Morocco Part 1 Rabat
Bondi Tram
Peter Colquhoun and Sandra Colquhoun
Fri 22 Oct 2010 14:35
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Leaving Gibraltar for the 160 NM trip to Rabat, we again saw many
pods of dolphins...
...I think there are more here than anywhere else we have been.
 Possibly because there are a lot of fish..or there must be because we
managed to catch one!
A small skipjack, not good eating unfortunately (unless you are a
dolphin).
 Arriving off the mouth of the Bouregreg river and being met by the marina
pilot boat. It's important to
arrive at high tide when the swell is low. They close the marina if
the surf gets to 3 metres, as it is
too dangerous to cross the bar. A yacht entered last year against the
advice of the marina, and it
broached on the bar, all six on board ending up in the water.
 Our friends on Stardust surf on in behind us.
 Passing the kasbah. Rabat was a pirate base through much of the 18th.
and 17th. centuries.
 Fishing boats on the river. Many called out "Welcome to Morocco" as
we passed. This plus the river
and Kasbah made it one of our most memorable landfalls.
 Looking back at the kasbah as we move on up the river to the marina.
 Entering the kasbah.
 The narrow streets and blue and white houses reminded us of some
of the Greek islands.   A selection of doors of the kasbah
        Looking out over the river mouth.
 In the medina, the old part of Rabat. This is the carpet souk.
 This mosque had some pretty impressive tiling at the washing area.
 Horse guards outside the tomb of King Mohammed V.
 This tower was part of a mosque The tower was begun in 1195
and was
meant to reach 60 metres, but was abandoned at 44 metres.
The mosque was was destroyed by an earthquake in 1795, with
the
tower and foreground stumps of the pillars all that remains.
 Changing the guard.
 Sandra inspecting the guard.
 View of the marina and the town of Sale from the mosque.
 Downtown Rabat, in the new town (built by the French). Rabat is the
capital of Morocco.
  In the market. Rabbits are attractively displayed with fur bootees (their
own).
 This is very modern....in the older parts, the chickens are alive....until
ordered and paid for.
 Cafe in the kasbah.
 We came up to see the big surf, 6 to 8 metres generated by a storm north of
the Azores. You can't
see them in this picture, but there are a lot of surfers on the left inside
the breakwater.
 This young lad is on his way to join them.
 Inside the palace in the kasbah, now a museum.
 Musician in the kasbah.
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