are very expensive. For instance, one sandwich in the registration area will cost around 50 dirhams but in the embarkation area cost three times more. 150 dirhams.

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150 Dirhams for one Sandwich, really!

I was very curious about what kind of sandwich this one really is. Thus, I paid 150 Dhs and the sandwich was just some meat in a small baguette with some fries and a soda. It tastes delicious but the price is too expensive.

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Same airport but different food prices and currency set. Is not it surprising!
 
The Four cats

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While I was walking and reading my book, I saw four Moroccan cats near a closed brown door at the library. I then named them. From the left to the right in the picture there is Luiza, Sandy, Bastaa, and Limona. Luiza and Bastaa seemed having a nap and perhaps some wonderful dreams. Between them Sandy, the white and black cat who was staring at me at the moment of me taking the picture. Beside the doorstep is Limona cat who is entirely black and looking at the opposite side. I did not want to bother them more, I quietly walked away. Same pets but different sitting style.
 
The Moroccan government building

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Believe it or not this house is a Moroccan government building. It has no flag but it services many residents. Inside, there are only two men and a mess. Papers are all over the places thank God there is a computer that keeps files organized. But I like it.
 
The soccer game time

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How amazing to be in a quiet coffee shop reading a new English book in Morocco. It was the world soccer game and many cafés were full to the street side but Pall café was not. I don't know much about the owner of this café but I entered it anyway. 30 Dhs is the cost of the coffee and it comes with a small bottle of water. How powerful a TV screen. Same street one café with TV streaming is full, the other one without is not.
 
The dog that has no teeth

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While I was at Mcdo in Morocco, this dog came near me. Once he stared at me. Twice he stared at me. And then I asked him 'What's your n-a-a-a-a-me?' again he just stared at me. And then I named him MerciPapa. MerciPapa is an endcap dog, he can't bite or harm because he has no teeth. He can only bark. He is most likely hungry and has no home. He is always near Mcdo looking for some food. He lost his owner who used to be a very strong and healthy man.
 
At the Library in Morocco

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This is one of the university libraries in Morocco that used to be a center of reading French books but not anymore. In the shelves, French books are at the bottom and are very dusty. It seemed to me no one bothers to open and read them. I found in the middle section where Spanish books are and many books were in use recently because they were open. The top of the shelves carries Arabic books but no English books yet. It is very surprising that the name of the university is in French and the tables are in blue color but university students and library users are not interested in reading the French literature books anymore. Hummm


Tacos Viande Hachée

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As per Merriam dictionary Taco is a crispy or soft corn or wheat tortilla that is folded or rolled and stuffed with a mixture as of seasoned meat, cheese, and lettuce. The Moroccan Taco, the one I purchased, however, is crispy, has thin layer of a grounded meat and a bigger layer of a veggie salad but no lettuce or cheese. It comes with fries and some Moroccan-made ketchup and mustard sauces aside. It cost 35 Dhs and it tastes okay. It seems that taco was made first time by José Atanasoff in 1897s and the 'freedom fries' as Americans call it or the potato fries was made by the Belgian in 1600s.
 
"Moool lgilia"

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"Moool lgilia" is this person who has four wheel popcorn cart that has a Morocco flag at the side. He was not attracting any patrons or customers at the moment of me taking picture because the park was not that busy. Usually, he made a great deal of sales when more families with kids are in the park. Moroccans generally have an appetite and desire to eat freshly cooked popcorn at a gathering family outside especially when the day is sunny.

Morocco Donkey Cart

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If you are walking Morocco streets, you will notice a variety of vehicles that pass by you. Some of them are moving fast like personal vehicles, others are moving and stopping here and there getting on and off clients like taxicab, bus, and still others are like the one in the picture: Morocco donkey cart. It is a cute transportation vehicle and has been serving the Morocco society for many years. It seems that the Morocco legislation had banned them from the city of Casablanca, but still you will see them in other cities. To me, Morocco donkey cart are part of Morocco heritage and Moroccan identity and we all must save them from vanishing.
 
