Previous country: Spain
We intend to stay for a while with Moroccan friends near the Source Bleu de Meski (a natural spring with a pool built by the French foreign legion not far from the Sahara desert) who we met on our East Africa trip in 2005/6
They are a Berber family who have a farm where they grow wheat (which they use each day to make delicious traditional Moroccan bread), vegetables (mostly carrots and onions), olives, fruits and dates (including the larger highly prized medjool dates).
They have a 100m depth solar borehole and a reservoir. They have some sheep and goats which they feed with Berseem or Egyptian clover that they call Fessa locally (similar to Lucerne/Alfalfa) that they grow and feed as a green fodder crop.
We will arrive in Morocco at Tanger from Spain and plan to camp at Chefchaouen tonight. We have visited the beautiful blue town before. The crossing will be one hours and a half but we were late leaving. We decided to do the Tanger route because you can do passport formalities on the boat whereas Ceuta is a Spanish enclave so the wait for customs can be considerable.
We hope to buy 3rd party insurance at the port and get local SIM cards (probably Maroc Telecom and Inwi). Somehow ended up with Orange to my chagrin (slight of hand by the vendor, I thought that was all he had). Third party insurance €97 for one month, I guess you are lambs to the slaughter at the border.
We will go into the town tomorrow before moving on south. We will probably go Fez, Azrou and Midelt and probably visit the Todra and Dades gorges after visiting our friends.
6th October 2023 – went into Chefchaouen, beautiful town if a bit touristy. Bought local bread for lunch (shopkeeper told us it was khubz in Arabic – pronounced like hobbs ?). A lady taking her children to school was very friendly, not that we could understand anything except that they were late and the kids weren’t keen. She kept saying Yalla (lets go)! I tried my few words of Arabic and got smiles and hamdulilah.
Camping wifi slow and SIM data too so photos of Chefchaouen will have to wait (one now uploaded). Cockerells woke us up early as did the calls to prayer. Lovely cold shower very welcome after walking the steep hills of the town in the heat.
Drove through the Rif mountains today. This is the centre of Hashish production. The smell from the plants is intoxicating and everywhere. The road ran out as it got more remote and became dirt track around degraded tarmac. Lots of switchbacks and some sections that you couldn’t get out of second gear. Only managed 107 miles in 5 hours of driving. Fuel consumption must have gone through the roof.
Fields of fragrant Cannabis plants:
We have an amazing camping spot above a lake in the mountains:
The campsite is really for Moroccans. The sign outside is in Arabic only. There are permanent tents for the guests. We are camping on an area nearest the lake. We found the campsite on the useful iOverlander app.
7th October 2023 – We had lunch outside Ifrane, a town like nowhere else in Morocco with swiss chalet type houses and verdant green verges. The King of Morocco has one of his Palaces here (and an international airport). We are heading to Azrou which is a fruit growing area with amazing apples and pears. We will camp just north of the town.
We realised that the SIM card seller at the port cheated us as he promised 20GB of data and we only have 1GB left. So annoyed at being so naïve and not catching him out. Oh well, surprising if it didn’t happen sometime I guess. Moral of the story always be circumspect at borders (I know this!?). Now purchased a Maroc Telecom card which has better coverage and faster Internet.
We stopped to buy some fruit and the stallholder wouldn’t let us pay, told us to take it. I don’t remember a time that ever happened to me in the UK! Generally the Moroccan people are very kind and particularly courteous to visitors. Went for a walk this evening among the fields of apple trees. Much more comfortable in the cool of the evening. Lots of people out taking the last rays of the sun.
8th October 2023 – Left Azrou and the apple area, the landscape changing to semi desert with volcanic rock. They are doing a new road so lots of deviations. Much more arid and mountainous terrain going towards the Sahara. The route is amazing geologically and the villages around the river valley are green and fertile.
We stopped at the hot springs at Moulay Ali Sharif Natural Spa. The Hammam was closed but people were bathing in the hot springs behind. The attendant told us it was the hour for women so we left. Close by there is another natural source where we stopped, there is a nice tranquil garden there (where a family were washing their blankets!). A man was joking with me about my nationality asking me if I was French or Spanish etc and asking me again a different nationality every time I said I was English. We shared a laugh and a Moroccan high five! It is obviously his party piece!
We have arrived at the home of our great friend Aziz to a wonderful welcome by him and his wife Hadda. We have been given the guided tour of the farm and introduced to their 2 month old called Doha. It is great to see the progress at the farm since I was last here when there was nothing here and the borehole was being drilled. There are palms and fruit trees planted and two large fields of carrots currently. The storeroom contains large sacks of wheat from their summer harvest.
