Bill in Morocco - RABAT

Our trip to Morocco took place during the holy period of Ramadan (in November 2002 for us, but it may fall in a different month during other years because it is based on the lunar calendar). While the cities do not completely shut down during the daylight hours, almost all of the dining establishments are closed. During our day in Rabat, we noticed that various stores were open, but the only food place that was noticeably open was the McDonald's (we wound up eating a late lunch in the dimmed dining hall of the Hotel Balima, thank goodness!).

The difference between day and night is quite a contrast during Ramadan. The streets would be void of cars and pedestrians in the daytime, a virtual ghost town. At night, the outdoor cafes are brimming with locals enjoying food and beverage and cigarettes, all merely afterthoughts just a bit earlier. The traffic is much busier on the boulevards and the promenades. Folks even occupied the innocent patches of grass across from the Parliament building. Music and chatter, commodities virtually nonexistent in the daytime, liven things up in the evening.

If you enjoyed my writings about RABAT, read my other sections on MARRAKESH and FEZ (FES).

Quick Tips:

My friend remarked that Morocco is a much more colorful experience during the "regular" times, but the contrasts of life during Ramadan is quite interesting to notice. As a courtesy to locals, it is suggested that you sip your water bottle or nibble on a cookie discreetly during the daytime hours. I found myself chewing lots of gum during my daily excursions.

Upon entering Morocco, your passport will receive a customs stamp stating a number. This number will be repeatedly required upon checking into every hotel in Morocco, so keep your passport handy.

I would like to thank my colleague and frequent travel companion, Chicago architect Marius Ronnett, for some of these fine images during our trip to Rabat in 2002.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you are flying into Morocco, you will be likely to land in Casablanca. We chose to head straight to Rabat, which has hourly train connections to and from the Casablanca airport (about 6 US dollars each way). This is convenient enough, but there is an odd point where you have to switch trains at Ain Sebaa. It is not a long wait between trains, but it is a bit of an inconvenience. If you are coming west from Casablanca, you will pass the Rabat Agdal station before you hit the central Rabat Ville station.

Rabat is fairly manageable by foot. The public buses are cheap and usually quite crowded. The local "petit" taxis are very inexpensive, averaging about a dollar a ride in town. The "twin" city of Sale, east of Rabat, is a bus ride or a healthy walk over a bridge from Rabat to Sale. There are boats that cross the chocolaty brown Bou Regreg River separating the two cities, but if it is a hopelessly low tide, this will not be a transportation option. It is said that the petit taxis of Rabat and Sale cannot go to the other city.

This mid-sized hotel block combines the coziness and hospitality you would desire in Morocco along with the size and wealth of facilities that you would expect in an international hotel. While a stay here is far from staying in a more luxurious international hotel (there are few of these to be found in Rabat anyway), the Balima is a good mid-scale choice to pick. The hotel is rated as 3 stars in the Morocco system, but it is more like a 1 or 2 star in the US rating system.

I chose the Balima initially because it is only two blocks from the Rabat Ville train station in central Rabat. Since we were flying into Casablanca and staying only one night in Rabat, we wanted to spend as little time as possible commuting to and from the train station. There are other hotels in the area, perhaps of a similar quality than the Balima, but I liked the fact that the Balima actually replied to my fax inquiries (their responses were in French) regarding reserving a room in advance. The Balima is one of the older properties in Rabat, earning it a bit of an unofficial landmark status in town.

The main entrance to the hotel lobby does not seem to be on the major boulevard of the address; this side seems to be reserved for a thick line of hedges shrouding its outdoor cafe. The best way to enter is probably through the south entrance. The decor of the lobby has a local flair, including the requisite portraits of the current and former kings. The influence of Ramadan is apparent here: the lobby is deserted in the daytime, but at night it is filled with visitors smoking various forms of tobacco. The lobby was undergoing a bit of a paint job, but this caused us no distress during our stay. The single smallish elevator seemingly played a different radio station during each ride, including a smidgen of urban rap lyrics that may fly over the average French or Arabic head. The hotel has 71 rooms, though the property "feels" larger.

(Continued in Hotel Balima - Part 2)

(Continued in Hotel Balima - Part 1)

The long dark corridors are decorated with framed tourism posters and locally produced carpets. Too bad the corridors were lit too dimly to appreciate them. Our decent room had a small balcony facing west towards the Parliament; this was by far the best feature of our room. The room furnishings are a bit simple except for the decorative window curtains and long pillows atop the stiff twin beds. The small TV broadcasts a few stations, seemingly one each in Arabic, English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese (did I miss any?). The bathroom has a claustrophobic cylindrical shower stall, with just enough room to wash but not enough to towel off. The minimal toiletries include small bars of soap and towels that were, shall we say, a bit off-white in color and rough in texture. Otherwise, everything in the bathroom did function satisfactorily.

