We managed to make a phone call to our friends Ali and Tasneem to let them know we made it, and they arranged to meet us. We went for a little walk around the block to keep ourselves from falling asleep, and when we turned the final corner, Ali and Tasneem were pulling up in a cab with their baby Zahra in tow. Talk about good timing!
We went to La Corniche which is the beachside area of Casablanca. It's really beautiful there and we had a little snack at one of the seaside cafes before heading to the Mosque of Hassan II. We got there right at prayer time, so they had the doors open and we could peek inside. As non-Muslims, we weren't allowed in, but the building was gorgeous and we could see the intricate decorations on the inside from the doorway. Jonathan had brought a bunch of baseball caps to give as tips, and he traded two of them to some young boys who were selling tissues at the mosques. They were ecstatic. Jon hadn't brought enough for all of them, however, and he nearly incited a riot!
That evening, our cab driver took us to a lovely restaurant right on the beach where we had an authentic Moroccan tajine dinner.
It was a fabulous first day. I really liked Casablanca. It felt very European, and I was surprised at how large it was. It was hot, but since it's on the ocean, there is a nice breeze, and it wasn't stifling. I was also surprised at how easy it was to get around. There are taxis everywhere as well as buses, and they are in the process of building a tramway. It's very tourist friendly!
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