Morocco has changed a lot since I was here 5 years ago. New roads, roundabouts, fuel stations, civic buildings. It is great to see the level of investment and development in infrastructure. Lots of towns and villages have been planted with trees (lots of London Plane trees in particular) to provide shade and improve the environment.
We are drinking delicious Moroccan tea in the salon of the house on the farm. It is so peaceful and calm here and beautifully cool in the house too. We have amazing homemade bread and olive oil pressed from the farm as a snack on our arrival.
Delicious chicken tagine for dinner with fresh bread straight from the oven. Olives and pickled vegetables and lovely homemade Harissa (fragrant chilli paste common in North Africa).
9th October 2023 – Breakfast was soup with pulses and chick peas and delicious pancake-like Berber bread with olive oil. Also boiled eggs with cumin and salt.
We helped weed carrots for an hour before it got too hot. We saw the reservoir, solar panels, valves and irrigation. There are many fruit trees including pomegranate and date palms some with dates but their first year. There is a huge filter to remove the sand from the extracted water. Water is pumped from the well to replenish the reservoir at the same time that the fields are irrigated so it remains full.
We have been given the main bedroom and a new water tank and heater has been installed for the en suite shower. Aziz and Hadda are so very kind and hospitable.
10th October 2023 – After breakfast including honey from the neighbouring farm we spent an hour weeding carrots until it got too hot. Some of the weeds are formidable. Lack of availability of herbicides locally doesn’t help. We fed and watered the sheep and Donkey and visited the neighbouring farm that belonging to his brother Driss who is also growing Okra and Maize in addition to fruits and dates.
Aziz has sourced a new gas bottle and burner for us. Our South African Cadac one is finally close to running out. We thought of getting adapters before we left because each country has different connectors but they were so expensive (£45 and you probably never have the right one). A new 7kg cylinder and burner was 110 Dirham (£9).
Aziz brother Muhammad and his mother Bari and niece visited bringing a gift of delicious dates. His father Lahsen visited yesterday. Aziz has 2 sisters and 4 brothers, all are married with children (except Muhammad) so they are a big family. Remembering the family tree is quite a challenge!
We adjusted the door to the bedroom which is now too long because of the new tiled floor. Aziz and Muhammad cut it using a hacksaw borrowed from their brother Driss and I loaned them some of the tools I carry. It now fits perfectly. Amazing what can be done with basic tools, skill and ingenuity. Muhammad has experience of construction helping Aziz and Driss and others in the village with building their houses.
Most of the family is here this evening and one of the children Nordine has collected Pomegranates from the trees on the farm for us all to eat. So juicy and so delicious. It is so lovely to see the three generations of the family together with the children playing as the sun goes down. What an incredible privilege. We are sitting on handmade Berber tapis (carpets) in the cool of the patio beside the house. Nordine (known as Liberties because he is cheeky!) and his brother Oussama (who is always smiling) have so much energy running around.
11th October 2023 – After breakfast we weeded carrots for nearly two hours. There is so much more to do but we have showed willing. Maybe we will do more in the evening when it is cooler. While we were in the fields one of the family Zainab had made a delicious chocolate cake. It was so light and tasty, so skillful.
There is a great tradition of hospitality here, they always want you to eat well and be full and content. When they are making brochette (kebabs) there are often different meats (lamb, beef, turkey) and just when you think you are full, more arrive from the charcoal fire! Followed by the words “mange un peu plus!”
Today baby Doha who is 2 months old needs a vaccination at the health centre in the nearby village. Her parents have been given a book where all the baby’s health details are recorded. It seems an excellent system and is stamped and signed when the vaccination is given. I think the appointment was actually last Wednesday but nothing is hurried here.
The simple pace and rhythm of life here is intoxicating. We are now taking a siesta in the salon of the house in the heat of the day. Hussein kindly brought over traditional Moroccan seats from his house while we are here so we can be most comfortable. Their thoughtful kindness is both amazing and humbling. It is this that has brought me back to Morocco so many times in the last 18 years. It is truly food for the soul and gives you a different perspective on our modern world of rushing around, greed, excess and waste.
Having solar on the car is proving its worth. The batteries stay topped up when George is stationary and we don’t deplete our friends solar by charging our phones etc. on their supply.
