"It was a combination of all three."
2 things may come to mind when thinking about Casablanca: one is the famous 40's movie. As in the film "Casablanca" I wonder if there is a Rick's Cafe populated with the same kind of characters and fugitives. The other is that a typical visit to Morocco it is expected to start with somebody in the street inviting you to visit a shop and buy rugs and other local artefact. My visit started exactly like that, not even 2 hours in the country and enjoying a stroll just outside by the Medina I was approached and invited. I went along and taken through some of the alleys surrounded by shops selling anything a tourist would love and expect to find and more. Casablanca, however, it is more than that, at least to my eyes. It is not pretty in a conventional way, yes there's a Medina and a big Mosque and tourists stop and visit, for a day or two maybe. Some people will say it is dirty and polluted and the traffic is awful, but all the time I had this feeling of a place constantly buzzing with activity, vibrant, people doing and making things, people trying and surviving the everyday and live with others (but in few days you can only scratch the surface). It is not a glossy and polished place, especially in some areas behind the Medina or in the shantytown. A lot has been changing too, a big development or regeneration has been going on and some areas are now not much different than well familiar western european cities with well known store chains, tall building and the usual fast food chains: I took a conscious decision to avoid these "nicer" or "developed" parts. Nevertheless I think it still retain lot of its character in its streets, old building and people and the life passing in front of you while sipping a strong and sweet cafe noir . Someone I know will describe the place grubby, raw and rough. I met people that decided to settle there and leave Europe behind. I met people that invited me to their simple house for mint tea and cakes and invited by shopkeepers to share the simple lunch. Maybe Casablanca is Rick's Cafe.
