So, my bff Mohammed wasn’t allowed to do a lot of stuff with me, because Morocco makes VERY definitive lines between “guides” vs “drivers.” And there are licenses and things you have to have to be an official guide.
So, in some of the more touristy areas, he’d have to kind of drop me off.
So, he did drop me off at Kasbah des Oudayas, and told me to walk around a bit and then he’d meet up with me again.
And then, when you get in there, it’s a little weird, because guides will just start following you. And one was following me, and I kept saying “no thanks, no thanks, no thanks, I can walk around on my own.”
And THEN another guide chases him off. So, then I try to walk away, but THAT guide was like “he’s not even certified. He’s my guide license.” And I’m like “it’s okay! I don’t need a guide. I’ll just walk around.” And he was like “no, I’m a real guide! Here’s my license!” And I’m like “I believe you! I just don’t need one.”
But then he kept following me around and not giving up, so since guides weren’t that expensive in American dollars, I relented. And he walked me around, and showed me some things – including his own home! He was an older man and had a picture of himself from back in the day, which was very cute.
And he took me down to this little place of the castle that was closed off, but apparently he knew the official people, as he talked to them as we went right past them to the door it didn’t seem like we were supposed to go in, so I guess that was cool that I got to go down and see that.
And then after we went all around that, I thought Mohammed was still eating lunch, and a cab was literally $2 [US]. So, we hailed a cab and went to the Hassan Tower/Mausoleum of Mohamed V, and saw the guards who sit on the white horses outside.
There was a school group there, and they were so cute and excitable, so that was adorable.
And then that area was closing, and so we wanted to run by by the Royal Palace of Rabat, so we called Mohammed to get him to come meet us and grab us.
And then we went to the Palace. But you weren’t able to really get anywhere near it. You had to stand pretty far away and just get your pic with the palace pretty way in the background. So, that was that.
And that was it with the new rando tour guide, and then Mohammed and I went on our way.