Another 30 minutes of weeding this evening. There is one weed with a long tap root that I have named Putin (it is particularly difficult to get rid of, is super cruel to the inhabitants and invades land that doesn’t belong to it!). Others weeds are named Mussolini and Joseph Stalin. I think the sun maybe getting to me.
It is with sadness that I hear that the source bleu de Meski (the natural spring) has dried up. The river has stopped flowing as a result. Maybe a result of water abstraction for agriculture or climate change. There were fish and even otters in the river before. Farmers in Meski have had to drill boreholes to continue farming. The government is clearly becoming concerned about the amount of water extraction because they have now banned any new wells in the area. Sadly also there was a serious fire in the palmerie a few months back.
Baby Doha (who is only 2 1/2 months) has a fever today. The clinic suggested some medication which Aziz bought from the pharmacy in the town (a round trip of 28 kilometres). The medicine is working quickly and the fever is thankfully subsiding.
As well as the delicious cake we have had delicious fruit smoothies. Yesterday’s was made with Banana, Avocado and Nectarines. The day before included some Dates for sweetness. Often it includes the delicious Moroccan apples from the area around Azrou and Midelt that we drove through. The milk comes in little plastic sacks where you cut the corner off.
Amazingly I managed to find the track from the main road to the farm when we arrived although I haven’t been here for some years but thankfully Aziz came to meet us because now the land is being farmed it looks very different from before.
12th October 2023 – The light is amazing here in the morning and evening. We don’t really have any plan for the day except a spell or two of removing Monsieur Putin from the carrots he invaded. It is a daunting task indeed. But “peu à peu” or “sweya messi bissef”. It seems strange to be speaking French all the time again. I even forget and talk to Rachel in French.
It will surely be a big wrench to move on but it is part of travel and we have been so lucky to make and keep extraordinary lifelong friends in so many of the places we have travelled.
I think I will struggle with uploading photos on the way and may have to seek out wifi connections periodically to catch up. Because we don’t like staying in cities we often have weak or slow connections as a result.
GPS tracks could be a tricky problem too. I have previously used google maps but they impose size limits that mean I am struggling to use the GPS data from the logger on a google map. I had the same for East Africa though. There is probably a different solution like OpenStreetMap. There are so many file formats etc it is bewildering. But it is very much a first world problem so I won’t stress about it. Nice to have maps of the route though.
We are aware that the Mauritanians are obsessed with gathering your information at checkpoints so we prepared printed “fiches” before we came with all the passport and vehicle details. We got advice on the content from one of the useful overland forums. This is a big change from when we did overland travel before. A lot of information gleaned then was by word of mouth from others on the road but now there are many WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups. Arguably too many!
We have started taking antimalarials in anticipation of entering areas where Malaria is prevalent. There are mosquitoes here in Morocco (we are getting bitten especially at night) but thankfully there is no Malaria here. The flies however drive you crazy (as it is date season) they are a huge nuisance. As fast as you shoosh them away they return!
I see from my weather station at home that there was 16mm of rain this morning. Here however it is very hot and bone dry. Having an afternoon rest because of the heat.
Delicious couscous for lunch and this was after brochette so we may have to be towed out of here twice the size of when we arrived!
Another hour of weeding carrots this evening when it is cooler. Real progress being made at last but more to do. I have huge respect for farmers who work with little mechanisation or chemicals, it is seriously hard physical work. The reservoir will need replenishing tomorrow as it is half empty following today’s irrigation.
13th October 2023 – Unfortunately we won’t be able to visit the Moulay Ali Sharif Hammam on this occasion because it is closed. I have visited many times before however and it is quite an experience. There is a natural thermal spring there, it is said that the temperature of the water is over 50 degrees Celsius! Being provincial there is no nudity, you strip to your pants having paid the small entrance fee. You hire a bucket and scoop from the sellers outside. They sell soap and shampoo sachets, whatever you need. You also buy a glove made of plastic mesh called a Kiss (similar material to a pan scouring pad!) that is used to vigorously scrub the skin. It turns me quite the shade of red but you feel far cleaner than any shower. You sit on the floor and scrub each other in turn.
Fathers and sons go, friends, cousins and help each other to bathe. It is social in a unique and charming way. Often they will give each other vigorous massage including walking over backs and bending limbs in all directions! Personally I cannot withstand the temperature of the water without mixing it with cold but some even briefly enter piping hot water of the central bath! You spend some time there, it is very relaxed and unhurried. Often you can’t see across the room in the steam. The water is taken away in channels in the tiled floor. There are separate hours of operation for women and for men.