Our breakfast was included in our room rate at the Hotel Balima. I suppose you could stay there at a room-only rate also at a slightly cheaper price, but we opted to see what breakfast was like. This was our first Ramadan meal in Morocco during the daytime, so the only diners here were non-Muslim guests like us. We reached the pleasant breakfast room (with a view of Parliament) after going up and down a series of steps. The decent continental breakfast included baguettes, croissants, hard-boiled eggs (all with an allotment of one per guest, served to you by a waiter), accompanied by spreadable cheese, butter, marmalade, and coffee or tea. This light breakfast is nothing special, though it did bridge us over to our late lunch, also at the Balima.

After a seemingly citywide search for lunch during the daylight hours of Ramadan, we retreated to our hotel and were allowed to eat in their dining room. The staff was very gracious to open things up for us, as I imagine that they did not have to do anything at all for us. The curtains were drawn and the lights dim so no one could really look in at us, though we could see just enough of the outside world. The vegetable puree soup, rolls, chicken tajine and a big bottle of mineral water were served very promptly, all quite welcome after a lengthy, drizzle-laden stroll through Rabat. The tajine is perhaps your most typical Moroccan dish, found at most decent local restaurants. You can get a heartier version with boiled vegetables found in an average stew (carrots, potatoes, chickpeas) or sweeter versions with toppings like raisins, prunes, caramelized onions, or slices of citron. The latter type is for the more adventurous palate that does not mind a sweeter, tangier main course. The menu also had some mainstream western-style items like burgers and pasta.

Since we were the only diners, the service for our mid-afternoon lunch was swift and immediate.

This innocent looking restaurant with the long name is on a side street very close to the Hotel Balima. We were seemingly the first diners to venture in that particular evening, but eventually a number of solo male diners would arrive. The interior has the appearance of a bar trying to look like a cozy home in Morocco. The dining room is moodily illuminated, with a candle lit at each occupied table. Pleasant Moroccan music was played in the background, audible but unobtrusive.

Our waiter was an impressive man, tall, dark, and sporting a brilliant deep blue robe with a pointed hood (usually not worn indoors), a garment sported by many Moroccans. We were served a complementary appetizer, a small dish of lentils in a light sauce. For the entree I wanted to order the most bizarre item on the menu (this was my first meal in Morocco), so I picked a pastilla. When it came out, it looked suspiciously like I had mistakenly ordered dessert! It was the size of a thick hamburger patty, with a criss-cross topping of powdered sugar and cinnamon. This is the main course? Indeed it was, as the pastilla is composed of finely crafted layers of flaky phyllo encrusting various fillings. This pastilla contained chunks of chicken and nuts, a rich concoction for an entree (do not inhale while digesting the powdered toppings or you may need to reach for your tea or water!). My friend ordered a Berber-style tajine, a rich stew of various meats and boiled vegetables served in the distinctive coolie-hat tajine container.

The bill was presented in a precociously clever version of a tajine, made of straw and colored like the waiter's robe. The coolie-hat lid held on tight to the base, securely containing the check until we could pry it open. The prices are perhaps a little higher than average, but the dining experience here is very comfortable and worth a few extra dirham. The washrooms are a flight up from the dining room.

About a kilometer east of the central Rabat Ville train station, the grandiose ruins of the Hassan Mosque contrast with the equally grandiose completeness of the adjacent Mausoleum of Mohammed V. The largest and most significant element of the Hassan Mosque is the minaret tower, which was begun by Almohad sultan Yacoub al-Mansour in 1195. It is about 50 meters in height, and probably would have reached a monumental height between 60 to 80 meters upon its completion. The Hassan Mosque minaret has comparable and contemporary "twins" in Marrakech (Koutobia) and in Sevilla, Spain (Giralda). Each of the reddish brown facades has a slightly different pattern of decorative brickwork.

The minaret was atypically positioned in the center of the mosque complex (it is usually at the northern corner of the rear of a typical mosque). The original grand scale would have made the Hassan Mosque the second largest mosque in the world (behind one in Smarra, Iraq). Alas, the pace of construction on the mosque slowed considerably after the death of Yacoub al-Mansour in 1199. The hall and central columns of the mosque were eventually ruined because of the catastrophic earthquake in 1755 (which was centered in and destroyed Lisbon). Today, stubby column bases, some of which are merely reconstructions of the originals that had supported the hall, mark the body of the original mosque. Still, the field of columns leaves quite an impression of how large the mosque was in its heyday.

