"Rabat, Morocco" a Rabat Travel Page by basstbn

I had the opportunity to travel to the Rabat area several times while serving with the USAF as a musician stationed at Madrid. This would have been in 1965 and 1966. Unfortunately, I had few opportunities to take any pictures, and those slides I did take were apparently lost (*see note below*).

We flew in an old C-47 (goonybird) over Gibralter into Kinitra Naval Air Station - somewhat of an adventure in itself. When performing in the city, we were bussed there from the base, and I had little time for conversation with fellow bandsmen as I watched this strange foreign land. (Remember, I was a small-town Kansas boy and this was the 60s.)

One particularly memorable occasion was a ceremony to honor the King, perhaps a birthday, I don't know for certain. But the activities that day were colorful and exciting, and included horsemen in a exotic regalia in a wild and exhilarating performance.

Perhaps it was that evening after the ceremony, perhaps the next day, we (the band) we treated to an incredible meal of lamb and cous-cous. Of course we ate in Moroccan fashion, sitting on the floor and using no utensils. To be certain - a kindly server explained to us just which hand we were expected to use to feed ourselves. Forty plus years later, I still recall this as one of the best dining experiences of my life.

I will probably never have the opportunity to visit this part of the world again (except on the Travel Channel), but it would be wonderful to spend some time there.

*Note* February 2007: At this point I have located a large number of slides and in the process of cataloging them. Perhaps I will be able to add color photos to this page, after all. At the same time, I discovered a number of very small black and white prints from one of these trips. These have now been scanned and are shown in my travelogues (Rabat Street Scenes).