You leave the Hammam feeling truly amazing, so clean and invigorated. Even smallish villages will have a Hammam tucked away which often operates with a wood fired boiler. It is a great tradition. As a foreigner you are unusual there but certainly very welcome in my experience.
An hour and 20 minutes of carrot weeding (trying to remove the dangerous rampant invader Monsieur Putin!). We bought gloves with us for using the winch so are using them to try and prevent blisters. Perhaps if we were more acclimatised we could do longer spells but when it is 25 to 30 Celsius with moderate UV it is challenging for mzungus (derogatory swahili name for the White Man). The challenge at the height of summer must be formidable. We can see good progress however. It feels good to liberate the carrots! Rachel, of course, being a keen vegetable gardener is on the case and Monsieur Putin stands no chance!
It is amazing how refreshing the piping hot berber tea is here. In a heavy traditional shape of teapot that goes straight on the heat. They still use rock sugar and break off a lump. There is a whole etiquette where you pour the first glass moving the teapot ever higher to aerate the tea until it has a foamy head. You then return the first glass (at least) to the pot. It is respectful to say “Bismillah” (meaning “in the name of God”) before drinking or eating. The host normally says it and you respond the same (as you do with Inshallah).
It is Friday so Aziz will go to the mosque in the village. Normally at 1pm but he goes a bit before then to listen to the Imam. Often there is a tradition of couscous on a Friday which unlike our instant version takes time to cook and is all the more delicious for it.
I truly feel an immense privilege to be able to be able to stay en famille (I have been lucky to do this in a number of countries – with friends in Nepal and Ethiopia and with a Maasai friend in Kenya for example). Here in Morocco their welcome and kindness and long lasting friendship is something very special to me indeed.
Had delicious aubergines from the farm as a snack with bread straight from the oven. Then later chicken tagine with sweet peppers, turnips and other vegetables from the farm.
Just done another 30 minutes of weeding. The novelty is wearing off!
We had Leben (traditional Berber fermented milk) that they mix with dates during Ramadan. Supper was delicious spicy lentils.
14th October 2023 – We must move on tomorrow. Difficult to believe but we have been here a week.
An hour and a half of carrot weeding this morning. We irrigated the field to make it easier to pull the tenacious weeds but this makes some areas muddy and our training shoes are now drying out. The soil will hopefully then brush off readily. The pumps (for the well and reservoir) are operated by two banks of solar panels totalling 8,100 watts. There is a counter on the system which shows that 10 Olympic sized pools of water have been pumped since they started farming here. Aziz has remained in the field doing more weeding after the mzungus are too tired. ? Accounting is insufficient training for the task?
Quite cloudy today (only 24 Celsius) but easier for weeding. Internet not working first thing this morning, perhaps the cloud is affecting the solar panels.
Aziz wife Hadda has been kindly washing our clothes for us (we said not to). Feel a bit guilty as she has baby Doha to look after as well as cooking etc.
An hour of weeding this afternoon. The fingers are feeling it now.! But great progress made, the carrots are free of invaders and the field looks a different colour when you walk over to it now! We washed our training shoes, the soil had dried rock hard but they now are clean and drying. Very sensibly Aziz works in bare feet to avoid the cleaning problem.
Tonight’s sunset:
15th October 2023 – with great sadness we said goodbye and thank you to Aziz, Hadda and baby Doha. As expected it was a huge wrench to leave but we have to continue our journey.
We have now driven to Tinghir the gateway to the Todra gorge. We are staying in a small campsite in the palmerie next to the river. We hope to walk around the palmerie later when it is cooler. We can see them climbing trees and harvesting dates from where we sat in the shade of a fig and olive tree to have lunch with bread that we bought in Goulmima on the way. We luckily found some fresh traditional Moroccan bread rather than the factory made stuff. We ate some of the delicious dates given to us by Aziz mother and brother as a gift.
We are lying by the pool at the Camping Atlas under the shade of palm trees.
Went for a walk through the palmerie. It is nestled in the gorge.
The old Kasbah is crumbling (as it sadly is in so many places):
This palm has notches for climbing:
16th October 2023 – Drove the Todra Gorge which is simply stunning.
The tarmac runs out and is then single track. After 6 kilometres the worst happened, George decided to stop! A Belgian stopped to help us and we tried to diagnose the problem. The battery was run down and George just refused to start. A german couple stopped (the man was called Yohannes). They very kindly agreed to tow us backwards to the tarmac.
