The next continent....

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Comparing cultures, cities, religions….

After a couple of weeks back in Holland it was time to be on the move again. So I packed my bag and spread my wings to the next continent. Now I am in Marocco. After arriving at the airport of Casablanca I took the train to get to the centre of the city which took me around a hour. From the train station I took a taxi to get to the hostel. Feels good to be back in a developing country, sitting in a taxi that overtakes lanes, almost bumps into other cars with his crazy driving style, but finally brings you in one piece at your destination.

In Casablanca I met a guy from Israel and one from Australia. Together we went to the Hassan II Mosque. It is the biggest mosque in Marocco and it was nice to see it from the inside. The decorations were very beautiful and the roof was able to open automatically. Later that day we went to the Jewish museum, the only museum in Casablanca. The Jewish community was very large in Casablanca, but nowadays much smaller. We also went to a large Synagoge. It was very pretty inside and everything with so much detail. Not to much, but just perfect. We were for quite a while inside and I liked just sitting there, think about many things and enjoy the beauty of the delicate decorations. A very peaceful place.

In Casablanca my impression of the people is that they look sometimes angry, unfriendly and arrogant, but once you get to speak with them they seem to show a much warmer character. But it depends on the person you speak with ofcourse. And maybe because I was used to the warmth of the latino people in South America. It is just a different culture.

From Casablanca I went by train to Marrakech together with the guy from Israel. Literally Guy, because that is his first name. He is a nice person to travel with. During the trainride I looked at the beautiful scenery and enjoyed a lot. After arriving we walked from the trainstation to the Medina (the old city) and tried to find the place where we wanted to stay. Because the Medina is such a big labirinth it was a big search, but eventually we found the place. There were no beds anymore because it is busy during this time around new year, but they showed us another place to stay. So again through the labirinth of streets. It reminded me a bit from when I was in India. Only the colourful Indian people, the cows who block the narrow steets and the smell of spices were lacking. But I enjoyed it a lot. Like my entire stay the two days here in busy Marrakech. The whole day walking, visiting the main square, eat couscous and Tajine and just enjoying the culture. I also visited some gardens and the Bahia palace.

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Photos

Marrakech
Inside the small streets of the old Medina.