Moroccan Bath or Shower Scrubber

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Never leave Morocco without purchasing a good shower scrubber. The Moroccan bath or shower scrubber known also as Kessa or Hammam Kharkaa is essential for exfoliating and removing dry flaky skin and dead skin cells. It also helps with blood circulation. The cost depends on the quality of the material and how it reacts under water. A good quality shower scrubber will cost 12.50 Dhs but buying two shower scrubbers you may get a deal of 25 Dhs and this was my case.
 
Morocco Casablanca Airport Train

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In the train everything I saw was almost written in English as well. Signs, messages, and even directions. One train fare cost 60 Dhs from Casablanca Airport to Casa Port train station. The duration of the trip was about one hour. It seemed to me the train operates on a punctual schedule because it came on time and it was good. The train that connects Casablanca Airport to Casa Port Train Station was relatively empty for the time of the day I used it. https://www.oncf-voyages.ma is the website where you can purchase train fares even a couple of days ahead of time. You can also buy train fare tickets in person once you arrive if you like to. The train platform surprisingly had free Wi-Fi and it was working. But this comes with a caveat: you have to watch a video publicity in order to connect to the Wi-Fi. If you choose to skip this step, you won't be connected and it will be too bad for you because you won't be able to whatsapp your family. Inside the train was clean and no bad smell came to my nose. Casablanca airport train was very convenient and very useful.
 
Dernière édition:
Buying an English Book In Morocco

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Having English books accessible to you in Morocco stores in many shopping centers at an affordable prices is essential for anyone who aims to practice and reads English materials for learning purposes or enjoyment. Marina Shopping near Casa Port is one example. The book stores inside Marina Shopping Mall have some amazing English books. In the book aisle, English books were hidden inside a variety of French books that have a lot of coloring and different shapes and this may distract the eye very easily. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is the title of the book I purchased. It cost me 28.00 Dhs and it tells a story about how thin is the line between good and evil? The book is of a small size and has 239 pages. It was my best friend during the flight and is a wonderful reading at this moment.
 
Visiting the Mosque Hassan the Second in Casablanca

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While I was at Marina Shopping Mall, I was thinking to visit the mosque Hassan the second. So, I walked all along the ocean route. It was a shortcut route and it was safe. The duration to reach the mosque from Marina Shopping Mall using this route was about 25 minutes walking. The wind was blowing softly, the sun was shining warmly, and many people were walking here and there enjoying the nice weather. Some people were even surfing in the waves of the ocean and others, fishermen, were in the water trying to catch some fish. The ocean was calm and pleasing to the eyes and I felt a positive energy all around me. Suddenly, I started seeing from a distance the mosque Hassan the second. It was huge, very high, and it seemed to me half of it was inside the ocean water. I was happy and certainly I thought I will visit the mosque building from inside that day but I was wrong. By the time I reached the edge of the surrounded area of the mosque near the street, I was stopped by a tall, strong security guy who was carrying a walky-talky device on his right hand and somebody was talking to him through it. He was very polite and was surprisingly speaking fluently in English. In front of me he had a smooth, very clear and easy to understand English conversation with the tourists who came before me. Actually, he speaks French, English, and Arabic very good.

As per my coming, he informed me that visiting the mosque site which includes the mosque building and its vast surrounded areas can only be at 4 p.m. It was not very convenient to me because I was there two hours earlier but I was waiting. Next to me two other girls were waiting as well. Can you imagine we were waiting near the street side and the mosque who has a lot of empty spaces was at our backs. "We don't welcome visitors like this," I whispered into my ears sadly.
 