My heart was in my mouth doing this. There were no brakes or power steering because the engine wasn’t running. There was also a sheer drop to the side down the gorge. We made it back to the tarmac (the cable got wrapped around the wheel to start with as Yohannes wasn’t keeping it taught but we stopped and freed it and learnt how to do it). When we got to the tarmac a throng of Moroccans were expressing an opinion on what the problem was. We have had this a lot travelling overland. A couple of them who said they had been mechanics were checking under the bonnet. There was a suitable hill to jump start and one of them did get George started on the slope (I honestly don’t like anyone driving my car) with me clinging onto the side on the sidestep. George then decided to overheat and they vented the coolant and added more water. We then set off for M’Semrir. Mohamed asked several times to drive and I refused (especially after I had seen his driving when I was clinging to the side of George!). Sadly in the melee we didn’t get to thank Yohannes sufficiently for his kindness in towing us. I noticed his wife videoing us so maybe we are on Facebook or somesuch.
It became clear that George’s drive belt had snapped in the mountains, hence no charging, no power steering and overheating. I had a spare in the back which we fitted but it too snapped (although I wonder if they knew how to fit it properly). The alternator isn’t running freely (why didn’t I order a spare as part of the spares I carry?! I carried one all over East Africa and never needed it but I sure do now). The Moroccans helping us went to Boulmane to see if they can get the alternator fixed but it looks like Tinghir is the only option to souce one. Mohamed just received a video from Tinghir on WhatsApp of them fixing the alternator. It is nearly 9pm but places are often open all hours.
We are in a auberge camp site that Rachel had thought of using so we are absolutely fine. Just quite an unexpected adventure today.
There are a group of 12 Dutch and American guys riding through the mountains on mini 50 cc motorbikes who are staying in the auberge here. They literally look like a childs toy motorbike! It is called Monkey run and many people from all over the world do it. The same company organise rallies to Mongolia in small cars like Fiat Pandas.
17th October 2023 – It proved to be a seized bearing in the alternator which was then destroying the drive belt. It was replaced in Tinghir (it went by car with the mechanic). They gave us the old bearing as a souvenir! We haggled over the price which was inevitably way too high but given the circumstances and remoteness we agreed and all were happy. They couldn’t find the exact drive belt but found one that will suffice. We hope to buy a couple of spares in Ouarzazate (a fairly large town). I would like to find a spare alternator in case the bearing is a cheap chinese copy or somesuch. I was slightly exasperated when they vented the coolant all over the bearing of the air conditioning pump which started to squeal. “Pas de probleme ” said the mechanic. “La contraire!” said I. You have to watch like a hawk, truly anything could happen (including bits left over!! ?).
It can be quite difficult when you are entirely in the hands of others and have to trust them despite your grave reservations. There is a lot of cheating here but we were lucky that Hassan the mechanic proved both knowledgeable and trustworthy.
We drove George for 5 or 6 kilometres to just check everything was fine (our friend Aziz’s sage advice) before we handed over cash.
We continued on our way down the Dades gorge, just as stunning as the Todra gorge with some remarkable hairpin bends. Here George is on one of those bends dwarfed by the monumental scenery:
Interesting rock formations as we get closer to Boulmane known as “les Doigts des Singe” (Monkey fingers):
Had a wander around the fields in the river valley this afternoon near the auberge campsite. Their irrigation is amazing through concrete channels and then soil channels to flood irrigate the fields. Lots of shade from palm and fig trees.
Vegetable curry tonight with vegetables from small shops on the way and the circular Moroccan bread to eat it with (Moroccan style). Also ate more of the delicious dates given by Aziz mother and brother. Tonight’s campsite is empty so hope to get an excellent nights sleep. Some of the campsites here are too crowded really. Looking forward to further South from that point of view.
18th October 2023 – Currently in Ouarzazate hoping to get spare drive belt(s). Eating at a local restaurant called El Bahja which does great brochettes (we are having turkey and filet of beef). With Moroccan salad of chopped tomatoes and red onions with vinaigrette and frites. I come here every time I visit Ouarzazate, it is full of local people and is excellent value for money (whole meal for two with drinks less than £7!). It has a terrace where you can watch the world go by. Sometimes it is packed as it is so popular but we have come early.
We went to the industrial area of Ouarzazate where all the mechanics are. We enquired at a shop that did windscreens and were told to turn right and right again. We found a mechanic with a large stock of parts but he didn’t have our drive belt. However he made a phone call and within 30 minutes 2 belts of exactly the same make and part number of our broken ones arrived. I enquired about an alternator and he said I wouldn’t find one in Ouarzazate but would in one of the large cities such as Agadir, Marrakech or Casablanca. I have contacted another Moroccan friend, originally from a village near Ouarzazate, but now living in Agadir who will hopefully help us find it. While we have the original alternator repaired it is best kept as a spare as we don’t know the quality of the bearings used. I did my best to haggle for the drive belts and managed to get 7.5% off! ??. I think I need more practice.
