Here's Lookin' at You......Kid - Casablanca, Morocco

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Hassan II Mosque

Casablanca is a huge modern city of 3.8 million people on the Atlantic coast of Morocco.  A very cosmopolitan city where you see old traditions, and very new styles, offering a unique insight into modern Morocco.  Being a big city, we had decided to only spend one night there before flying out of Morocco, but we did enjoy our brief time there.  
The main attraction in town is actually very new.  Built in the '90's, the Hassan II Mosque is the world's third largest mosque.  It is very impressive, with the attention to detail exquisite.  Unfortunately, there are some negatives in particular the half billion US dollar price tag, which many argue could have been used much more effectively elsewhere.  Helping feed the poverty stricken, homes for the homeless, - you see where I am going with this.  We even heard that they kicked out the slum dwellers that were living on the site, and gave them no compensation. 
That being another issue altogether, visiting the mosque was a treat.  It is one of the few mosques that non-muslims are allowed to enter with a guided tour, although we missed our opportunity.  The mosque is situated on a rocky outcrop, reclaimed from the sea.  It can hold 25000 worshippers, and another 80000 in the courtyards surrounding it.  We were told that it actually has a retractable roof, and a glass floor over the ocean. We have also heard that a futuristic laser beam points from the tower towards Mecca in the evening.

Muslim photographer at Hassan II Mosque

It was constructed by the present king's father, Hassan II in honour of his 60th birthday, and I suppose he was one for detail.  All the intricate mosaic and tile work was immaculate, and the massive doors were detailed and impressive.  It seemed like many locals would hang out and enjoy the surroundings, while others were more touristy, taking photos around the place like the couple pictured here.
A walk through the old medina was busy with the bustle of people selling and eating.  It had a different feel from other medinas, but still a nice vibe.  We ate at rotisserie street, an area of cheap eateries, with tons of rotisserie chicken on offer.
We left our youth hostel in the morning after sleeping in his and her dorms - strange for us.  Michelle had met an Algerian lady named Mina, who kindly gave her a gift of a CD of Moroccan music - how nice was that!!
On to our next leg of the journey.  Since Western Africa is approaching a rainy season, and flights were actually cheaper to head South, we were off to Johannesburg, South Africa with a brief stopover in Cairo, Egypt.  From desert to safaris - exciting!!   *Stub