We have changed our route, not the places we want to visit but the order. As our fridge is not running to capacity we found a website that is the distributor for Electrolux and Dometic in Casablanca. So we are heading from Chefchaouen to the coast and will go around Morocco anticlockwise. We will first visit Rabat, the capital, and then to Casablanca. I have titled this post “Are we crazy” as the destination for both places is in the middle of busy cities and required driving right through the centre of town! Should be fun!

Buying locally

We have and will continure to try and buy our food as local as possible and aviod the supermarkets. On the road to Rabat we saw a large fruit and vegetable market and we pulled in to investigate. Immediately we had a following of a group of children, one girl in particular helped us with our transactions and even carried our shopping bag for us. No one spoke English and I got out my phone calculator for our young market guide to press in the amount. The food was cheap and of good quality. We gave the young girl some dirhams for her help and continued on to Rabat.

Rabat

The park4night app had a place next to the old medina and the port. The drive in was relatively easy and the parking area had a sign “60 dirhams for motorhomes, 24 hours”. We paid the carpark attendant and parked up. A great central location but tonight we would have to use our earplugs. Along with the usual traffic noise there was an amusement park set up next to our parking spot.

The Medina

It was only a three minute walk to the medina, the old part of the town. Here we spent several hours tasting some local food and shopping. Our door mat needed replacing and we bought one for a few dollars. On the way back we bought some cooked fish to have back in the motorhome. 

 

The Kasbah des Oudaias

Despite the noisy location we had a solid sleep. In the morning we explored the Kasbah des Oudaias which was only a short walk away.  After a pleasant stroll through the gardens we had some mint tea and cookies on a terrace, further exploring the narrow streets and taking in the view from the top. Our stay at Rabat was at an end as we had nearly 100 kilometres to drive to our next destination Casablanca. 

Casablanca 

We drove through Casablanca in the middle of the day, and yes we are crazy. Road rules are almost non existent but the drivers are very courteous and we made our way to the Hassan II Mosque. I had sourced a carpark just next to it, hoping that there would be space. When we arrived the carpark guard waved us in,plenty of  space for us to park, amazing. We  strolled around the outskirts of the Mosque as entry to non Muslims was by a guided tour which was later in the afternoon. This for us did not eventuate.

Our fridge saga continues…

We had an address of a Electrolux/Dometic distributor which was a few kilometers away. The route took us through the old medina where we stopped for a late lunch. When we arrived at the address no sign of the business could be found, when we asked some locals one man said that they had moved and pointed us in the direction of their new address. This was also a challenge to find but eventually we saw the sign on the wall. They did sell fridges but alas, no 3 way fridges for motorhomes, our quest was in vain, although we did see some of Casablanca.

Could be the worst campsite in Morocco! 

After paying our carpark guard 20 dirhams or $2.70 Australian for our prime parking spot we headed down south to a campsite for the night. What is  loosely called a campsite. The only redeeming feature was the hot showers which we paid extra for. More about the Moroccan campsites in later blogs. After a busy day it was good to relax, have a drink and use our barbeque for tea. We will be continuing south down the coast.