Went for a walk in the palmerie this evening. The air is cool and it is shaded among the palms. Lots being grown in their shade – Okra, Lucerne, carrots all in small fields using flood irrigation. A timeless place that must have sustained many generations in exactly the same way. There is a real sense of peace and tranquility.
The view from our camping chairs:
Getting windy though! Decided not to camp directly under the palms because of falling dates! Saw a strange line of lights moving across the sky tonight. I understand that they are Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites being launched:
19th October 2023 – Drove 180 miles from Ouarzazate to Taroudant. Lots of citrus grown on the latter part of the route and bigger fields and more commercial farming. Lots of maize too which looked very healthy.
We now understand that they don’t have the alternator in Agadir but will make an order and get it sent from Casablanca. However it was “too late” at 4pm to do the order! Jusqu’à demain. Oh well. Hopefully it should only take less than a day. They often send parcels on the fast intercity buses. We will see, no doubt it will be Inshallah, of course.
George is behaving well after his little paddy in the mountains. He does have more knocks, bangs, whistles and whines than he used to but then he is no spring chicken being 25 years old.
We got some more spare oil (handy 1 litre containers) from the Shell petrol station. Tried to get antifreeze as all of our has now gone but it was the diluted stuff so hope to get the real McCoy in Agadir.
20th October 2023 – Woken at 3:30am by the campsite guardian talking loudly to his very drunk friend. I went to complain and they were apologetic and after the friend left (driving a car!). I used my few words of Arabic to emphasise my annoyance. I complained to the patron and he said that it wasn’t the first time! We both have sore throats this morning (who knows from where). On the way to Agadir to try and source the replacement alternator. These things waste too much time when travelling overland. But best to sort it now before heading south in case,the repair fails and to have the correct drive belt.
Arrived in Agadir just before the shop closed! Managed to get them to order the alternator from Casablanca and the helpful man in the shop Khalid is going to phone me at 9 or 10am tomorrow with the expectation that it will arrive by 11:30am. The shop will close from 12:15 to 15:00 however so we will see what will happen, Inshallah. The part will be Britpart (UK Land Rover spares company) and the price didn’t seem too scandalous. The shop is an Aladdins cave of parts, tools and all sorts of things.
We had lunch in Agadir with Mustapha (I call him Mus) and it was great to catch up as I haven’t seen him for some years because of Covid although we first met in 2008. Walked along the plage at Agadir which is an amazing stretch of sand but Agadir is a tourist city of endless white painted similar hotels so not really our favoured environment. We are staying above Agadir on a pleasant campsite owned by a French couple who did the Paris Dakar rally and settled here.
Mus will hopefully help us find a mechanic tomorrow to change the alternator, belt and add antifreeze/corrosion inhibitor.
The owner of the auberge campsite where we stayed when we broke down telephoned using the mechanics number. Not sure exactly what he wanted but he seemed cheerful enough.
21st October 2023 – awaiting Khalid’s phone call that the alternator has arrived. Nothing yet. Feeling a bit rough today, sore throats. I think we have colds – “la gripe” as the French lyrically call it. Lots of strong coffee and we are feeling more ready for the day. The local Muezzin is rather over zealous in his extended calls to prayer here. The feral dogs are a major problem all over Morocco and give an extended dawn chorus of howls! Who needs sleep? ?
Gave George nearly a litre of oil yesterday. I would prefer that the usage wasn’t this much but I guess it isn’t serious for his mileage. He has traversed some pretty serious mountain passes.
Only French spoken here where we are staying and only French guests. We feel a bit outnumbered in this French enclave. We asked if they had some bread last night and each was 10 Dirham (normally 2 Dirham in the shops). It was freshly made however but definitely mzungu prices. The owner has given us details of a good mechanic who knows Land Rovers so we are hopeful but unsure if they work normal hours on a Saturday.
Yesterday on the way there was a policeman with a speed gun. I thought the speed limit there was 80kph but it was actually 60kph (I didn’t see any signs). He kindly let me off and waved me on and even saluted! Mostly there is a huge respect for visitors. Some police or gendarme (they have both and I am never sure of the difference) are quite difficult however and look for bribes (ticket and full fine or no ticket and half fine!).
