MOROCCAN REPLAY

At the beginning of our trip, we took a walking tour with a local guide. He told us Morocco was a country of contradictions. And as we explored for a few weeks....I realized this was so true.  The king  is very interested in climate change and is taking huge steps to position Morocco in a good place with solar power, banning plastic, and not wasting water.  Women have had the right to vote forever, but have just recently been granted the right to divorce their husband..traditionally, in Islam, it was the man who decided. Now, in Morocco, the woman can

get alimony and child support and the right to keep her children with her until they are 18. Food is good in Morocco...healthy, plant based...but some meat. No one is overweight. There are no Costco’s or premade food places. People generally just cook what they grow or can buy daily at the markets. Dessert is usually fruit. Muslims don’t drink, but there was alcohol for the tourists. I found Morocco a VERY tolerant nation. If there were any other religions...I never saw any. People were kind and friendly, and hard working. Health care is free, as is school AND college...but the problem arises that highly educated people leave because they cannot find work with well paying jobs in Morocco. So the brain drain is a big problem. Guns are illegal, except for hunting...and then there is extensive background checks for the whole family. Crime is low, except petty crimes of pickpocket, etc.I felt completely safe everywhere.
My favorite part was the southern area, although it was very hot...it was peaceful and beautiful and had more black Moroccans than the North, which is heavily influenced by the French control. The Berbers of the Mts are proud and tribal, and even that is changing, as they usually don’t have a chief any longer and kids are becoming more educated and wanting to leave their villages and not farm or herd like their parents.
I would go back in a heartbeat..maybe do some hiking in the Atlas Mts. And more camel riding! Haha

LAST DAY

In Casablanca, we continued to see some sights before checking into our hotel. We went to see the only Mosque in Morocco which let’s non Muslims inside...HASSAN II mosque which is also the largest in Morocco and has the largest minaret in the world.Interestly, this “rule” about non Muslims not being allowed in Mosques was put down by the French, not the Moroccans.The French felt it would keep the peace not to mix up the religious groups, but King Hassan the 2nd, was
very full of himself and showing off all his work, so he declared HIS mosque would be viewed by anyone! They give tours 4 times a day in between the  call to prayers. It was the generic tour, and we already knew most of the information, but the mosque was spectacular and can hold 100,000 worshipers easily. One had to be modestly dressed with shoulders covered and no shorts.
 Finally, we got to our hotel, but not before ONE MORE excursion. Someone wanted to go to Rick’s Cafe...made famous in the movie Casablanca, with Ingrid Bergman, and Humphrey Bogart. It was 3 and didn’t open until 4:30....but away we went in search of this famous icon.it wasn’t much to look at from the outside. Kind of grungy, in fact. Mohamed got out and went in and tried to get us a look inside or even a drink at the bar, but the manager was not having any of it, and actually kicked Mohamed out! We were watching from the street, and it was kind of funny.
So back to our fancy hotel in the middle of town for a drink, a bite to eat, and a quick rest before getting up at 3:30 AM for the airport. And home!

CASABLANCA

I finally joined the world of the living this morning, and nibbled at a bit of breakfast. No appetite and leery of food right now.  We walked down the Médina the last time to catch our ride to Casablanca. It seemed so deserted and quiet and just a few stalls starting to open. We had a 5 hour ride but stopped along the way as the terrain changed back to a more coastal clime. The freeway was clear and we saw orchards of olives, and pomegranate. Two big crops of exports. Tourism is the is the #2 money maker after agriculture in Morocco. This trip had been filled with many unexpected and interesting experiences, and today we had another. We visited a social service as soon as we reached Casablanca. This is in a country with many benefits, but not too many social services. Morocco is progressing in so many things, but being a Muslim country brings with it old ways and taboos. One is their “moral law” on premarital sex. If a woman (not a man, of course) becomes pregnant before marriage......it is a huge stigma and she is usually ostracized by friends and family, has NO financial support, will even seek abortion in a country where that is taboo. A Moroccan and Muslim nurse saw this need years ago...a need to support women who have had children and need a support systems... she started a safety net called “Association of Feminine Solidarity to support unmarried woman and their children. As one may imagine she was met with strong opposition for years and years, but finally has made in ways to this problem in Morocco , and at this time they have over 500 applicants a year and fully support 24 women AND their child for 3 full years. This means a small apt.

nearby and day care for the child, and 3 years of school and trade training, with the solution being a woman can make a living and take care of her child and not be separated. We toured the facilities, which were right in the middle of town. We saw the children having lunch, and then we were served a delicious lunch by the students who are learning cooking. We also had SO MANY questions. We were joined by one of the staff to answer our questions, but she only spoke French. Mohammed to the rescue, with his excellent French and did the interpretation...but, still it is a long tedious process. We were all so impressed with this program...especially in a very conservative country...that is still very much dominated by men...........but hope...things ARE changing, and when the KING of Morocco gave his support to this program....it became acceptable.