Port of Casablanca

And what a port! The ship is pulling up next to HUGE cranes - we could reach out and touch them. coming into port an hour ago, already the contrasts are striking - first, crossing a clear line in the water - on one side, the greenish-blue clear waters of the Atlantic, on the other, silty-sludgy beige water full of garbage. Then there was the escort of the fishing boats, rusted and well-worn next to the sparkling priviledge, wealth and size of the MV Explorer (that's our ship). Finally, the striking sight of the Hassan II Mosque, soaringly beautiful, with nothing but the relative chaos of the industrial port area around it.
Oh, and it's cloudy and misty - COOL! (literally)

On a personal note, I've finally found a travel partner to Fes, thanks heavens. Joyce is a bit older than me, is a life-long learner on the voyage, and has lived under very adverse conditions recently for some months in Bangaladesh, where she worked for a non-profit teaching English. After being told a number of times that a woman traveling alone in Fes is NOT a good idea, this is a big relief.
We watched a documentary film last night titled "I love Hip Hop in Morocco" - great introduction to youth culture in the country. Nice to think my bit of French will definitely be useful here! (Much of the film was in French.)