To the south of the minaret is a sunken plaza with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, marked with a blank tombstone. We tried to descend for a closer look, but we were not permitted to do so by an ordinarily dressed guard.

You will probably run into a few locals selling jewelry or tour guide services, but you can shed them easily if you wish. The area is typically open to visitors from sunrise to sunset.

While the ruins of the Hassan Mosque are "old school", the appropriately gaudy Mausoleum of Mohammed V is "new school". The construction of the mausoleum was started after the death of King Mohammed V in 1961. He is revered as the person most responsible for the establishment of Morocco as an independent kingdom. Mohammed V was laid to rest here upon the building's completion in 1967. His two sons, King Hassan II (the father of the current king, Mohammed VI) and Moulay Abdellah, are also interred here.

Vo Toan, a Vietnamese architect, was credited with the design of the Mausoleum. Standing royal guards outfitted in textured red uniforms ring the inner pavilion, while tandems of guards mounted on horses flank the outer walls surrounding the complex. Climb the stairs and walk inside the royal pavilion, with a viewing platform that overlooks and encircles the three tombs below. Naturally, the white marble sarcophagus of Mohammed V is centrally placed and is more prominent than the two smaller tombs flanking it. An official-looking man was sitting next to the tomb with a large copy of the Koran. I was expecting him to read aloud, but he read silently to himself. If you look above and around the pavilion within, you will see fine interiors with ornate tiled walls, gold trim, swirling patterns, and a few star-like lights in the ceiling. The crenellated exterior of the pavilion features richly carved white marble walls, beautiful sliding entry doors and richly coffered ceilings. The star of Morocco, also depicted on the national flag, caps the top of the green pyramidal roof.

The Mosque, entered a few steps below the Mausoleum, is roofed with traditional green tiles. Unlike the Mausoleum, entrance to the Mosque is reserved for Muslims only. On the gray and rainy afternoon of our visit, steady streams of worshippers wander in and out of the mosque. Both the Mosque and the Mausoleum have a traditional look to them, with a grand scale that is neither too sternly overwhelming nor Disneyesque. There is no cost to visit the Mausoleum, and it is expected that visitors dress fairly conservatively. The complex is open to visitors from sunrise to sunset.

Technically, the Kasbah des Oudaias is outside of Rabat's somewhat sedate medina. However, most visitors will approach this complex after a stroll in the medina and past the cemetery walls.

The main entry point to the Kasbah is through the attractive Bab Oudaia, a gateway dating from about 1195. You may run into an eager would-be tour guide here, but you really do not need one at all. It is a wonderful experience to meander these lonely streets at your own pace and without any encumbrances. Walk towards the northern edge and enjoy the stunning views from various lookouts and terraces. You can see (and hear) the churning waves of the Atlantic Ocean crashing against the sturdy walls of the Kasbah, and stare across the river to Rabat's sister city of Sale, fronted by its own cemetery. Sale looks very close on the map, but from the lookout a good mile or two separates the two cities (most of it being the muddy riverbed). Look down and you can see the murky local beach. You may encounter a tour group here enjoying sweet mint teas, construction workers hauling cement to repair some of the old houses originally built by Muslims from Spanish Andalucia, and stray cats looking for some attention. The Kasbah Mosque may not draw as much attention as the cats or the seaside views, but it is the oldest mosque in Rabat (dating from 1050 though heavily rebuilt in the 18th Century).

The Kasbah area also features the Andalucian Gardens, with a host of pretty flowers and accompanying critters (grasshoppers, snails, butterflies) that are attractively enhanced after a light drizzle. Despite the Andalucian moniker, French colonial authorities engineered the construction of the gardens, hemmed in by defensive walls. Nearby is the Museum of Moroccan Arts, housed in a 17th Century palace built by Moulay Ismail, who is credited with booting out pirates who had previously occupied the Kasbah area. If you have the time, stop in to see the sultan's living quarters, colorful carpets and clothing, and a collection of traditional musical instruments.

The medina itself is fairly small and uncomplicated when compared to the colorful dens of Marrakech or Fes. It is surrounded by water on two sides, and by city walls constructed in the 12th and 17th Centuries. The streets closest to the modern Ville Nouvelle are fairly dry, straight and uncomplicated. Those closer to the ocean, like in the Kasbah area, are smaller, twistier, and a bit more colorful, with walls painted white and blue like those found in the Greek Islands.