Casablanca and the great Moroccan escape

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Don't be fooled by the exotic name, this is not a city where Humphrey Bogart sits in a bar muttering "of all the gin joints in all the world......et cetera". I haven't seen the film and I even have a mental picture what Casablanca is about, smokey charm and men with strong jaw-lines.
Casablanca is not about this. It is a sprawling, filthy, sweaty African city which is a product of that all to frequent mass rural to urban migration. It is a city that gives the distinct impression that five million people have moved here and about four and a half million of them are disappointed. Those lucky half-million people with their convertable cars and sharp suits are surrounded by a mass of people scraping a living from selling tissues and cigarettes and others not making a living at all.
It seems like the city knows what it wants to be - big, cosmopolitain and affluent. This is reflected in the neon lit ice cream parlours and coffee shops that have more than a flavour of Starbucks or Costa. But it is almost that fact that these big, fancy places are so obvious that reminds you what the city actually is. Their clean signs and shiny glass windows are lost in a sea of crumbling pavements, knackered taxis and neglected buildings - it reminds you how far the place has to go.
Still it has an airport and we have visas and tickets. The flight tickets were no problem but we spent seven hours to and from the Malian embassy getting visas - not bad by African standards. Still getting Euros made up from that. It took us the best part of half a day to get hold of Euros at a dismal rate.
But never mind - we fly tomorrow. At 2300 we depart Morocco bound for Mali. The flights are at terrible times so we'll be spending the best part of 24 hours in airports.
It feels like time to go now and move on to another country on the expedition, just hope the heat and the mosquitos aren't too bad.

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Photos

Route
We bussed up north from Safi then had a little trip to Rabat for Visas then to Casa on the train. Pink is the flight tomorrow to Bamako

Visas
It was touch and go whether we'd get these. You can see the pleased reaction to the stamps

Comments

[auntie Elaine]

Mali
Have fun there, wherever it is!

[Chris's Dad]

Bye bye Morocco
Hi you two, Great blog. I think you've well and truly done Morocco, we are looking forward to hearing and seeing the next leg of your adventure. I think Mali will be a different world altogether. Take care, have fun and keep taking the malaria tablets! Live Mum and Dad.

[Lynne and co]

Great writing
Chris, you should take travel writing as a career! Really entertaining. Glad you are both ok and enjoying yourselves. John and Laura and David send their love and we all say Take Care !! Much love Lynnexxxx

[Sarah M]

Impressed by the number of blog entries
Hi Chris, I am having trouble keeping up with the number you are writing! They have all been very entertaining so far and I am looking forward to the next one. Hope you have arrived in Mali safe and sound and raring to go exploring the next country. Sarah x

[anonymous]

getting serious
hi darlings Morocco was, I'm sure, just a taster and now you're getting into something more substantial. All the best for this part of your adventure, take care and enjoy. hugs -Mum, Dad and the doglets

[anna]

hey egg face, just wanted to say hi - have lots of news so will email you properly as soon as possible. hows it all going? missing you - love to chris, anna xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx