Morocco Day 25 to Day 34

back  homepage  Most recent entry

Day 25 05.02.05

Started the day with a visit to an Internet café with the help of Satra, a lovely English girl who is living at the campsite with her family. It was good to meet her and kind of her to take us there and communicate for us. We hope to keep in touch via email. Once out of Casablanca we turned onto the coast road to get away from the lorries. Children have a half day at school on a Saturday and passing 100s of children leaving their schools, all of them walking, some of them a very long way, it is our impression that there are very few overweight Moroccan children.

Camped overnight at Sidi Bouzid. Adopted the campsite dogs for the night. They were pleased to eat the yoghurt/milk we had bought by mistake!

Day 26 06.02.05

We turned off the main road to travel on some tracks by the coast. Although it appears sparsely populated as soon as we stopped for a coffee break the children came running. We could see them coming from a long way off. The first one to arrive asked for shoes and then our clothes. Soon there was quite a group. We shared our fruit with them and they were keen to be photographed. Used to digital cameras, they enjoyed seeing the pictures of themselves.

When it was time to go we had a huge problem with them running alongside the vehicles and jumping in front and trying to hang on the back. We know that the reason they do this because tourists resort to throwing sweets to get them away from the vehicle and this lot were well used to tourists We stopped a couple of times and told them to stop but in the end the only way to get away was just to keep going slowly until they ran out of steam. It took a while as these children are very fit as they walk (or run) everywhere.

The Atlantic shoreline was beautiful. There was cultivation right down to the shoreline where possible.

If it was too rocky there were flocks of sheep and goats. There were also many fishermen with long sea fishing rods. No resource is untapped.

When we got to Essouara we found a very picturesque seaside resort. We visited the port area bought a Sea Bass for our supper.

Michele bought a big jumper which is hand made from the wool of local sheep. It is a bit lumpy and smells of sheep but has a hood (the plait and the pom pom may have to go) and should hopefully be very warm.

We strolled back to the landys along the wide beach. It was a hive of activity as it was Sunday. We have decided to stay another day, as it seems worth exploring further.
The campsite was busy with the campervan brigade but we parked up next to another Land Rover and a 4x4 van. These turned out to belong to a couple of Dutch twins and their wives who have a couple of months in Morocco every winter. They had been coming here for years and gave us lots of useful information including recommending a good route for some off roading in the desert, which we intend to go on. Their vans were very sorted as they had perfected them over the years. We resolved to have another go at sorting out the interior of ours!
We swapped books and information with an English couple in a campervan who we had parked next to a couple of times before in other sites.
It continues to rain intermittently and as usual with the weather we have it is 'the first time in so many years'.. etc. The Dutch couples have only had one shower of rain in 15 years of visiting Morocco.

Day 27 07.02.05

Debbie and I resolved to visit the medina, which they had not had long enough to explore yesterday. Steve and Martin thought that sounded like shopping and discovered they had lots of important things to check on the Land Rovers. We visited the Internet café and then had a good look at all the shops.

We were invited into a small spice shop just as it started to rain. Soon we were suffering from olfactory overload as the guy told us about the contents of each jar and thrust them under our noses. They ranged from cooking spices to soap
In the end we left with a small bag of couscous spice having employed our best haggling technique although rather surprised at his starting price. He lost his advantage when he had to go to the shop next door for something and Debbie and I shot out the door and completed the bargaining with him in the shop and us near the door. Altogether it was quite an enjoyable way to sit out the rain.

We sat out the next rain shower under the awning of a café. We decided to take a photo of a photogenic doorway opposite Just as the camera was raised an elderly European couple hove into view. They stopped at the doorway and slowly got out their plastic macs. They slowly sorted out which way round and which way up the macs went on. Then they struggled into them. Then they carefully did up each button before patting themselves down having a look round and moving on. Then we got our photo.

That evening the rain was torrential. We were caught as we finished our beach walk and were talking to Rhona on a payphone.

Day 28 08.02.05

Woke up to huge puddles everywhere and had to pack up the tents in the rain. Not in the best of moods we moved on.

Traveled towards Marrakech and gradually the mountains came into view in the distance complete with snow. The landscape was very open and the ground very stony.

It must take generations to clear the ground enough for crops. As before, in the countryside the main form of transport is donkey or horse and cart. Marrakech was wonderfully pink in the sunset as we arrived.

We found the 'campsite', which we had been told about by several people. It is right in the centre next to the medina. It started life as a car park and the owners discovered that the campervan brigade liked to stay overnight in it because of the location. So they have added 2 hole in the ground toilets and a tap. The traders who bring goods in by lorry and distribute it to local traders with horse and cart also use it.

We set off for the famous square and the medina. Not long before we were being cheerfully relieved of Dirham by the snake charmers and the food stalls!!

We spent a good hour and a half with Said in his carpet shop. It was warm and a rest from the hustle and bustle. . He speaks good English and it was interesting to learn a bit more about the Moroccan way of life. (And yes we bought a small Kilim).
As we got back to the car park the attendant came up to us extremely agitated. It was dark, we were tired and we couldn't understand what was the problem. He kept repeating the price of an overnight stay and we kept showing him the receipt to show we had paid that much. He was so agitated he was talking right in our faces. Eventually he went off and found someone who spoke English and it turned out he had charged the camper vans more than us and didn't want us to tell them!!

Day 29 09.02.05

The night was extremely cold and we were up with the sunrise to find a frost on the tent. Martin got the kettle on and we got going. The early morning light gives everything here a rosy glow, as all the buildings are pink.

We stopped off in an Internet cafe to collect emails, stocked up in a supermarket and set off towards the mountains.

It was a long day's drive across lots of open countryside. We were heading for a campsite Auberge Des Artists which had been recommended.
Also it was in the book. All sources of information inferred that it was on a particular road. Night began to draw in and we had to break our rule about never traveling in the dark but as we knew where we were going it seemed worth it and we couldn't see anywhere else. (Morocco seems to be quite densely populated even in the rural parts.) We drove up and down the road increasingly frustrated. Nobody we asked knew where it was. Eventually we found a helpful local who recognized the name and said it was 8 k down the road to El Ksiba. It was the way we had been going to go in the morning anyway so we set off. Eventually spotting a camping sign we stopped in the middle of the village. A car drew up. The local vet introduced himself and said could he help. He was concerned for us wandering around when any self-respecting traveler is tucked up for the night. He knew the campsite and led us there. He got them to open up, introduced us and went on his way. We were there at last.

Day 30 10.02.05

We awoke in the morning to find ourselves in a beautiful setting in the foothills of the High Atlas mountains. Sunny and windy it was very fresh. Tired from the previous 2 days we caught up with day-to-day stuff. Did all the washing and had a clear out of the vehicles. Between the 2 vehicles we had a bin liner full of un-needed stuff.
The campsite owner suggested a walk to the local waterfall. 'Go down the track to the village and ask them to point you in the right direction'.
First person we met was an elderly man who although seeming rather puzzled indicated the way forward. (The more rural the situation the less our French is understood as it is a second language for most of them and then presumably with their own accent. A couple of times we have spoken to people in French to have them say they can only speak French and don't we know any?)
He walked on turning occasionally to check we were following. The track followed a contour in the hillside and there was a great view. He pointed out the nearby town and the 'barrage' (dam). When we reached the village we followed him to a group of people where there was some discussion and then 2 lads were appointed. They motioned us to follow them through the village.
We ended up at a large house and they knocked on the door. A man appeared and hurray he could understand our French and he spoke some English. He introduced himself. Mustapha. We asked him the way to the waterfalls. 'Well they are very small at this time of year but if you want to go I can show you.' He fetched his coat and we set off. I don't know what he had been planning to do that afternoon but whatever it was he put it aside and gave us a wonderful guided tour of the village and an insight into Berber village life and history. In a mixture of French and English we all did our best. Steve in particular persevered with the French.

Mustapha owns the Olive press in the village. Although it was out of season for olives he showed us all the equipment, how they pile the olives up in special baskets, how they separate out the water from the oil etc.

He explained how the village water supply runs through the village and how it is now divided up so that everyone can have their fair share for irrigation. There is an area for collecting drinking water and an area for washing clothes installed in 1975.

We met Mustapha's father who was cutting some crop in front of the olive press. He showed us the oven at his sister's house for making bread outdoors, which is regularly used. His niece brought us out some bread to taste. It was delicious.
He also explained the conical shapes covered with layers of plastic which stood outside a lot of the houses. A fire is lit underneath to heat water and hey presto a hot shower.

We saw what we understood to be the village burial ground, which has no marked graves.
As we walked further out into the countryside he explained the crops and pointed out all the olive trees in the valley.

We came to another village, which can only be reached by mule meeting the local teacher walking back along the path. When we reached the waterfall it was gushing out from inside a cave. Mustapha was right in that it wasn't huge but we were pleased to have found it.

Walking on Mustapha took us to a viewpoint where the valley was spread out before us with the mountains behind us.

The view had a real wow factor.
We were thinking how unspoilt it all is but as we stopped to watch some hawks, Mustapha was telling us how the birds are in decline with birds of prey much rarer now than a generation ago. It was a long walk back to the village so we passed the time comparing French and English expressions for tired legs, sore feet etc. We thankfully accepted Mustapha's offer of some tea at his house. We met his wife who also speaks some English, their very shy little girl and a bouncing 2 year old strapped to his mother's back who had a very infectious grin.
Inside the rooms are set around an open central area. We were shown into the sitting room which was a long room lined with seats and cushions. They have a very large extended family to entertain sometimes. Offered home baked bread, their own honey and some olives and nuts I'm afraid we set upon the food with gusto.
Tea was served, as is the Moroccan custom, in small glasses.
By now it was dark outside and Mustapha insisted on walking back to the campsite with us accompanied by his brother in law. We were glad of the offer as we had no torch and there was only a tiny crescent moon. There were a surprising number of people using the track on foot on mule and one car full of people. Halfway back the car returned now offloaded and stopped. Mustapha commandeered it on our behalf and we were delivered to the campsite. Mustapha would accept no payment for his time or hospitality and we were grateful for such an entertaining afternoon.

Day 31 11.02.05

We started the day by going back to Mustapha's village to give them the bag of unwanted items from our Land Rovers to donate to any one in the village who wanted them. Martin had also printed off a couple of the photos he took of Mustapha and his family.

Then we were off for an amazing day driving over the High Atlas mountains. We climbed up through stunning scenery to the snowline and kept going until we were over 2500 metres.

On the way up Steve was concerned about the clutch and when we turned off the road to stop for coffee he found that the clutch fluid level was too low. Not a great thing to discover when just about to cross a high mountain pass. Nothing for it but to top it up and to bleed the clutch. With Steve under the landy and Martin pumping the clutch pedal they efficiently sorted out the problem.

Driving on we found a great contrast between the pristine stunning scenery and the villages we passed through. The children as usual looked as if they were on catapults when they spotted us coming, racing to the muddy roadside.

Lac Tislit near Inchil was an oval of aquamarine which suddenly appeared around a corner.

Visit the Pictures page for more pictures

I got out of the land rover to walk back to take a photo. Spotting a lorry we had previously passed coming up the mountain I ran back. It was a lesson in what happens if you run at high altitude without acclimatizing first. It took a good half hour to recover with a lot of coughing and wheezing!!
At the end of the day we were not sure what we would find in the way of a campsite. We saw a sign for an Auberge with camping and stopped. It was extremely cold and it didn't take much persuading on the part of the owner for us to take 2 rooms. The accommodation was designed for warmer weather and the rooms were set around a courtyard and had no heating. There was an elegant Moroccan dining room and a comfortable bar area. However we and the other guests, an Austrian couple, sat there in our coats and fleeces. We were served with a traditional Moroccan meal of harrissa soup and Chicken Tagine followed by fresh oranges and glasses of tea. We slept under 7 blankets!

Day 32 12.02.05

There was ice on the vehicles in the morning so were we glad we had been indoors. Breakfast was Berber pancakes served on the terrace at the front in the sun which was warmer than indoors
. Before breakfast Larbi introduced himself. The nephew of the owner he was hoping to interest us in hiring him as a guide for an off road route to our next destination; the Dunes of Sable. Sadly for Larbi we had blown the budget by staying at the hotel rather than camping. Also there isn't exactly room for passengers.
Then it transpired that Larbi would need a lift to the Dunes if we weren't going to hire him so Debbie and Martin did some rearranging of the Land Rover and Larbi squeezed into the small space they had created. A natural guide, Larbi kept us on route and took us on a few diversions that he knew.

We were wanting some material for turbans so Larbi took us to the Depot Nomad where the usual tea drinking took place and an interesting explanation of the different carpet designs of the area. Debbie and Martin ended up buying a rug with 4 headscarfs thrown in, in exchange for a good price in Dirham and some sun glasses!

He also got us to stop at a nomad tent in the middle of nowhere where they sell fossils from the mountains. At £10-12 for a small fossil we weren't tempted.

Larbi took us to his uncle's other hotel in the dunes where we could camp. It is very peaceful with the dunes as a background. With toilets and a hot shower it is ideal and we are the only people camping here. . In all the places we camp there is a boiler system for the hot water which varies in its efficiency. We usually have to give notice of when we want our showers and the boiler is fired up.

Visit the Pictures page for more pictures

Day 33 13.02.05

What a strange day.
Martin and Debbie got up early to photograph the dunes in the early morning light. As they walked across they were followed by a guy with a small rucksack who wanted them to buy a fossil. Martin haggled and bought one.
We set off for a 2 day drive across the desert to Zagora. With plenty of supplies of water and diesel and food we programmed the waypoints into the GPS and set off in high spirits. We had to stop in Merzouga to buy bread. Stopping outside a likely looking shop we were immediately approached by people wanting to take us to see their shops. Having ascertained we wanted bread, Steve was led off to the Boulangerie, which turned out to be a hole in the wall from where he purchased some freshly baked still hot bread. (small flat round loaves.) Meanwhile the rest of us waiting in the street for him were being offered anything from trips to the desert to a marble for a dirham by a small boy.
After one false start we headed out of town relieved to be away from the hubbub. The bread smelt so good we handed a loaf over to Debbie and Martin and we ate half a loaf each while it was still warm.
6k out of town it was time for a coffee break. No sooner had we parked up and got the pot on than 2 guys on mopeds who had been following us in the distance pulled up and offered their services as guides. 'You will need help - it is very difficult ahead.' Declining the offer we piled back in and continued. When the track diverged we followed the GPS. We also had an account of the route in Chris Scotts book although we were following it backwards. The terrain was quite high; cliffs to one side and wide open valley with stones and some sand. The track varied from gravel to stones to sand with some spine jarring sections where it was difficult to avoid the corrugations. We were making our way through a stony valley when we spotted a guy on a bicycle waiting for us. "You are off the track, where are you going? You must follow me.' A bit further on his mate (on foot) was waiting. As they were directly on the track it was impossible to avoid them. Animatedly they told us that we must go the way they showed us to the main piste. As the alternative track was closed off with stones we had very little choice. They ran and cycled ahead and lo and behold as we came round a corner there was the main piste (as denoted by two worn ruts.)

However, lo and behold there by the track (in the middle of nowhere) was a small boy standing by a table complete with cloth. As we drew nearer we could see it was covered in fossils. The cycling guy got out some jewelry and model camels from his rucksack. They were both sweating with the effort of all that exercise in the heat and their prices were more reasonable than most so we bought a fossil and a pendant.

They spoke a mixture of English and French. They were very keen to make sure we took the right road ahead and explained to us with great insistence that when we got to a fork in the road we should take the right one and in the village turn left to find the piste to Zagora. If we went the other way we would come to a village where the people were not good!!
We took our leave and traveled on to the fork in the road not sure of their motivation in giving us directions through their village. We had stopped and were surveying through the binoculars and looking at the GPS waypoints when bicycle boy catches us up. He is sweating profusely with the effort. What does he want now?? He delves into his pocket and pulls out Steve's reading glasses, which Steve had dropped without noticing at the fossil table. The poor bloke has been pedaling so hard to catch up he can hardly speak. Steve is very grateful and we are all impressed at the effort he put in to catching us up. He points us on our way, turning right at the fork and we set off.
When we reach the village the children run out and shout at us. They seem desperate to set us on the right road and some scream at us when we go the wrong way. They know we want to go to Zagora. Presumably all Europeans traveling through are headed there. They run along side pointing out the way and we eventually spot the track out of the village. About a kilometer out of the village we drive into a mud hole.

The quickest way to exit was a supportive tug from Maggie who was lucky to be the following vehicle, which got us reversing out with diff locked. It is a great opportunity for some gung ho stuff from Steve and Martin. Also a photo and video opportunity. I stay in the Landy, as outside is glutinous mud.

By now one of the lads from the village has caught us up on his bike and watched the proceeding with interest. You should be higher up the side of the valley he observes. There is dryer piste up there. He offers to show us the way to it. We are unsure if he just wants a ride in a land rover but we sling his bike on the roof and he clambers in, sitting squashed on the cubby box. His friend, who by now has run down from the village, sits on Maggie's roof and off we go again. He does direct us onto a higher track. It leads directly to the Auberge of his Friends father. The father comes out and greets us. We explain our mission to reach Zagora sometime this century. He considers and then draws a plan in the sand. Basically there were 2 pistes to Zargora. The one we were on was fairly waterlogged as a result of the recent rain, the other to the south, was nearer the Algerian border and we had no GPS points to cover it. Unwise without a guide!
We skirted back to the other side of the valley and basically met with the same response in the village on that side. The people did seem somewhat less friendly and we retreated to the safety of a ravine further back down the trail to bush camp for the night. We had all enjoyed the off road experience but we were worn out by all the advice when we had expected to see no one!!

This was our first camping "au savage" and we waited till nightfall to put the tents up and enjoyed an undisturbed night much to our surprise.

Visit the Pictures page for more pictures

We woke early next morning and having made very little progress the day before decided to head back the way we had come as we had a deadline to meet a friend of Martin and Debbie's in Marrakech on the 16th Feb.

Returning to the same campsite, we went for a walk in the dunes before settling down for a restful afternoon catching up with computer and car chores.

Visit the Pictures page for today's pictures

back  Days 35-45  homepage