“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”

Hey everyone, I am reporting from Casablanca, Morocco. Today’s entry is going to be a bulleted format. I like offering my readers a variety of writing styles to discover what works best.

Casablanca Notes:

• Casablanca is much different than Marrakesh. It is probably the most western cities in all of Morocco. Casablanca, as its name suggests, is composed primarily of white buildings. It also has a beautiful beach. We caught a quick glimpse of the beach, but we did not have the opportunity to explore it. The French influence is very apparent here.

• We visited the King Hassan II Mosque today. It is only one of two mosques open to non-Muslims in Morocco. This is also the third largest mosque in the world, only behind Mecca and Medina. Seriously, this thing is massive. It can hold 25,000 people! It was extremely impressive, and it was built right on the beach. Architecturally, it was one of the most amazing structures I have seen in my lifetime.

• We had fresh fish for lunch, as we overlooked the Atlantic Ocean. We all knew it was fresh because the fish still had heads.

• Our hotel is “swanky.” It is easily the nicest place we have stayed at the entire trip. It is very modern and located directly in the center of the city. We can see the Atlantic from our 8^th floor room. The dinner, served buffet style, was enjoyed by all. Many declared it the best meal of the trip. There was really no stand-out dish, every object was simply tasty.

• At the end of dinner, a group of us watched the end of the Manchester United and Chelsea football game. This game was a big deal over here. I am not a big football fan myself, but I did enjoy watching it.

Random Notes:

• While Europe has one of the most comprehensive train systems in the world, we have not been on any to this point. While in Malaga, we will be using trains for weekend trips.

• New York Yankees are the only represented American sports team here. It is not uncommon to find children and adults wearing a Yankees hat.

• I have seen more American cars in Morocco than in Spain. I have seen about 7 overall now.

You know, I caught some CNN in English today, since many British visit Casablanca on vacation. I did not like what the media had to say about our country. Gas prices reach record highs at $130/ barrel, huge thunderstorms ravage Georgia, and market drops almost 2%. Hopefully, this news changes ASAP, or I will have little incentive to return to the states. I may need to stay in Europe. If I stay, you are all invited to join me.

Here’s looking at you, readers!