0175. 24 Kilometer hike to Dar Boazza (Mor 024--new)
Decided to do a slightly different sort of excursion today... since I've still got a lot of exploring to do in Casablanca--and yet I want to add another town to my parkbenching collection, I figured I'd just walk and walk in one direction until I reached the end of the city... and figure things out from there...
It's a nice, overcast morning--not worry about needing shade, so I decided to walk southwest, along the coast.... past miles and miles of beaches, cafes, and small scale resorts--none of the big touristy stuff like in Agadir... mainly just catering to locals... It did catch my attention how many older Moroccan ladies were out jogging (usually in their traditional garb). It seems to be my observation that in the last couple of years, Moroccan women have become more conservative in their dress--while at the same time, more free to participate in activities that used to be "men only" (like jogging on the beach).
Found a charming little medina-style hamlet perched on a pile of rocks stuck out at sea--it seems that in high tide this hamlet would be surrounded by water...
Finally the beach areas ended and I found myself walking along the Casablanca-Jedida highway. A sign read "Casablanca 12 kms (back), Dar Boazza 12 kms (ahead). I figured "what the hell... I'm halfway there--why not just go discover Dar Boazza... on foot?"
There's something very satisfying about walking to a town you've never been to before--even if the way there be a bit drab... just the sense of conquest you get...
So after about 10 kilometers of brown ridges sprinkled with an occasional upscale villa or maybe a cluster of houses...
...A couple of fellows resting under an eucalyptus tree hollered out to me... They seemed to be the respectable type, so I headed over and introduced myself. Abdullah and his gang were older--lower middle class fellows who were eager to hear some of my songs. This was a bit unusual--most Moroccan men over forty don't have much interest in music or in striking up a conversation with a foreigner. One of the fellows was a Berber who treated us to some Tashlhit tunes... then, over a bottle of Coca cola we discussed a whole range of topics--from what life is really like for Moroccans living abroad to how Vietnamese feel about Americans... A very pleasant group of fellas.
I asked if I could take a picture of us all.
"Better not--we're actually supposed to be working right now..."
Finally we parted company and I continued my trek to Dar Boazza.
Dar Boazza turned out to not be a bit unimpressive--just a lot of vacation homes with a couple of shantytowns (brrakas) sandwiched in between--and then, of course, the trashed littered empty lots. There was a little sardine market along the rocky shore--but this is definitely no Essaouira.
Decided to follow the coastline a little ways to see if there was anything more to discover.
Reached a nice, crowded beach area and a sign that said "Dar Boazza 3 km" (back) and "Tamaris 3 km" (ahead).
That old halfway point again... alright, alright, let's go see what Tamaris has to offer...
