Another lazy start to our day, breakfast at 8’ish, and then we finished packing and tidying things up for our travel day to Casablanca.

We were picked up from the hotel around 11:10am and taken to the airport, about a 20 minute cab ride. We checked in Ok and then settled in for the wait for our flight. The flight is due to leave at 2:30pm, but the boarding time was set at 1:20pm, for some unknown reason. Anyway, so we went for a walk, found the gate and the found some comfy chairs, did a little people watching, had lunch and sat. Before no time, it was still an hour before we had to go to the gate for boarding!!!! Eventually we went to the gate and they opened it. When you go through emigration there isn’t any security, all the security is at each airlines gate. Anyway, Deb went through Ok and then I went through and the bells went off. I was taken to one side and was asked to put my arms out and “spread’em”! Well the guy doing the job was very thorough, if he was any more thorough, you might call it a “one night stand”! Eventually he finished with me and just cast me aside!!!    He seemed to enjoy his work!!!

We then waited for a while before boarding, and we eventually took of pretty close to on time. Deb had the window seat, me the middle and there was an old Moroccan woman sitting next to me, she was helped onto the plane, and seemed to struggle with everything from the meal to drinks on the flight. She was a sly thing, firstly she tried to get herself put into business class, but the steward wouldn’t do it, then she struggled with various parts of her meal, seeking help from those around her (including me). But when it came to get off the plane (we were afraid we would have to wait until the last passengers had gotten off to get out) she was up like a shot once the plane parked, and had everyone help her get her bag and duty free stuff down. We later saw her in a wheel chair breezing through immigration!!

Anyway we landed in Morocco around 4pm local time after a 3 ½ hour flight (we are now 9 ½ hours behind Adelaide time – we had to put our clocks back 2 hours) , and were out through immigration and customs by 5:45. Our driver met us immediately outside customs and we were taken to our hotel, The Sheraton. It was nearly an hour drive from the airport and the traffic, once we got close to Casablanca, was absolute mayhem. At one set of lights, (and it was a huge intersection) the cars wanting to turn left into a 2 to 3 lane road, had formed up in the middle of the intersection into at least  11 or 12 rows.   It looked like the start of a crash/smash’em-up derby, but somehow it all worked and they all managed to get into their lanes without so much as a scratch to any of them!! That set the tone for the rest of the trip into town. This is one city I wouldn’t like to attempt to drive in, give me Rome anyday!!!  (mmm I am not so sure about that, Rome was bad.....)

After checking –in, we went for a walk to get some water.   You can’t drink the local stuff, or even clean your teeth in it! The water in the room was about $10 for a 600ml bottle, we found a shop and got 2 litres for $2.

For dinner we went to the Moroccan restaurant in the Hotel. We had Steamed Goat and seasonal vegetables.  When it came out we were both very surprised, it was huge. I think we got about half a leg!!! It was beautiful!! The waiter showed us, in his very best sign language, that we should use the Cumin and Salt that were in a condiments thing on the table, to sprinkle over the meat. So we did, and it was so succulent and tasty. The vegies were good too. Just as we finished the main, the band started to play. Four guys, 1 on keyboards, 1 on violin and 2 on percussion. They played, you guessed it, Moroccan music, you know the old cliché music you get in any old black and white movie set in the desert.  The music was mesmerising, the beat of the drums, the cascading ring of the chime bells and the haunting sound of the violin, it was great just to sit and listen and watch as they played. After a couple of warm-up songs a Belly dancer came in and danced around the room. She was in her mid 20’s (we guessed) and had a real sparkle in her eyes.   She was very good (I think, she is the first Belly dancer I have ever seen) and she joyfully interacted with the band. Deb thought she was flirting with the lead drummer, and she was probably right. Away, it was lots of fun and an enjoyable way to introduce ourselves to this country.

On that note, Morocco gives us our Seventh (7^th) Continent together in that last 17 months. We feel so lucky to have been able to complete all seven continents of the globe together, but to do it all in 17 months is a real buzz. In January last year we went to South America(Chile, Argentina and Brazil) and  Antarctica, then in July last year we went to Asia (Vietnam and Cambodia), and since April this year we have been to North America (USA),  Europe(England, France, Hungry, Austria, Slovakia, Germany and the Netherlands), now we are in Africa ( Morocco). We have often discussed where we each think is the best place we have ever been, but it really is to hard to pick a favourite, they are all so different and the experiences you have so varied that it really isn’t possible to rank one higher than the other, we can always think of some amazing place or thing we experienced in one country that at least equals the one we were thinking of before!!  (mmm for me Antarctica was really special, I can’t see that being surpassed!!   I have really enjoyed all of the other places we have visited, there hasn’t been one place that in hindsight I would have chosen not to go to.  I was just trying to find the words to say what I have just noticed Greg has just said underneath, so when you read the next paragraph that goes ditto for me!! Lol, that happens so often!)

It’s great to be able to do all this while we can enjoy it, and to do it with someone that loves to share in the joys of the adventure in a similar way to yourself is the stuff dreams are made of.   (ahh that is really lovely thank you!!   Mmm tad soppy!! Lol)

Tomorrow we explore Casablanca by ourselves walking and local taxis seem the go, I’m not sure how the local public transport works, but it looks like it may involve the hailing down of a donkey drawn cart!!! It should be fun anyway, lots of love from us xox