October 25, 2024

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO - Here's looking at you!

I thought I would prep for this Port, the day before, by watching the famous movie, for the first time. I have to admit I feel asleep for a brief part, towards the end. No big deal, since the movie was filmed 100% on a sound stage in CA, in 1942. The famed Rick's Cafe from the film, was built for tourist in 2004 in Morocco. The port talk gave us some of the basics, but I joined in on a walking tour with a group of 9 others from the Ship. Our ship mooring was 1.5 miles walk, just to get out of port area. The tour was advertised at 3 hours to see the old and new city, starting at Sacred Heart Cathedral and ending at the Hassan II Mosque. We walked for over 5 and never even made it too Mosque! It was hot and humid. Our guide was good but sketchy. We seemed to to stop at a lot of his friends and information was maybe getting lost in translation. Regardless, we learned and saw a lot of this huge City.

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Arab League Park or Parc de la Ligue Arabe

Somebody in tourism messed up with the We Casa Blanca sign in Mohammed V Square - blanca should be white? not black letters!

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French influence in architecture - Muslim buildings never have windows or balconies - don't want their women seen. Water men in red dress - sell water out of leather pouch, poured into gold cups they carry. One lady who may not be Muslim, looking down from Balcony.

MAGNETIC ISLAND - KOALA'S

By Patricia Patrick • February 15, 2026
We got up at 6:45am to get to National Park Forts Walk trail in the hope of seeing koalas . Prior walkers mark trails with tree branches pointing in the direction of their sighting and we were luck enough to see 3 markers in our first hour of hiking. It is so stinking hot and humid the success we had made it bearable. The koala population on the island started with 20 brought over in 1930, to escape fur hunters. Today, the island boast 800 to 1000, and they are so cute and drowsy. They need 20 hours of sleep a day! The early morning is when they are the most active.

MAGNETIC ISLAND, AUSTRALIA

By Patricia Patrick • February 14, 2026
Just off the coast of Townsville, Australia is a special little island (that used to be part of mainland, hundreds of thousands years ago). The island was formed by molten granite that was pushed to the earth's surface with volcanic force.Over time the volcanic overlay weathered away leaving an extraordinary landscape of rounded domes and boulders, many as big as a house and spectcularly perched. Over Seventy Percent of the center of the Island is a National Park. There is lots of wildlife here too - koalas, rock wallabies, snakes & birds.

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA

By Patricia Patrick • February 14, 2026
This is my third time in CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA and I really enjoy how walkable, clean and charming it is. The waterfront esplanade and lagoon area is a nice walk day or night. We had 2 nights here in the waterfront Shangri La Marina Hotel while waiting for the Ship to arrive and then 2 additional days in Port.