This is the Morocco we've been looking for

welcome back to Morocco we are heading on the motorway to Casablanca I just want to tell you how great the motorways are these main routes in Morocco they're better than the UK buffalos they really are so yes now I found a parking spot which is five Dirhams for the day in Casablanca we're gonna try it out first it's going to be safe parking um and then I found us to stop for this evening just um outside Casablanca so let's see if this goes to plan or we uh change things up a little we are parked by Hassan's mosque and uh it's a huge car park there's hardly anyone here and I did read it it was five Dirham I wanted to see the guy we're okay till 10 o'clock at night and I said how much is it and he said ah no whatever it's free well he said there are one deer and two deer and whatever so I don't know it must be subsidized by the uh by the city or something like that to encourage people to come in here so yeah free parking we'll give them a few Deering when we're gone we can't sleep here tonight listen we do need to move on but Lindsay has found a free walking tour which starts um somewhere in the Casablanca and ends right here doesn't it yes it is we've got a two-hour tour it starts 30 minutes away and it finishes pretty much by Hassan's Tower or minaret as it's called let's go see Casablanca frankly my dear I couldn't give a damn I mean my guy Harry in the house look at him in his hair well we left it up to the others to find us somewhere to eat following behind so I should probably wait for them this one now we're already committed to this one the temple down here Fairfield Temple we got to the restaurant and all ordered a selection of different foods I've got a roasted vegetable sandwich and I've just taken cheese in like a chipetta with chips very nice as does Eddie and George and Harry got a pizza so we just had a really nice lunch and now we're going for a expert to show us the best bits this is Sofia a local teacher who also runs tours of his beloved Casablanca our first stop on the tour was the lush green Arab League Park where Sophia shared a little of the history of Casablanca as we walked around we could see the influence of the French who had ruled for 40 years during the 19th century with a bustling Port the modern city was established as a center for business and commerce even though the Medina looked old and was built in the traditional style it only dated back to the 19th century after being rebuilt following the French bombing campaign it was nowhere near as busy and frantic as the old Medina in Rabat in addition to telling us about Casablanca Sophia was also happy to answer our questions about Islam even translating the call to prayer for us there is no other God except at one point we followed the sound of drums and were invited to join a wedding party yeah so we stopped and bought some ice creams say thank you to Sunny Casablanca isn't actually a massive tourist destination there are only a couple of really touristy things to come and see we've just spent the last couple of hours Meandering around the city with Sophie young he's a guru free walking tour guide and he was fantastic we were a very small group there was just us and another couple from Austria um we didn't spend a lot of time talking about history and places and pointing things out we talked about the culture of Morocco in general and specifically how maybe a little bit about the history of Casablanca it's not old that's the biggest thing it didn't it really surprised me that it's not an old city even the ancient Medina is from the 19th century this city was created by the French in the 40 years that they ruled the country it was created as a business Hub and as a busy Port it's fascinating but if you want ancient history then you might be looking at Fez or Marrakesh considering we'd heard such negative things about Casablanca about it not being a great tourist destination and our best friends were here a couple of months ago and got so sick they were sick for a couple of weeks afterwards I've had the best day sophian Tucker's around and showed me everything I needed to know about this city right let's head back to the van and find a park up for the night yeah we don't even know where we're staying tonight so the parking place was right across the road from the mosque it's ideal and it's just a few Dirhams as well and it's secure parking until nine o'clock we're okay and they're gonna shut the Gates Right perfect let's get out of it since leaving you last at Casablanca we've been trying to find a park up and we've driven South to jihadid and uh it was even we picked the time that is the King's birthday tomorrow and it just seems that everywhere is absolutely heated every Park up we've tried is just full and it's just gridlocked down there down the streets and it's it's 10 o'clock at night and everyone's out so we're heading out and it's too busy we can't get this thing parked we've found a little Park up um near the beach um hopefully in the middle of nowhere and it's gone 10 o'clock at night now get these kids in bed good morning right we had a bit of a drama last night um but we've ended up parked right here on the beach I'll tell you about that in a bit but let's first of all go and get some melon for breakfast thank you sir thank you morning how are you all right good man okay we got melon for breakfast you guys still in bed so I just