Route planning

Woke up to brilliant sunshine, a lovely Autumn morning and the views into the mountains are fantastic. Richard and David had a route planning session – it should be a stunning drive across the Pyrennes today. We are hoping to get as far Duras, then it should be an easy drive to go and see Richard and Jackie near Angouleme on Monday.

A meeting that was meant to be!

Got an early start and drove right across Spain up to Camp Gavin in the Pyrenees, ten hours of almost solid motoring. Managed to avoid the worst of the rain and the weather improved as we drove further north. As we approached the Pyrenees, we realised that Autumn was well and truly on the way [probably nearly over in England].

When we reached the camp site we parked up, jumped out of the van and then couldn’t believe our eyes – we were right next door to Richard and Cheryl’s caravan! What an amazing coincidence! We hadn’t seen them since leaving the last site in Morocco and thought they’d be well into France by now.

They were up in the village and were very surprised to see us on their return. We had loads of catching up to do so cooked our meals and got together to eat in our van and to have a good old natter [it’s too cold to eat outside at night any more]. Good job the clocks were going back an hour otherwise it would have been a very late night. The only trouble was, when we went to bed, we couldn’t remember which ones we’d put back and which we hadn’t – it’s far too confusing these days with watches, clocks, mobile phones and the van computer clock. To make matters worse, the little clock stuck on our bedroom wall was still on Moroccan time!

Calling in at Campoverde

After saying goodbye to Ainslie, we set off once more, this time heading for Villa Ronara [our family house] at Campoverde. It took us most of the day to get there, and once arrived, we went straight down to the Pizzeria for a bite to eat. It was still just about warm enough to sit outside [with a fleece on!] After that, we called in at Don Pepe’s for a coffee and brandy. All the family were there and greeted us very warmly as usual. Africa has had her hair cut stylishly short and looked very different – much more sophisticated.

Waded through more washing the next day although the weather wasn't particularly good for drying. Margaret and Greg called up at 6.00ish and we all sat in the van having drinks, nibbles and a good old chin wag. Then out to "That Place on Campoverde" for a meal, afterwards next door into Sylvio's and, finally, down to Don Pepe's for a coffee. Saw Jimmy Ward on the way through the village; he was really pleased to see us and might catch up with him later today for a proper chat. Also hoping to catch up with Susannah and Jose.

Tomorrow morning, we are hoping to get an early set-off and reach Zaragoza; then we will cross the Pyrenees and find another site; and on Monday we hope to reach Richard and Jackie just outside Angouleme in SW France.

Pit Stop at Ainslie's

We had planned to sleep in the van overnight to save Ainslie the bother of washing bedding etc and then make our way up to Campoverde the next morning to have a few days to do all our washing and to catch up with more friends. However, it was soon decided that we would stay two nights with Ainslie and move into his villa.

We had a brilliant time with Ainse. The first evening, we went out to Cheritos [or something like that] to eat and then moved on to Beaky’s Gig [of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich – a famous pop group back in the sixties for you youngsters!] where there was a karaoke going on. Sean was in charge and the punters were mainly Irish and were having a lively time. David was swept onto the dance floor by a woman called Belinda, who soon moved in on Ainslie when she found out that David was married to me! She claimed to be a journalist from Dublin and was looking for company for dinner the next evening. We didn’t make any firm arrangements [Ainslie said he would make enquiries as nobody is quite what they seem in these parts!]

Once back at Ainslie’s, we spent quite a bit of time looking at the photos of Janine and Martin’s weddings and then listening to music including some of the tracks he played with the band out in Spain. One particular song accompanied by Ainslie on guitar was especially memorable [we’ve always known that Ainslie played in various bands back in the sixties but never quite appreciated just how good he is].

The next day was a quite a busy one. Ainslie lent us a vacuum cleaner so we were able to clean out the van and also hose the mats down [the last pitch in Morocco was very sandy and then it had rained so it was good to get it all sorted again]. We were also able to put our towels and a few other things through his washing machine which was a real bonus. Ainslie’s new villa is beautiful, all open plan downstairs with tiled floors and colourful rugs. There are a couple of bedrooms and bathrooms downstairs and then Ainslie has a pad upstairs with its own bathroom, balcony etc. A grand design!

