Casablanca and Dakhla

Northern Morocco

Morocco has two parts: North and South. The northern part is what most people think of -- cool climate, wonderful tajiin sauces, fruits of all kinds, hiking and climbing the Atlas Mountains, wonderful beaches, the huge and ancient mosques in the capital city, the extremely old traditional cities with their bazaars and fresh-squeezed juices in the town center of Marrakesh. The capital city is the original claim to the White House -- Casablanca -- and much older than America's White House.

Southern Morocco

The South is much less known, more desert-like, but the one I'm more familiar with. Dakhla the southernmost city in the country, is one of the premiere wind-surfing venues in the world. The first settlers here speak Hassaniyya , an Arabic dialect shared by their neighbors in Mauritania, and quite different from the Arabic Darija dialect spoken by the majority population. The pace of life is much more relaxed, and the people take their time to enjoy life.

Observations

Flying domestically inside of Morocco is relatively inexpensive. The highways I rode were immaculately maintained. The police and customs agents were consistently polite, professional, and helpful. I found Moroccans to be incredibly entrepreneurial, creative, ambitious (in a good way) and outgoing people. If you get a chance to visit for more than a day, check out the southern half of Morocco. It's a treat.