CASABLANCA IS COUNTRY'S LARGEST CITY

By Bob Van Leer

  (CASABLANCA, MOROCCO, July 2, 1992) - This morning we left Marrakesh, the "red city", for the 230 kilometer drive to Casablanca.

  Marrakesh gets its name not from paint, but from the red plaster, made of local materials, that covers most buildings.

  Along some streets are pictures of King Hassan II. Pictures of him are everywhere, on streets, shop walls, hotel lobbies and elsewhere. Sometimes pictures of his heir-apparent son, Mohammed VI, are hung along with his father.

  Driving north, the barren plains around Marrakesh gave way to more irrigated farmland.

Phosphate Mines

  Near the road are the huge phosphate mines. Our guide, Assam, said phosphates were once number one in income for Morocco but the price dropped by half. Phosphates are number 4 in earnings now.

  No. 1 is remittances from the 2 million Moroccans abroad. These were invited to Europe in the 1960s to solve a labor shortage.

  Agriculture is no. 2 in the economy and tourism is no. 3. Assam said the country is trying to build up tourism.

Treat Tourists As Guests

  The country will have better luck with tourism if it changes some practices. First is to treat tourists more as guests and less as cows to be milked a dozen times a day.

  Some offices were closed today. This is the first day of the Muslim New Year. The year is 1406. Muslims are on a lunar calendar with the first day of the year changing 11 days per year. The cycle repeats every 25 years.

  Assam told us Morocco has two TV stations, broadcasting in Arabic and French.

  In the north direct reception is available from Europe and satellite programs are also available.

Satellite Landing

  Along the way we passed what Assam said is an emergency landing strip for the U.S. space shuttles built a year and a half ago.

  All along the way we pass through small towns that always seem to be filled with men sipping coffee and tea.

  Assam said there are several reasons for this. Wives spend a lot of time entertaining at women-only parties. Men and women rarely go to the same social gatherings and there are more parties for women.
Assam said a lot of business is transacted at the cafes. They are specialized. One will be the gathering place for plumbers and that's where you would go if you wanted a plumber.

  While we hated to disagree with our guide, a lot of the men in the cafes appeared to be doing nothing, just watching the world go by.

Casablanca

  We arrived at Casablanca about noon. This is a city of 5 million people, the fourth largest city in Africa. It dominates the country.

  Founded by Portuguese in the 16th century, Casablanca now has 60% of the country's industry and 65% of the import-export trade.

  The city was the host in 1943 for a famous World War II conference between Pres. Franklin Roosevelt, Britain's Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Free French head Charles DeGaulle that preceded the arrival of U.S. troops for the North African campaign.

  And, of course, this was the setting for the Humphrey Bogart movie, "Casablanca" that has reached cult status now.

  Our hotel is the Casablanca Sheraton downtown and convenient for shopping. Merchants are still aggressive, but it's not the mob scene of Marrakesh.

  Checking into hotels in Morocco has some of the security aspects of the former U.S.S.R. Passport numbers have to be recorded on registration forms.

  We must give the city where we came from and where we're going next. In most countries, once you are legally in, you are free to move around without all this red tape.

Tattooed Chins

  Random notes: Berber women often have tattoos on their foreheads and chins.

  Some public toilets are similar to those found in China last year, a hole in the floor with foot rests to put you in the proper position.

  Our guide tells us to take some elementary precautions in Casablanca (and other cities). Handbags closed and carried in front.

  No bulging wallets in rear pants pockets. Morocco is trying to become the site for the 1998 World Cup soccer competition.