furst Visit impressions of Morocco

As soon as I took the flight from Royal Air Morocco to London Heathrow on a Saturday afternoon, I was in another world. Announcements and signage in English, French and Arabic. Moroccan cuisine and hospitality.On arrival at Mohammed V airport after showing passport that several times it was very early on the Casablanca road, which is the main city of the country (but not the capital). It was more like being in France - a motorway signpost, a French chain has a hardware store, but not so once the taxi had entered Casablanca itself. Here were people walking in front of the cars, about to the cars and avoiding another I was very happy that I was not really doing the driving, especially with the lack of seat belts (or even one that worked!) .There is a large French influence in the country - it is ruled by French and Spanish until 1956 and many new and old architecture is a large part of the French influence and even mailboxes are the same shape and the color yellow as in France.November is probably not the best time of year to visit the country, especially if you do not want to get wet. The rainy season is from October to November and April to May. On my second day I took the train from Casablanca to Rabat the capital. There is a very efficient and low-cost rail system, mainly in the north. Unfortunately, just before arriving in Rabat from the station, the sky opened. They had done the day before exploring Casablanca, but the visit to Rabat only lasted a little over an hour because it was not rain, sudden floods and roads have suddenly taken over the rivers appearance. Here to explore Rabat.The day before in Casablanca was much more successful. I spent some time reading a popular travel guide book that helped me better understand the culture and the people. I was not very surprised by the offers of people who want to help, show and ask for money. Men holding hands while walking or kissing when they met (as guard waving one of their passengers) was part of normal life, it happened because they were friends, not like sex think of the west. I also knew that I had to be careful to take pictures that many women are not happy with.The city has the mosque of Hassan II a spectacular site, which is built with a glass floor on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The minaret is the largest in the world - 200 meters high. The roof opens and closes too.Unlike many European countries where taxis are modern vehicles, in Morocco, you will find the big "big" taxis that normally travel with as many people as is legally possible from one city to another and are usually a Mercedes in the year AD 1980 There will be certain colors depending on the city or town on which they are based. Each city will also have its own colorful "Petit Taxi". Theses are usually Peugeot and Fiat (color code for each city or town) which probably started in the 1980s and 1990s in Europe and has been exported to the south to start a new life as a four passenger vehicle.Going to Marrakesh (Marrakech known locally) in the process has been very interesting. Paying the extra amount for first class guaranteed at least a comfortable seat, although my limited experience in second class has not proved to have any discomfort. The landscape changes with more and more "dry field" even the cacti is grown in places and farmers who use horse-drawn plows or donkeys. You can see the Atlas mountains in the distance you reach Marrakech. Many people choose to stay in the "new city" where western-style hotels are located and even complex villas a few miles from where they are locked from the "real" outside world. I was in a small Riad in the center of the Djemaa el Fna square - the biggest square in the city in the Medina.A riad is a type of boarding house that is usually built around a patio with a garden. Normally, some of the rooms are open to the elements and there is not much rain there that near the coast. The experience of reaching your destination has been varied. A small taxi along the Djemaa el Fna square and later because taxis are not allowed in the afternoon you have to rent a porter and a car.The square is full of restaurants, merchants, lovely snakes and mobile seems to be very lively most of the time of the day. There are also several quaint cafes where you can get a great view