There are a few places in this world that I want to set foot in before I die. The Sahara desert is one of those places. I’m not really sure why. Probably because it’s one of those places that we’ve all been hearing about since we were kids. Now, based on my readings, although eleven countries share parts of the Sahara, it’s easiest (and arguably safest?)  to reach the desert through Morocco.

Now I had several months to prepare for this trip. I had time to plan it properly, and avoid the mistakes I made during my previous trips. Initially I was supposed to go on this trip alone… it’s just hard to convince friends to join you on a trip so far and so unfamiliar from home. So yeah, I had to prepare for it.

One of the mistakes I made during my last solo trip (hello Turkey!) was failing to research about the local dialect. I was caught off guard when some taxi drivers didn’t know a word of English when i went to Istanbul. So I did some research, and found out that very few people in Morocco knew how to speak English. If you’re in areas frequented by tourists, you’ll have no problem. But if you stray from the beaten path, you’ll have a hard time communicating. So people in Morocco speak Arabic. That’s their primary language. But I had to learn a new alphabet first before even starting learning words. I tried to learn it for about three days, then realized I won’t be able to learn much in a span of three months. So I tried to find out what the second language is. Surprise, surprise! it’s not even English. The language that most Moroccans know besides English is French. If you know about Morocco’s colonial history, it’s a no brainer… But I didn’t. lol. Okay, so the French alphabet is similar to the English alphabet. This is doable. If you are curious to know if I managed to learn the language in time, i guess I did. i learned enough to ask directions when i got lost. And I learned enough to understand all those signs (Oh it would have been helpful if I’ve learned French before I came to Belgium!). Understanding spoken French was still a bit iffy, but i learned enough to start simple conversations, and for a traveler, that’s enough.

Next mistake that i swore never to repeat again? I kept spending so much money on tours and hotels! Even the cheapest hotels are much more expensive compared to hostels. And since I initially thought I would be traveling alone, staying at social hostels presents a good opportunity to meet fellow travelers. It would be easy to find a travel companion because most people would plan to visit the same places anyway. As for tours, i did research on the famous attractions in the country, and I found out that I can visit most of those places on my own via public transport. So basically, for the first time ever, i planned my whole itinerary from scratch. It helps that Morocco is a backpacker friendly country. There are so many cheap hostels in each area, and all the places of note can easily be reached by public transport, either by train or by bus. This is what made my trip to Morocco really significant and memorable. For the first time, I actually felt like a real backpacker. lol. I’m a poser no more! Woohoo! 😛

Most international flights to Morocco arrive in Casablanca. There are some that arrive in Marrakesh and Rabat, but the cheapest one at that time lands in Casablanca, so that’s the flight I took. A lot of travelers say there’s not much to see in Casablanca and that I won’t miss much by skipping it, but what the heck. At least I could say I’ve set foot in the city if anyone asked.

The airport wasn’t bad at all. Immigration was swift… not sure though if it’s because we arrived in the morning. It could be chaotic during busy hours. Another sign that Morocco is a backpacker friendly country? There’s a train station with trains to the city center. And from there, you can switch to a train that would take you to Fes or Marrakesh  among other places, if you choose to skip Casablanca. there are lots of trains too, so you don’t need to purchase tickets in advance if you’re just heading to Casablanca. just take note that on the way back, you probably need to purchase tickets a day in advance. Also, there’s only one entrance to the airport from the train station. All passengers from the train need to pass through a single metal detector, so there’s always a log jam in this area. We almost missed our flight because of this, so make sure to leave your hotels very early if you’re taking the train back to the airport.

I booked a night at Ibis Casa Voyageurs, which is right next to the Casa Voyageurs train station. The price is reasonable, about 50-60 USD for a basic room. Casa Voyageurs is the train station that you need to go to if you’re going to the airport and other places like Fes, Marrakesh, Rabat, etc. I don’t think it’s really expensive considering the convenience of being right next to the station. The rooms were clean and had air conditioning, WiFi was fast, it wasn’t noisy at all. There’s 24 hour security. Yeah i found cheaper hotels and hostels, even cheap apartments via AirBnb but they are far from the train station. Considering the fact that we were only spending one night in Casablanca, plus the added cost of transport just to get to Casa Voyageurs, staying at this hotel seemed like a wise decision.

Despite all my planning, some things could still go wrong. When we arrived, the city was practically deserted. We arrived a day after Eid al-Fitr, the last day of Ramadan. I’ve read all about the difficulties when traveling during the holy month of Ramadan. Lots of shops and restaurants are closed, public transport is limited, so it’s hard to travel on your own. Also, even if you’re traveling with a guide, your tours guides and drivers are fasting so they’ll tire easily. Add the heat during this time of year and it could be pure torture. Traveling would still be doable, and I’m sure tour operators would still prefer people booking tours than having no income at all, but take note that it’s gonna be more difficult. So i chose to avoid traveling during Ramadan even if plane tickets were so much cheaper. As I’ve said we arrived the day after Eid al-Fitr—turns out that’s still not late enough. Apparently people are still resting 2-3 days after Eid, some even rest for a week. No wonder Casablanca looked like a ghost town.

In some ways, one would think it was the right decision. There’s less crowds, so one could appreciate the architecture more. We also missed the dreaded traffic jams that Casablanca seems to be known for, and that was a blessing.It’s true there’s not much to see here, but one can take time to appreciate the surrounding buildings as you stroll through the streets. In some parts, the French influence is apparent, you’d think you were walking through an old city in Europe. Lots of buildings have an art deco style, which creates an astounding contrast to the recently erected ones.

The most famous structure in Casablanca is definitely the Hassan II Mosque. It is a humongous mosque, and one heck of an architectural marvel. It’s also built right next to the sea, so many locals come to this place and the surrounding areas to relax on weekends. i found it amusing how kids would approach me and say “Bon jour!” instead of “hello!“The surrounding areas and promenades are perfect for an afternoon stroll. About a block away from the mosque, we finally found an open restaurant. Well it’s basically just a store selling pizzas and shawarmas with a few tables in front of it, but we were terribly hungry already so it would have to do. Man, i dunno if i was just really hungry then, but it was the best shawarma I have ever tasted. Unlike shawarmas in Arabic countries, the pita bread isn’t soft, it was a bit crispy. And man, that sauce they put in there was absolutely delicious. I had four servings and I still couldn’t get enough. Forgot to take pictures though. taking pictures was the last thing on my mind at that time. heh.

Overall, it was an awesome first day in Morocco. We had just a glimpse of the country, but it made us even more excited about the places that we would visit on the days ahead. We had to call it an early night since we’re taking the first train ride to Fes in the morning.