In the evening, we went back to the restaurant of the night before and then on to another bar where Steve was doing a karaoke and everyone was celebrating Rainer’s birthday. Again, it turned out to be quite a lively evening – especially when one bloke donned a wig in imitation of one of Rainer’s daughter’s and took the mike [and the mickey] on the karaoke. He was the bloke who took Ainslie’s place in the band and is an ex-member of “Squeeze.”

We had to leave the next morning and were quite sad when it came to saying "goodbye." Sorry - but forgot to take any photos!

Full Circle in Morocco

It was a surprisingly hilly journey from Tangier to Ceuta. The road took us straight past Tangier port where we were surprised to see the back end of Phil and Sheila’s van making its way down to the embarkation point [he had obviously seen the port signs but had not realised that he wasn’t at Ceuta yet]. We couldn’t do anything about it so carried on to Ceuta where we passed through Moroccan customs without any trouble and then made our way down to the ferry. Phil and Sheila turned up about twenty minutes later but there was no sign of any of the others [it turned out that they had all got an earlier crossing having managed to make the journey without getting tangled up in Tangier!]

It was a good fast crossing and even though we have enjoyed every moment of our Moroccan adventure, it felt good to be back in Spain again. Once in Algeciras, we waved goodbye to Phil and Sheila and made our way to Estepona to stay the night at Ainslie’s. On the way, we passed Casa Bernardo’s where we had all met up at the start of the Morocco trip – full circle!

Trapped in Tangier

Woke up to RAIN! Must be that the storms they have had in Spain have found their way across to Morocco. We are all wondering what it will be like on the ferry; in fact, Richard and Cheryl decided at one point to stay on for another day but then changed their minds.

We travelled separately from the others and, due to not having looked at the map properly, found ourselves going right in to Tangier. It was a nightmare! The floods were causing havoc on the roads even in the centre of town. At one point, we became stranded over a crossroads with traffic all around, horns hooting and nothing moving at all. We could see plumes of water firing into the air ahead, probably where they were pumping out the drains, so we decided to take a right turn and escape the mayhem and just hope that we could find our way back on to the same road further up. The gods must have been smiling on us because we managed to do exactly that and found ourselves back once more on the road to Ceuta and the ferry crossing.

One thousand flamingoes

Travelled from El Jadibah up to Moulay Boussalem. This time we decided to take the motorway instead of the coastal road so that we could arrive at the next site in time to chill out for a while. And what a wonderful site it is for relaxing as we are overlooking a lagoon facing west and the sun will set over the sea. At least, it is peaceful now that the Moroccan fisherman has given up trying to sell us a boat ride to see the"one thousand flamingoes." A word of explanation: less than ten minutes after we had parked the van, the fisherman popped his head over the fence which separates the site from the lagoon [we are only a few feet away from the water] and tried to persuade us to take a boat trip to see "one thousand flamingoes." A shame, really, because if we had been staying another night, we would have taken him up on his offer. It wasn't expensive and he's only trying to make a living. Anyway, we quickly sorted the van, did a bit of washing, then changed into shorts for a spot of sunbathing. I lasted twenty minutes – there was quite a chilly breeze blowing!

We have had a text from Debbie to say that there have been terrible storms over in Spain and we may have to delay our ferry crossing for another day. I suppose there are worse places to be stranded! However, unless things look really bad tomorrow, I think we will be heading for the port.

Last night in Morocco, all being well. Cheryl and Andrew not feeling so good so we cancelled the idea of wandering up into the village for something to eat and cooked in our separate vans instead. Afterwards, we piled into Ralph and Valya’s van for wine and cheese.

The Barbeque

We drove the coastal road from Essouaria up to El Jadibah. The sea views were lovely; it was good to see miles and miles of undeveloped coastline and sandy beaches. We travelled with Richard and Cheryl and stopped along the way for a bite to eat – keftas this time. We also called at a supermarket to buy steaks for the bbq planned for tonight.

On arriving in El Jadibah, we found ourselves being diverted back on ourselves down a sandy track; apparently, the king is here to attend a famous horse show and we were not allowed to go any further along that particular road. It reminded me of when we saw all the security in Ireland because we happened to be there when President Obama was visiting.

When we arrived at the site, the others were keen to get on with the meal. We managed to fit six steaks on our bbq and Shirley did the potatoes in her electric fryer which we plugged into the back of our van. A saucepan of onions from us and a ratatouille from Cheryl, and we were sorted! It was delicious! Another lovely evening! The only sad thing was that Selwyn and Linda didn’t turn up at this site and the bbq was their idea – we think that they stuck to their original plan and stopped earlier at Safi [they have left more time than the rest of us for making their way back to Ceuta and the ferry back to Spain].

"Don't open the door!"

Once everything was sorted with the covers, Cheryl made us all a coffee and we sat down and had a really good chat with Youssef, mainly about relationships, numbers of wives, and the importance of not “opening the door” before marriage! [I’ll leave you to work that one out for yourselves]. If it is discovered that you have “opened the door” the choice is to marry the girl or go to prison. Youssef is a really fine young man but soon it was time to say goodbye to him as well [Ray, Debbie, Steve and Hammid have already left] – he now has to make his way back to his village by bus and taxi.

Berber Van

Whilst on the campsite at Marrakesh, Youssef called round, saw the throw that I had bought for the van and suggested that we had it made into proper covers – he knows a tailor in Essouaria who can do it cheaply...!

Once we had settled in at Essouaria, Youssef came round to measure the seats covers, then disappeared off to the tailor to get an estimate. He came back later with a very reasonable quote and disappeared again, this time taking some of the cushions and the throw with him. The covers were to be ready by the same time the next day [but I couldn’t see how the tailor could possibly make them all from the one throw!]

Youssef is a lovely young man, very serious and very thoughtful. In the afternoon, he came by with a carved walking stick for Richard “because you are a good man” [Richard and Cheryl were nearly in tears]. He’s 28 now but Ray has known him for years and put him through college to do catering, and he now helps out on all the Desert Detour trips. In fact, Steve, Hammid and Youssef now take some of the smaller trips on their own without Ray or Debbie.

We spent all the following morning round the van sorting out the covers. As expected, the tailor had had to skimp with the material and one cover had to go back to be made bigger. However, he’s done a great job for a low cost and in double quick time but, knowing what I know now, I would have bought material specifically for making into covers and made sure there was enough of it. But, thanks to Youssef's enthusiasm, we now have a "Berber van”!

Youssef

Castle in the Sands

Able to hang on to the dongle for a bit longer so will keep on blogging - after that, relying on Wifi connection.

The site at Essouaria was a bit crowded but we managed to squeeze on. The team held another briefing in the afternoon, followed by nibbles, wine and another of Ray’s stories [this time all about one of his ancestors, a James Riley who was a sea captain and an anti-abolitionist]. 

After this, we wandered across to the beach with Richard and Cheryl, and Andrew and Shirley. It turned out to be quite magical [the sun was setting] and quite hysterical [we had an impromptu ride on the camels!] We also managed to book ourselves a camel ride for 5.00pm on Friday along the beach to Jimi Hendrix’s former house. As we understood it, the camels were coming to the site to collect us – we thought it would give our fellow campers quite a surprise.

The camels did come to the campsite but had to wait just outside so, unfortunately, we weren’t able to impress everybody in quite the way we intended. However, off we went through the dunes and along to the “castle.” It wasn’t Jimi Hendrix’s house after all [apparently, he never even lived here] and not even a castle but, instead, a pile of rocks in the sand which inspired him to write [so they say] “Castle in the Sands.” Whatever, it was very scenic with the sun setting out at sea behind the rocks, and we had a great time riding the camels along the beach.

Giving up the dongle - last blog for now?

We have to surrender our dongles today so I'm not sure when we will be able to "blog" again. It will depend on wifi access at our next site or finding an internet cafe. We haven't been able to access our emails for some reason so apologies to anyone who has emailed and hasn't had a reply.

 Farewell meal tonight, camel ride tomorrow then setting off up the coast on Saturday. Not sure how many nights we will stop over on the way up to Ceuta but are likely to cross back into Spain either Sunday or Monday. Then, hopefully visiting Ainslie in Estepona and calling at Campoverde for a few days [Mum and Dad's house] before driving across Spain and into France. Hoping to see Richard K on the way through south-west France then back into England on the 3rd November, and Ilkley on the 5th November.

