Rabat: Sunday 14th - Tuesday 16th January 2007

So there I was at the start of my last week in Morocco. I had to make my way back to Marrakech, and I'm glad I took the coastal route via train instead of the direct bus route. I was running out of money, so a trip to the Cascades d'Ouzoud would have to wait until the next time, when hopefully I will be there when the water is warm enough to dive in!

Rabat never fails to surprise me. It must the most understated place in Morocco. Thinking I saw the best bits last time I was here, I was surprised to find 2 other places of interest. Firstly, the Archaelogical Museum which houses finds from as far back as the neolithic period, with some fascinating finds from Volubilis as well as the other Roman sites of Lixus, Thamusida, Tangier & Chellah. Inside there was a very friendly black cat, who loved being made a fuss of and followed me around the museum. Luckily she/he didn't follow me outside when I was finished!

Secondly, the Chellah itself which is a smaller, less significant Roman & Muslim site. The outside gate to the place with its unique crenallations actually features on the back of the 200Dh banknote. It's ok to walk to the place. It's about a good 20 mins from the centre of Rabat. Compared to Volubilis, it was always not going to measure up as much, but the surrounding storks in their nests and the army of cats inside the site gave the place a much more interesting feel.

Next stop Casablanca, where I felt I had some unfinished business to attend to.