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While I was waiting and the two girls were also waiting, I could not believe my eyes and understand why tourists who came after us were given access to the mosque but not me and the two girls. After that, a Moroccan man came and wanted to pass through the outside area of the mosque in order to reach his parked car on the other side of the mosque site because the man thought it is shorter this way. He could not access neither. While he was unhappily arguing with the security guy, another group of tourists came and were given access without any questions. The man was very upset but had no choice and he just left and walked a little longer down the street around the mosque territory in order to get where his car was parked in the other corner. The situation did not make any of the waiting people happy but no one said anything.

As per the security guy saying, the tourists will go to the museum inside and they are not visiting the mosque walls that is why he is letting them entering. If I wanted to go to the museum as well, it will cost me 60 Dhs he shouted at me at last. I said yes but he were strongly advising me not to pay because I will see same things at 4 p.m. anyway.

I then understood that the best time of the day which is between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. was allocated for the tourists to visiting the mosque and the local people like me and the two girls and the man had to wait. It was not fair and 4 p.m. was a bit late for being able to see and enjoy all mosque wonderful places. I just left!
 
@letstalk
Madomta fil Maghrib limada Ta3ta3jib?
If you have enough imbeciles running the country, just leave!!!
Just do not be disrespectful to the Atlas Lions.
They made us proud to be Moroccans.
Shill dude, you could be living in North Korea.
Much worse.
 
Beautiful Building

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Casablanca itself is a huge museum if you ask me. It has so many things that are beautifully done. When I was waiting near the mosque Hassan the second, I found the yellowish building on the left side of the street, see the photo, very attractive. The façade of the building is like a human face except it has so many eyes which are windows. Some of the windows are balconies that have TV satellites, others have beautiful gardens, and still others are just for lightening the inside building. The bottom of the building has about 19 doors some of which are closed others are not. The ones that are open serve as main entries to the building. I am sure each neighborhood in the city of Casablanca has some unique building style and amazing architecture like this one that is worth seeing.
 
Morocco Flag Was Everywhere Posted and It Was Good

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Because the weather was hot in the month of December can you imagine not even a single cloud in the blue sky and the wind had no humidity, I took advantage of that. I was walking, and walking, and even more walking until my feet started hurting me and then I pushed my feet to walk God damn some more walking. Doing this I explored many neighborhoods in Morocco and felt greatly good and knowledgeable about what were in them. Many houses, villas, and apartments were posting the Morocco flag on its outside windows and balconies. When the Morocco soccer game team was set to play, many go nuts for Morocco national colors. Some people were even wearing clothes that were made of the Morocco flag. The spirit and the mood of the country at that time were happily high and I liked it. I am not sure if the Morocco flag showing on many houses' façades was there, in Morocco, to stay or not just part of a fad.
 
The 903 Bus Line and The Moroccan Singer Man


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I found the 903 bus line unique and fascinating. Everyday this bus connects the village to the city and the city to the village. The starting point of this bus line was Sidi Moussa Ben Ali which is a village. However, the ending point of this exact same bus line was Mohammedia Train Station which is a city that is part of greater Casablanca region. The 903 bus ticket cost six dirhams per one fare for one person and one ride. By the law, you must enter the bus from the front door and exit it from the back door. You may get a fine if you do not abide by this rule. The rear door had one monitoring camera for safety purposes, I guess, and it seemed to me the camera was working. The bus had many yellow buttons for requesting a stop but nobody were using it. To request a stop hardly knock on the back door glass with your hand. The bus driver will know and stop for you but you have to do it ahead of time.

The bus driver will not bother you if you choose to ride his bus without paying. However, if you got caught by a bus controller, fine will be 35 dirhams per unpaid rider. The 903 bus line had 28 stops. It seemed to me 12 of them were in the urban area and the rest in the rural area. The majority of the 903 bus stops were not clearly indicated to public. No signs could tell from where to get on the bus. No bus stop shelters were there neither. You will be guessing and asking people when riding this bus line the first time which was real fun for me and wonderful experience ever.

