This morning we landed in Casablanca ready to start our two weeks of adventure. The time change was a large adjustment as we got here in the morning but lost a night of sleep with the time adjustment. Walking out of the airport it was cooler than I expected, which was a very pleasant surprise. I also did not expect for the architecture to be as modern as it is. As we were driving to the Mosque, I was shocked to see the number of McDonalds and Shells that they have. We passed at least 3 McDonalds on our ride which made me feel a little more at home here in Morocco. I was also surprised to see the number of large apartment buildings instead of a bunch of small houses which I expected. I am looking forward to seeing how the other cities we visit (Marrakesh and Rabat) compared to Casablanca.

Today I was also able to travel to Hassan II Mosque. The Mosque was located near water, and I was shocked by how windy it was. We had an amazing tour guide who took us through the Mosque and taught us a lot of different details and facts about it was we went. One thing that really shocked me was how long it took them to build the mosque. When the tour guide asked how long we thought it look them to make it I assumed at least 100 years, however, she revealed they build the whole thing in only 6! I was also shocked due to the modern elements of the mosque. It has a roof that can open at the touch of a button, heated floors, and hundreds of hidden speakers that are blended into the pillars of the building. We also found out all of the materials used in the building were from Moracco, except for the chandeliers which had elements imported from I believe it was Italy or France. I will put some pictures into this post but it was the photos do not do it justice.

Can’t wait for another (hopefully better rested) day tomorrow. See you then!

Sarah