We have the most amazing time out here - it has exceeded our expectations in every way! We'll be really sorry to leave Morocco but even more to say "goodbye" to the team and the rest of the friends we have made. It's been fantastic!!!

Goats in the Argan trees [and on the roof of a car!]

On the way to Essouaria, we passed a tree full of goats. We couldn't stop so didn't have much time to look - I said to David, "They must be stuffed goats put there for effect!" - but who would fill a tree with stuffed goats?! Anyway, the goats do climb argan trees in order to eat the nuts, these than pass through their systems and the "pits" are collected and the oil extracted; it is highly sought after and is used in face creams despite having passed through a goat. A little further on, we saw another goat in a tree - fascinating! Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to get any pictures but it was true - believe me!

Still on the subject of goats, this poor fella was being transported on the back of a van!

Essouaria - on the coast

This is our last campsite before the tour officially ends. Tonight, we all go out for a farewell meal together, then afterwards or very early in the morning, Ray, Debbie and Steve head back for Spain, and Hammid and Youssef head back to Meski, their village. The rest of us stay here one more night and then go our separate ways; some will stop on or go further south, while others, including ourselves, will make our way back up the coast road through Safi, Casablanca, Rabat and Tangier to Ceuta. We make a couple of overnight stops on the way up.

We're all feeling quite sad that it's coming to an end. The culture, the scenery etc has all been wonderful but so has the company and friendship of our fellow travellers. Yesterday afternoon, the team held another briefing on our new campsite, followed by cold meats and salad, wine and another of Ray's stories [this time about one of his ancestors, a sea-captain and an abolitionist called James Riley - although he didn't let on that he was relative until the end of the story]. He's a natural storyteller!

Afterwards, some of us wandered down to look at the beach and got talking to the camel men - this ended with an impromptu ride and a booking for Friday evening. If it all works out, the camel men are coming to the campsite at 5.00 with six camels and taking us along the beach to Jimi Hendrix's house. It was quite a surreal moment being on the beach at sunset with the camels, and hilarious, too. When I got astride my camel, the one behind called Capucchino, took a sudden interest in the back of my neck, and when it was time to get off, the camel refused to kneel down. It caused quite a bit of amusement amongst the tourists looking on!

Campsite Cats

Cheryl and I couldn't resist feeding this mother and her kitten, although David started to wonder what he was going to get for lunch when I opened a second tin of tuna for them! The kitten was gorgeous and very playful. However, although both were happy to be very close, neither wanted to be handled - just as well, we don't want to pick up any more bugs while in Morocco [everyone seems to be fine, now, by the way!]

Marrakech

How do you descibe Marrakech?! Busy, bustling, bright vibrant colour everywhere - and full of noise, diesel fumes and traffic! We went by day and looked around the souks, and then again at night and sampled the entertainment and the cafes in the main square. We also hopped onto one of those little trains that take you all round the back streets and into some of the more affluent areas.

The traffic on the roads [cars, horse-drawn carriages, hand-pushed carts, but mainly thousands of 50/90cc motrbikes] was even more chaotic than in Cuba! How we all passed safely through some of the small streets and junctions, I'll never know - and there never seems to be any bad temper when vying for space on the roads, everyone accepts it all with good humour.

There were lots of tiny workshops for repairing the thousands of bikes

We were hassled a bit by street performers and beggars in the main square, difficult to deal with sometimes. However, we all enjoyed kebabs and chips at one of the cafes which spring up in the square each afternoon ready for the evening.

The Road to Marrakech

The "underpants pass" went on for ever and ever!

We survived the "Underpants Pass" - breathtaking views all around. Stopped in a little cafe to have breakfast, this is becoming a very pleasant tradition as we travel from one place to another.

Next stop - Marrakesh!

Everyone is looking forward to arriving in Marrakesh [assuming we survive the "Underpants Pass"!] However, not sure when we will be able to get online again as our "dongles" are due to run out any day now ....

