AF LHR-CDG-CMN in Y, A223 (squishy, but flying in and out of Morocco is expensive!)
My transfer at CDG was 1h 20m, same ticket. Before take off they indicated we would be an hour late, but they made us board regardless... and then we sat on that effing plane going nowhere, and sat and sat and sat. Even if I did make my connection, my bags wouldn't. They did say the issue was bad weather in Paris so maybe my connecting flight would also be delayed.
Delay departing LHR, 1h
Delay arriving to CDG, 30m
Delay at CGD terminal change and security, 20m (dude in from if me had a knife concealed in a credit card, wtf?!)
Delay departing CDG, scheduled 20m, actual 1h
Delay arriving into CMN (with my luggage), 1h 15m
Time it took me to find my driver because I walked out of the wrong exit, 20m of panic
I didn't get around to exchanging any pounds for Moroccan dirham in London, all the money exchange places looked super dodgy. Glad I didn't, I just read while waiting for my flight at LHR that you can only bring a max of 2,000 d's into Morocco... that's only $330.
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Our first night is in a stunning villa in Rabat. So far the promised "upgraded" accommodations are perfect. The tour company is Explore, a UK group, so the only Australians are me and one other couple, everyone else is British.
Lane markings and pedestrian crossings are mere suggestions, and blinkers so alien I'm wondering if they are considered rude gestures.
Rabat has the cleanest public spaces and streets I've ever seen, even dried leaves are picked up.
I asked the guide what time we'll hear the mouadib instead of muezzin ..IFYYK.
Morocco is mainly agrarian, and no fruits or vegetables are imported. Unfortunately they've been in drought 7 years and it is proving quite difficult. In an effort to become less dependant on weather, they've entered the car manufacturing market and the guide was very proud to announce they just recently exported their 1 millionth car. They've also started solar farms and now export solar power to England, annoying France. Their diplomatic ties with France have deteriorated so much that after a 2023 earthquake Morocco refused aid from France.
Medicinal canabis became legal, but recreationally it is still considered very illegal and the guide specifically warned us against purchasing anything questionable. But he did point out twice that they are Sunni Muslims meaning they can go from the mosque to a bar.
Morocco has the most retched and malnourished cats I've ever seen
Mosques here have minarets, not domes, because Morocco was never occupied by the Ottomans so their architecture remains andalusian-inspired.
In 1975, 350,000 Moroccans took part in the Green March, a peaceful protest where Moroccans walked to Spanish Sahara to lay claim to the area. Spain did withdraw from the territory, but it lead to armed conflict and guerrilla warfare between the Sahrawi indigenous to the area wanting sovereignty and self-governance of what is now known as Western Sahara, vs Morocco and Mauritania wanting control. 70% of it is currently occupied be Morocco, and while many world States have officially recognised its sovereignty, including Australia, Morocco's claim is supported by both France and the USA. It is often referred to as Africa's last colony.
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Winding through the narrow streets of Chefchaouen to our Ryad by foot (our luggage taking another mystery route), our guide pointed out an ATM and restaurant options. When we got around the corner down a lane left here right there up those stairs and just behind that blue wall to our accommodations, I told him if you paid me lots of money I wouldn't be able to find the ATM or the restaurants. He said "no it's just there". Okay buddy, how about I leave you at the Myer escalators on the corner of Market and George Streets and tell you to go down, turn left, and find platform 5 at Town Hall station. At least I didn't get brain damage from the bidet spray because I have one at home and know how to use it, so there! (proper post on Chefchaouen next time).
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Spain in the right, Morocco on the left (I think that's the Rock of Gibraltar just above the jet engine)
Hassan Tower, building started in 1195 and it was intended to be the tallest mosque in the world, but when that current ruler dies, they lacked funds to complete it. It now stands excavated and reconstructed next to the mausoleum for King Mohamad V, and is UNESCO World Heritage listed.
Kasbah of the Udayas, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. "Kasbah" is the name given to a fortified city in North Africa. This has existed since 1150, though the majority of the current Kasbah was expanded by Moors expelled from Spain in 1609, and the following 100 years.
Villa Mandarine, Rabat
