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I arrived in Morocco the morning of February 1st. Since the program officially started on February 2nd, I spent a day and a half in Casablanca sightseeing with another student in the IES Rabat program. We had plans to visit Hassan II mosque and Rick's Café, two well-known landmarks in Casablanca, during our short visit.
Rather than pay for a taxi into Casablanca, we opted to take the train. I prefer taking public transportation whenever possible since it is infinitely more interesting and affordable. The train ride into Casablanca served as a much needed repose after spending seemingly endless hours in airplanes and airport layovers.
Staring out of the window, I noticed the shanty towns that surround the city. I had previously read about the shanty towns in my guidebook. The dismal makeshift housing stood in stark contrast to the multicolored clotheslines swaying in the wind. Whether traveling in Africa or Asia, I have found this sight to be one of the most beautiful and most humbling. While the images of shacks with fresh laundry embellishing the courtyard are picturesque, the reality of life within the shanty towns is far from it. As we approached the city, the landscape changed dramatically. While partially finished construction projects still lingered in the city, the buildings and corresponding infrastructure of downtown Casablanca were significantly more developed than that of the surrounding area we had passed only minutes earlier.
The contrast was striking. The images of the shanty town lingered in my mind as we arrived at our budget hotel located in the heart of the city. The train ride experience forced me to reflect on a reoccurring theme that arises throughout my travels: global inequality. Whether making the transition from impoverished rural villages to towering call centers in India or from struggling shanty towns to large international banks in Morocco, these stark contrasts never cease to make me revaluate the state of international affairs. Despite the extreme wealth that exists in the world, there is widespread poverty.
While we never did make it to Rick's Café, the train ride and visit to Hassan II Mosque made my trip to Casablanca complete. Rick's Café, a backdrop of the classic 1940's film Casablanca, was not even located in Morocco. It was located on a set in Hollywood. The Rick's Café in Morocco is essentially a replica of a nonexistent place. Conversely, the shanty towns surrounding Morocco's economic capital and the issues associated with them are incredibly real.
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Jordyn — How strange that Rick’s café was recreated in Casablanca. And what a poignant comment at the end of this thoughtful entry!