worked it out that was about 80P and here we are melon and nectarine for breakfast with a bit of yogurt just the best breakfast so refreshing really nice my friend more bread thank you Mercy thank you shakuran hey mate some bread please will give him some proper money I gave him five Dirhams just now do you know what that is 50 feet more of a difference or whatever I don't know he keeps looking after us in brilliant he held my hand and took me to the toilet well we had a bit of a nightmare yesterday didn't we yeah but you always wake up from nightmares somewhere special right um basically we headed south out of Casablanca as I pulled out of the car park up I nearly smashed the motorhome up driving through the city is it was um it is a bit like Wacky Races right I don't think there are any rules at all there's no rules just just take just close your eyes and pray pretty much certainly worked out why it's hard to get but anyway we made it out of Casablanca we went South where did we try to get a park up first well we we traveled along the coast road because we'd seen on park for night that there are several spots that you can go and park up you're on the coast um and wake up to the beach so we did that however it is throne day today and we are celebrating the king and they love their King here he is a descendant of uh Muhammad the prophet Muhammad and they have a real affection for their kings so it's a big national holiday today and everyone's come to the coast which means everyone's on holiday enjoying the seaside so all the spots that would have been appropriate um for motorhomes weren't it we could tell as we were getting close it was becoming more and more gridlocked traffic was awful and I didn't record anything for you on that I was just stressed trying to get through the traffic and partly because it was getting dark as well so the quality of the the videos so you didn't get to see the three people balanced on a motorbike with no helmets coming at us on our side of the road um but trust me it happened and then we went further south and we found the same again in the next um in the next town El chadida right yeah and it's getting late then so about 10 o'clock I needed somewhere to pull over need to get the boys to sleep to bed and what have you and I'm driving on this really rough road I'm always fantastic the tall motorways are great but some of the other roads yeah they're not lit either so it's dark and we're getting old so our eyes don't work trying to find somewhere in the dark yeah but anyway we pulled into this town and we just clocked another motorhome on the side of the road so I just pulled in and parked just here the beach is right behind us right there and the boys are going in a minute get the surfboards out get their body Boards out and I heading to the beach and we've been made feel very welcome by the locals everyone's wonderful so I'm really pleased to see us I've made friends with this guy who sells the bread here um the guy's doing the fruit and what have you so I wonder if he'll hold your hands so there we are so yeah we're going to make the most of it after a stressed night we're gonna have a relaxed day today at the beach here yeah chilling with the locals and what have you and I'm going to try and show you some of the Bedlam that's going on on the road okay this is absolutely not a tourist area at all we've stumbled on this by accident completely by it and everything happens for a reason in True Red for stone so there we are video video so this guy here saw me with the camera and thought I was taking photos and said I could take his photo and then I explained to him that we're actually doing video and doing YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube yes so we've got his whole family welcome to sibia bed a little town we've stumbled on completely by accident we're parked in a car park near the beach and two minutes walk up the main road and we are surrounded by different Market stalls including the best ever fruit and veg stand I've ever There's A really lovely restaurant across the road too I think we might go there for lunch we get quite a lot of fruit and veg for your money there was a pound we've got peppers and tomatoes and cucumber all the salad stuff that we'll have for maybe for dinner tonight this is just [Music] [Music] [Music] hey come through here this big thumb effect we don't actually need figs of melon because the lovely little man that Steve's made friends with not an easy watching our van but he brought some fruit as well this morning there's a chickpeas and some kind of bean I think might be dinner we have out why I'm just thinking that we'll be ready for lunch about three o'clock and everywhere it'll be shut then now's lunch time right it's a busy busy bustling little town this and uh we're clearly the only Western that's here if that was enough to make a stand out it's walking around with this camera but everyone is so friendly and welcoming this is the Morocco that we've been looking for it is very yesterday may have been Mike yeah well Saturday yesterday there's still lots and lots of cars and bikes and what coming through isn't it and I definitely want to show you some of these on the road it's crazy whilst Harry went off to play football with the locals George and Eddie went in the sea to play with the waves so what have we just paid for this my love uh 50 dirhams Fiverr and we've got a proper