AlJazeera now posts quite a bit of its English programming on YouTube, here.

Their Arabic material is also accessible on the site, here.

While not my favorite city, there’s just something about Casablanca that charms me every time. Perhaps it’s the art deco or the fact that nearly all the signs look 30 years old, but it’s always a great place to stroll around.

An example of Casa’s fine colonial architecture

The famous Cinema Rialto and not-as-famous Cafe Billiard (Hamza says that’s a real pool table)

Arabic readers, please read the Arabic on the “The Man” sign.

Funky old tourism office. Guess Casa doesn’t see many tourists nowadays.

I truly wish I knew what to tell you about this sculpture.

The sad tale of the Hotel Lincoln, a local landmark burned quite awhile back with no current plan.

The fat cats of Casa.

Rather majestic, no?

Surprisingly, you don’t see these Coca-Cola signs in Arabic all that often

Gatsby?

Buffet in Morocco?  That’s something you don’t see too often!

Qadeem wa jdid

And if you get the chance, take a taxi to Snack Yamine, which has only five things on its menu - a fried fish plate for either one, two, three, four or five people.

Yesterday, while reading through my favorite blogs, I stumbled upon a lovely post about a new spa in Fez. I bookmarked the website for later, figuring that with my birthday coming up, I might sneak the link into my husband’s files.

Today, May 1st, was a day off here in Morocco - Labor Day (as an American, I’m used to Labor Day falling somewhere around the first day of school in September, although I must admit I never paid all that much attention). Around 1:00 pm, my mother-in-law telephoned me to invite my husband and I to Fez, to visit some new spa.

Spa? I thought. Okay!

It wasn’t until we walked in the front door that I recognized, from a photograph on The View from Fez that I was in Nausikaa, the very spa that the story was about!

And lovely it was…My mother-in-law and I ventured into the women’s side while my husband and father-in-law went to the men’s, of course. We all went in for just the gommage and savonnage (saving the massages for my birthday, I hope!), which cost only 100dh each - but boy, was it worth it!

Entering, you are first lead to the vaporium, where you sit in the heat for as long as you can stand it, and apply sabon beldi (traditional black soap). You are then treated to a gommage (scrubbing), just like in a regular hammam but on a stone table rather than the middle of the hammam floor. Next, you may wash your hair at the sinks if you wish (personally, I waited until afterward, since the room is quite hot) then take a soak in the hot jacuzzi. Finally, we were lead back to the stone tables for savonnage (during which you are gently washed by the attendant with soap, and massaged a bit, Moroccan-style, which includes stretching your legs to your arms).

After that, I washed my hair at the sinks, then took a nice cool shower in one of the several cubicles placed in each corner of the room. Last, I cooled down in their lovely reception room (see photos at The View From Fez) before changing into fresh, clean clothes I’d brought along.

For more information, visit Nausikaa’s website or call (+212) 035-61-00-06.

Massages cost 250dh, savonnage and gommage only 100dh. The facilities include a gym, swimming pool, and saunas as well.

According to Magharebia.com, the Moroccan government is working hard to improve education for the disabled. The article states that only 30% of disabled children are enrolled in school - mostly due to lack of facilities. The government runs 185 classes for disabled students at 48 different sites, most of which are located in cities.

Recently, I’ve been in contact with someone looking for places to volunteer in Morocco - we’re not talking a “volunteering vacation;” I mean, this person is truly interested in serving disabled populations (or barring that, other populations) in Morocco. I’ve compiled a list of organizations, but if anyone has more ideas, I’d love to add them so that I can assist others in finding organizations which need help.

Please keep in mind that I’m not in contact with these organizations and am unsure of their volunteer needs. I’m just providing points of contact:

Ain Leuh Village of Hope - English, French, Dutch, German

Bayti - French, English, Arabic (the French site has the most comprehensive information)

Daba - French

Fatima Sadiqi - ISIS Center

L’Association Marocaine d’Aide a l’Enfant et a la Famille (AMAEF) - French only

There’s an hilarious post over at The View From Fez on the March breakout of…knee season! That’s when all the knee baring male tourists show up dressed in their “traditional garb” (er, shorts) and embarass the rest of us by not respecting the dress code.

This is not Saudi Arabia, mind you, but there are a few good rules to follow.

Women:
Don’t bare your cleavage, and make sure your skirt goes past your knees.  Short sleeves are okay in big cities, and even modest sleeveless (shell) tops; in smaller towns and villages, mid-length or long sleeves are recommended.  Sandals are fine, ankles are fine, lower arms are fine.  Don’t cover your head if you’re not Muslim - you’ll just stand out more.  Just remember - the more you cover  (reasonably), the less attention you’ll get.

Men:
Unless you’re a teenager or a child, don’t wear shorts.  Men look stupid in shorts anyway, but it particularly irritates Moroccans.  Those “flood” pants are okay, even though I think they’re silly.  And don’t show your armpit hair - frankly, that rule should apply in your home country, too.

And like I said, sandals are culturally acceptable, however, not always recommended - Moroccan ground is dirty and broken glass is common.

Enjoy your trip!

On the LP Thorntree, people are always asking about where they can get a drink in this city or that city…I can honestly tell you I’ve only drunk once in Fez (at the Palais Jamai, hello 55dh Heineken!), and in Marrakesh have always preferred to purchase my own wine and take it to wherever I’m staying.  Rabat is dead after 10 pm, and I don’t set foot in Casa unless I have to.  But Meknes, ah Meknes!  For such a two-horse town, you’d be surprised at the great number of drinking holes.

My personal favorite is Novelty.   For those of you who’ve been to Morocco, I’m sure you’re all too familiar with the big ugly bars with perhaps an Amstel sign and pastel-painted door out front; the kind no woman in her right mind would ever set foot inside.  Novelty used to be one of these; somehow and for no known reasons, an older Italian man bought it out and fixed it up with some nice woodwork, good food, TAPAS, cheap prices, and get this - draught beer!  It’s quite lovely, I feel totally comfortable there with Hamza or alone, and I’ve never gotten sick from the food.  Additionally, they stay open quite late and they have Corona for less than 50dh - a rarity in this country.  (Rue de Paris, Hamrya)

A next good bet, though pricey, is the classy Le Pub.  All sorts of rumours have flown about this place, but I have confirmed not one of them.  There’s a bar upstairs with a nice restaurant (which serves real STEAK!) and a rousing bar downstairs with a house band.  They also serve prawn crackers.  I take all visiting foreigners to this place.  Try the lasagna, the steak, or the crab ravioli, and please…have a cognac, just because you can (Allal ben Abdellah, Hamrya)

Hotel Rif is another favorite, perhaps because their shisha is cheap and so are their beers.  Usually live music, plenty of snacks going around (including CHEESE), and lovely seating.  Kind of sketchy, but what bar in Morocco isn’t? (Antisirabe, Hamrya)

Other good bets:

Hotel de Nice - tiny bar, good snacks, no hassle, cheapish beer.

Zaki Hotel - Would be more highly recommended if it weren’t so far; plus, the bar is overpriced and somewhat boring.

Hotel Ibis - only if you’re jonesing for a panini with your beer.

Hotel Transatlantique - Only in summer, when there’s a fantastic medina view served up with your 50dh Heiny.

Hotel Malta- the bar’s too loud but it’s got some of the cleanest bathrooms in the city!