Morocco 2010 trip report - Rabat

After four days in Marrakech it was time for a change. The capital of Morocco, Rabat, was my next destination. At this point I was already more than ready to leave the country but I still had some days before my flight. The train trip from Marrakech to Rabat took about five hours and wasn't bad at all. From the first minutes Rabat felt like the opposite of Marrakech: I could walk on the streets without anyone coming to me and the air was fresh thanks to the ocean nearby.

I didn't feel like sleeping on the streets in Africa so I needed a hotel of some kind. My search in the modern parts of Rabat left me empty-handed but things changed as soon as I entered the medina. Right away some local guy came to me offering whatever I needed. Of course I thought that he wanted some money again but this wasn't the case. He explained me that things are different in Rabat, and he wasn't lying either, as I would later find out. The guy showed me the nearest cheap hotel (80 dh a night) and it was good enough for me. Like always, I had to pay ten dirhams for shower every time I used it. When I entered the hotel there was a camera man inside. They told me that they're making some tv-show and asked if it's ok for me to be on the video. Maybe I made it to the television!

It took about 30 minutes to walk to the Atlantic Ocean from my hotel and the views there were great. The muslim-part of the city with its high walls rose almost straight from the sea and it was possible to climb to one of the walls and admire the scenery from there. On the second day in Rabat I saw a dead man near the beach. He was already in a body bag and some locals had gathered around him. I don't know the cause of death but I'd guess drowning.

Rabat was also the first city in Morocco where I saw metal fans. Hooray for that! The food was cheap and tasty. I had a huge portion of spicy couscous for 25 dh. Some local breads filled with meat or fish were 10 - 20 dh and dates were still rather expensive but tasty. Desserts were easy to find and even cheaper than in Marrakech. I would have bought one of the beautiful Moroccan lamps but they were just way too big for transportation! A huge and beautifully crafted leather lamp cost just over 200 dh and the guy even promised me a student discount.

I resided in Rabat for three days and finally it was time to leave. Although Rabat was a nice and relaxed city I still had had enough of Morocco as a country. The train to Tangier left in the afternoon and the trip took maybe 5 - 6 hours.

I recorded two audio clips from Rabat. On the first one you can hear the music Moroccans typically listen to. On the second one you can hear what I and everyone else heard five times a day in every city in Morocco, the Islamic call to prayer. The clip is rather long but it should give you an idea what it sounds and feels like :).