The funniest thing happed when the bus tried to cross the bridge that connects the urban side to the rural. The bridge street was narrow and not wide enough for two big vehicles like the 903 bus and a truck to use it at the same time. The bus driver and all vehicles behind him had to reverse going backward letting more spaces for the truck who was already engaged on the bridge from the opposite side. Under the bridge was the highway that connects Rabat to Casablanca. It had a lot of traffic and its lanes were marked, wide, and spacious. Hopefully soon this bridge will be rebuilt with bigger marked lanes and all kind of vehicles will drive through it simultaneously.


In the bus I was seated near window. I enjoyed everything I was seeing until the bus stopped near one of the Bank of Africa branches. Believe me I had a nausea feeling and an immense dislike sensation that were covering all me. At that moment I remembered how bad the service of this bank was. I remembered the lies, unclear, and misleading information that were told to me repeatedly by these bank people. I remembered all the faces of the people who were only good at performing a ploy. I remembered I was scammed. I was hoping the bus will move quickly from this location but it did not. The bus driver was waiting for a man to get on. This man was a busking man or street entertainment man. He plays and sings music for public.

The Moroccan busking man was not young but relatively old. He had a white beard and was wearing a hat. He was holding something very special. A musical instrument. By the time he began playing and singing my mood magically shifted and my anger was gone and I became me again. His lively song was pleasing to hear and music to everyone ears. Everyone in the bus was enjoying it even the bus driver because I noticed he was not going heavy on the break pedal and shaking the bus like before when he stopped. Everyone including me offered some money to Moroccan busking man. He sounded happy and left the 903 bus with a smile.
 
A Strange Crowd


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It was a Saturday morning usually this place is quiet but today a crowd. At first, I thought a soccer game was playing and a huge TV screen was the culprit, but it was not the case. I did not know why so many people were here, but people were coming by hundreds and surely for a good reason. The big and the small taxicabs were bringing them more and more as well as buses which were pouring them everywhere. The lineup near wall was nearly 169 feet long and many were not in the line yet. I barely heard people talking, but the conversations I had heard did not clue me in much as per why many were gathering. The best way to know is always to ask. It would be awkward and creep to just ask without breaking the ice with a nice open question conversation. The mobile coffee shop in the crowd worked perfectly. Many were buying and it was a good spot to initiate a dialogue. Neither a menu was posted nor a price was advertised on the tiny mobile coffee shop cart, but a small cup of coffee cost me five dirhams and I had to wait for it for about 25 minutes to be processed manually. As soon as I drank first sip, the coffee smell was excitedly arousing my nostrils and awaking my mind. The small-size-coffee-plastic-cup drink was hot and tasted real coffee. Conversations naturally started to flow, many of which were very informative and had interesting contents. Only at this time I knew the crowd were coming in preparation for a government testing. I was curious to know how the test would be.
 
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The dog that has no teeth

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While I was at Mcdo in Morocco, this dog came near me. Once he stared at me. Twice he stared at me. And then I asked him 'What's your n-a-a-a-a-me?' again he just stared at me. And then I named him MerciPapa. MerciPapa is an endcap dog, he can't bite or harm because he has no teeth. He can only bark. He is most likely hungry and has no home. He is always near Mcdo looking for some food. He lost his owner who used to be a very strong and healthy man
Cliquez pour agrandir...
 
letstalk a dit:
The dog that has no teeth

Regarde la pièce jointe 343027

While I was at Mcdo in Morocco, this dog came near me. Once he stared at me. Twice he stared at me. And then I asked him 'What's your n-a-a-a-a-me?' again he just stared at me. And then I named him MerciPapa. MerciPapa is an endcap dog, he can't bite or harm because he has no teeth. He can only bark. He is most likely hungry and has no home. He is always near Mcdo looking for some food. He lost his owner who used to be a very strong and healthy man.
Cliquez pour agrandir...
Injustice is learned/legal in Morocco.
 
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