little gazebo and I think the Gazebo is free but you pay for the chairs and I'm sure we've paid like a tourist tax on top of everything they went off smiling and we're like whatever it's four pound fifty and we've got a bit of shade and George can play in the water so City habit Beach and the whole west side of Morocco is on the Atlantic Ocean and the water's quite chilly there and some of the waves are absolutely massive believe me there's some corkers that I didn't manage to catch on camera so the wonderful family next to us have just ordered us a taji I won't take any money for it I'm so excited to try it we've not tried our first tattoo this one was a gift from the people next to us was there well I've just enjoyed a lovely few hours we probably been four hours on the beach with the kids and Limbs and that couple next to us supports the tagine which was amazing we're hooked on to Gina I think that's what George wants to get um but yes and I put a video out this morning and it's gone down well so you seem to like that one um it said eleven and a half thousand views in six hours so I'm really pleased with that thanks for all the positive comments and support but I must continue to edit these videos and get them to you so while I've left them on the beach I'm gonna get onto a bit of video editing so the kids are back from the beach now a bit Sandy so we're giving a rinse off with this outside shower it's so handy so figs I don't think I've been a fan of figs in the past I like fig rolls but I'm not sure if you eat the skin or not um I wouldn't eat the skin no they're good I like them things are good thanks good thanks guys fig rolls are good as well all freshened up with a shave and I think we're gonna head out and get some food that tagine we had on the beach earlier was so good everyone wants to Gmail so we've picked what looks to be the nicest restaurant in this town and it looks like everyone else has made the same position it's very very busy we've only just managed to get a table and fingers crossed we'll be able to order soon because the poor fellas are running around trying to deal with everyone I knew it was good because I made friends with a family down on the beach before we came back and she told me it was very good oh there you go and it looks to be fish fish and fish so the table next door has just had their food brought and Lindsay's had a look at it and they said what is that they said try it taste it they insisted tasted it oh my God then how is it are you ordering that I'm ordering that yeah is that we just copy what you order and have everything let me give this back to you I actually love this country I'm not even 100 sure what we've ordered but we think there's a sardine tagine and maybe an octopus tagine and some grilled sardines and some salads and so oh just to bring bring a selection of everything for us to try so this will be interesting so we had some sardines some fish put on the uh on the table and we thought it was what we've ordered no it's these guys over here are sent them over for us um it's really good should we try oh it's going on oh wow it's so crisp and delicious look at this can I take this one off seriously the hospitality in this country okay our positions have just come out that's the octopus one over there it's sardine and there's no Cutlery so you just need to eat with your hands and use the bread happy wife yeah as Lindsay said when we go in Inland we're probably not going to get this kind of are we not the fish no right I wouldn't have thought so but we'll have other two jeans um and for this restaurant the octopus is all our favorites it is so tasty you can also uh just go and buy your fish down the road bring it here and they'll cook it for you so the guys next to us um one of them has him he insisted on giving us his business card he works at the Pfizer group and he's giving us advice where to eat when we get AmeriCash got any insisted if there's anything else he can do he'll just wait to get in touch with him and this is exactly why we don't rebook at all because the people we meet and the places we go they they kind of shape where we go right ready isn't it so we've ordered too much food um more sardines have been brought so we're going to pay it forward and send them over to another table I think yeah absolutely welcome so that was five salads five chips uh we had three racks of sardines uh we had the two tall jeans we had a Pepsi and it come to just under 200. that's about about 16 pounds for that lot incredible there's a dog under here hey come on mate we're moving out you get buddy how do you get that's another thing we haven't addressed yet there's a lot and I mean a lot of stray dogs and stray cats in Morocco in fact we had a bit of a laugh I I thought I saw a monkey and it was a cat so every time we see a stray cat now Lindsay goes oh look there's a monkey anyway we are ready to hit the road we've had a great day haven't we guys we found the Morocco we've been looking for yeah yeah now it's time to move on we'll see on the next one [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Roaming Radfords

Views: 103,761

Keywords: Motorhome, motorhome adventure, motorhome family, motorhome road trip, vanlife, vanlife adventure, vanlife family, vanlife road trip, swift kontiki, swift kon-tiki, kon-tiki 874

Id: RcBPOio6Fiw

Length: 17min 42sec (1062 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 13 2023