Waiting at the parts place for the alternator (he said 5 minutes, 20 minutes ago!). Only concern is their extended lunchtime closing. Finally arrived after one hour on a motorbike just before closing time.
Couldn’t find the recommended mechanic at the address given, the telephone number given was for someone else too. But we found an auto electrician in the same part of town who agreed to change the alternator and belt. He worked quickly and within one hour everything was finished. He wanted 120 dirham (£10) for his work. He also pointed out a loose bolt behind one of the pulleys so we found a mechanic to tighten it up and use loctite to stop it working loose again. Pleased that we found someone so competent. It is always a gamble. We now have the old alternator as a spare but I doubt we should need it! The mechanic had a homemade spanner perfect for the narrow space to adjust the tensioner. It was made from spanners that had been cut and a length of square section steel welded in of the right shape. Such ingenuity. Snap-on should use that idea for sure.
It feels good to have the mechanical stuff sorted now.
We passed a sign today saying that it is 1,100 kilometres to Dakhla (the administrative capital of Western Sahara) so we have quite a distance to go before Mauritania. It will be strange to be leaving Morocco, it has been great to catch up with friends here (especially as the pandemic stopped travel for so long).
22nd October 2023 – Quite a bit of rain this morning and some towns on the way had some flooding. Eased off now but a lot of cloud cover still. Not so great when you are camping.
Unfortunately I broke a tooth this lunchtime. I think it is going to need attention as we will be away for 6 months. I think a Dentist here in Morocco must be a better option than further down West Africa. I think it may need bonding or “collage des dents” in French. We will try in Tiznit. Even if they do a temporary repair that can last until we are back in the UK that must be better than not.
Our neighbours tonight who are heading for Senegal (I love the name “Yallah et les ChouBidou”). A Land Rover 130 pickup with a house on the back!:
23rd October 2023 – Found a Dentist in Tiznit (Dr Kelthoum Mounaim, a diminutive lady dentist) to repair the tooth. They wanted to give me an appointment for the following day but when I explained that we were travelling there was only a few minutes wait until I was seen. It seemed a well equipped surgery and they kindly accommodated me straight away. A consultation was 100 Dirham (£8) and the bonding was 300 Dirham (£25). We will see what my excellent Cambridge dentist thinks of her repair! She seemed very thorough and followed all the procedures I would expect. The tooth had a jagged edge and a hole through the enamel. It is now smooth and sealed so I am happy with that. Slightly nerve wracking in a foreign dentists chair but all an experience! Much better than continuing and having toothache somewhere remote.
Amazing road going south, a lot of it dual carriageway (still under construction). First speeding ticket of the trip. They had a photo showing George and a 70kph legend but I was unclear from exactly where. Another foreign vehicle (French) had also been caught (the gendarme showed me their photo too! ). 150 Dirham fine (£12.50). Difficult to argue against it. It may have been from a speed camera, there are now many in Morocco. When I was here last in 2018 I didn’t see any. The terrain varied a lot today from arid to rocky to desert dunes. Some incredible cacti on the first part of the route:
24th October 2023 – Stopped for lunch on the border of Morocco and Western Sahara (not that there really is a border). Huge wind farms on the way, brilliant that Morocco is so ahead with green energy. Amazing dual carriageway most of the way today. Not much traffic and quite remote.
Stopped for fuel where there were 3 fuel stations together in the middle of nowhere. We bought some biscuits in the shop where bizarrely everything was sugar free (I have no clue why!). Filled a “just in case” jerry can with fuel. Now meeting more overlanders as we are heading south. Looks like a group of us from here (Boujdour) maybe entering Mauritania at a similar time. Getting rid of our colds now thankfully. A number of German trucks in camp last night, one of whom was saying that the other German truck was the colour of Tupperware! I thought a fight was going to break out!
25th October 2023 – have arrived in Dakhla (kite surfer’s paradise). Not much here for camping. We visited the available sites and they weren’t good (no working showers) so we are free camping at the beach. Lots of others, not surprisingly, with the same idea. Swiss couple who we met at the ferry kindly made us dinner. They are also heading down West Africa.
26th October 2023 – hoping to cross the border to Mauritania today. Formalities take about 3 hours apparently (very slow on Mauritanian side). Fine way to spend a birthday!
At the border now waiting (unsure if it is closed for lunch or what). Have been approached by a fixer who will do everything on the Mauritanian side for €20. We normally don’t use fixers so will probably just do it ourselves. Endless queue of trucks but at least there is a much shorther lane for cars. 35 Celsius in the sun waiting. We have been waiting for an hour and a half. That is one very long lunch break.
