We enter another portal and a couple of metal tubes and after 12 hours emerge in Casablanca!
Due to the French influence here, there was a huge Art Deco Movement here in the 1920s and 1930s. The buildings have a blend of Deco and Moroccan details. We wander the avenues, getting totally lost at one point, picking out Deco buildings and details. Some building have been restored and are gorgeous but others are falling into disrepair. The area must have looked grand in its prime years.
Walking to the train station, we come across a Friday prayer meeting. There are so many men that they have spread down the steps of the mosque, onto the sidewalk, across the street and into the park. I make Murray walk behind everyone as I did not feel comfortable cutting through on the street as the only other woman in sight was a little old grandma all dressed in black.
Right away we notice people are not as friendly here as in Albania. We also realize that we need to work on our French! Crossing streets is, once again, an art. We attach ourselves to locals and cross when they cross, or wait patiently for a break in the traffic.
Casablanca is a big city, but downtown is walkable and safe. In spots we are the only tourist types on the street. Men are loading trucks, fixing car engines, washing windows and selling housewares and fish and shoes and fabric. The city is noisy, dirty, busy and sometimes smelly. It’s Casablanca!