Border is a total nightmare. It it 6:30pm (we arrived at 1:15pm) and we still haven’t even left Morocco’s formally. They are now putting us through a huge scanner! It is totally chaotic and even the Moroccans aren’t sure what the formalities are. George getting scanned at the border:
Return to Morocco
Return
29th February 2024 – Mauritanian border easy. Police handed our documents to a fixer however. But he was super quick and we gave him 100Dh.
On the Moroccan side there seemed to be part of the Customs process that hadn’t been finished on 26th October so we spent 30 minutes completing that before we could proceed! Slightly crazy process when it seems to make no real difference. But you have to complete whatever formalities they want.
We are staying at a small cafe 200 kilometres south of Dakhla. We decided this is better than no facilities at all in Dakhla and too much wind (meaning no sleep). There are toilets here and they are going to make us a Tagine for dinner.
The promised Tagine hasn’t materialised. Mohamed (“working” in the cafe) made phone calls to people who offered omelette but from who knows where? He then says we can use the cooker in the kitchen and when Rachel starts preparing eggs he says that he could have made omelettes for us!! Good grief. He is maverick and lazy and keeps changing his ideas.
1st March 2024 – long drive again – 488 kilometres. When we arrive in Boujdour the rear door won’t open! We had the same in East Africa. The lock gets choked with dust. Took it off and sprayed with WD40 and it seems to be functioning again. We have a padlock for the back door in case we lose the lock completely.
Ate something bad and vomited. Awful stomach cramps. Rachel was fine even though we ate the same. Fine now though.
2nd March 2024 – long drive of 480 kilometres.
3rd March 2024 – shorter drive to Bouizakarne. Planning to see a Moroccan friend in Agadir for a couple of days.
6th March 2024 – we visited the tanneries in Taroudant. They use, cow, sheep, goat and camel skins. Some are treated only with natural materials. Washed, treated, scraped and dried. The smell is overpowering. But perhaps less than usual because they weren’t working today.
Washing in huge Vats:
Dried skins:
Cats live at the tanneries enjoying the spoils of meat from the skins:
We purchased a few items. Our bargaining skills still need work!
7th March 2024 – travelled through the anti Atlas to Tata. The scenery is again monumental. The geology mind blowing.
Many mountain villages with Kasbahs and Palmerie.
Sometimes the folds are vertical:
George had some TLC today. Oil change plus fuel, oil and air filter. The dust that came out of the old air filter was shocking (Guinea dust is definitely the worst). They also greased the universal joints on the prop shaft. I bought 4 litres of gear oil to check the differentials and swivel hubs when we stay with friends near Meski. When we are there it will be Ramadan so we feel obliged to fast with them! We will see how that goes!!
Camel jam on the way today!
11th March 2024 – blog has lapsed a bit. Have been to Tata, Foum zaguid, Zagora and heading to Ouarzazate today down the Draa valley. Lots of palmerie and ancient Kasbah along the valley.
12th March 2024 – visited the Dades gorge again. Here is the road from above!:
13th March 2024 – went to the Todra gorge and walked through and up the mountainside to enjoy the view.
The gorge is quite something
We are now staying with friends for a few days so the blog may not be updated. The almond and peach trees on the farm are now in blossom. Holes have been dug for more palm trees and more olives have been planted. The wheat is looking very healthy and green. The whole farms looks different to a few months ago. It is windy however and the lack of rain means a lot of dust.
15th March 2024 – we are waking at 4:30am in order to eat before 5am and then returning to bed. We break the fast at around 6:30pm. We are neither eating or drinking between those times. The first day was probably the worst! It is best to try and keep busy in order not to think about it but you feel fatigued so don’t feel like doing much!
16th to 19th March 2024 – stayed with friends on the farm enjoying the quiet rhythm of life. Fed the sheep and chickens each day. Helped put up a plastic shield on the fence to stop the chickens getting out! Very sad to have to leave. Much progress has been made on the farm, great to see. 160 holes have been dug to plant more date palms using a hydraulic ram to break up areas of stone so the palm root can spread.
21st March 2024 – visited Meknes, rather touristy but some interesting things to see. Lots of restoration work going on. We got lost in the labyrinthine passages in the Riad area but a friendly local realised that we were lost and helped us to find our way.
22nd March 2024 – visited the Roman town of Volubilis. Some amazing mosaics in an incredible state of preservation.