Mayhem in the Market

Left the desert site early in the morning, and set off towards Tinehir and the Todra Gorge. It was a slow drive retracing our route over rough tracks through the black desert and back to the main road. Unfortunately, as we were going back through Rissani, someone ahead took a wrong turn and a dozen motorhomes ploughed straight through the street market. None of the traders seemed to mind, or even be very surprised, as we weaved our way through trying to avoid street sellers, motorbikes and donkeys [at least they were very patient as we went through but we were at the front end of the convoy; things may have been a bit more fraught for the last few vans!]  

I have to say that the Moroccan people wherever we have been have been extremely kind, helpful and welcoming. A few motorhomes in the middle of their market doesn’t seem to faze them at all; the streets just seem to be a free for all with everyone [cyclists, donkeys, hand-pushed carts, pedestrians, motorbikes, a few motorised vehicles] all fighting for space and a way through.

N.B. Most of the time we don’t travel in convoy; we’re just told the route and places to stop along the way ... I can see why now!

Galloping Gut Rot

On a side note, we were supposed to have gone on the overnight camel trek with quite a few of the others but this stomach bug has taken a vicious hold and we would not have been able to cope. Almost everyone has been affected to different degrees and it has been the main talking point all day. Fortunately, everyone is treating it with a sense of humour and there have been a lot of laughs. A desert site for three days with no water other than that we can carry, and no sanitary facilities other than those on board, is not the best place to be afflicted in this way. The only saving grace is that there is an auberge just over the dunes, and we can go in and have a drink and use the loos [not that that helps at 5.00am when you've got the gripes] but it’s useful in the day time.... yeah, I know, "wilderness camping" and we have a hotel next door!

Ray’s wife Debbie is on the case and has organised for a Landrover to go into the nearest town for anti-biotics. The team have been great at keeping an eye on us all.

Update: Have been on specially targeted anti-biotics for three days now and feeling much better and so, I think, is everybody else.. Thank goodness because we are now at Ouarzazate and tomorrow we drive over the High Atlas to Marrakesh via the Tizi n Tichka pass, otherwise known as the "Underpants Pass"!!! David is worried about skidmarks!

Cycling to the Legionnaires’ Fort

Went on a cycle ride with Andrew and Ray in the morning following the line of old Legionnaires’ Forts which have now been turned into auberges. Great fun pedalling across the rough ground trying not to skid in the sand with the sand dunes to our left. We stopped at one of the auberges for a drink. The manager showed us around some of the apartments, it was all simply but beautifully decorated with bare floors, rugs and wall hangings. They run peaceful retreat holidays where people can mix a few nights in the auberge with a few days trekking in the desert. 

We sat down and had drinks [all non-alcoholic, I must stress!] and after hearing that we were suffering stomach troubles, the manager offered us the “cumin cure” – a teaspoon of cumin powder washed down with lemon flavoured water, or any liquid. You need to wash it down quickly before it turns into a paste and glues your tongue to your teeth! Not the best decision we’ve made considering the state our stomachs are in but we didn’t like to refuse the very kind offer – kill or cure!

N.B. The cumin had a disastrous effect on Ray but David and I didn’t notice much difference [must be all the Bradford curries we’ve had!]

Sunset Camel Ride

In the late afternoon, we went on a camel ride up into the dunes with Stew and Jane and our guide, Moha to watch the sun set over the mountains. It was a less risky experience than I had imagined but not particularly comfortable. The camels seem very slow, gentle creatures. We had to dismount and walk the last bit up to the top then Moha set out a blanket for us to sit on while we watched a beautiful sunset.

However, that was not quite all. As we returned to the camels, Moha set out his blanket again and produced his bag of goods. When not working as a camel guide, Moha works in one of the factories producing goods form fossils and then sells them on the side to supplement his income! Well, he had just been telling us all about his family and children so what else could we do? Fortunately, between the two couples, we were able to choose two items for a lower price and split the difference. Moroccans must surely lead the world in selling techniques!

Sunrise in the Desert

Woke up in time to get out of the van up onto the sandbank to see the sun rise over the dunes. Roger didn’t bother leaving his bed – he just popped his head through the roof light of his van! Why didn't we think of that?!

School at Meski

Quick visit to the school in the morning; we were particularly struck by the way in which the headteacher greeted each child individually as they arrived in the morning. These were the little ones and they all met in a circle under the trees to sing some waking up songs before going into the classrooms. 

Ray and his team have supported this school for a number of years The headteacher distributes any equipment given by people on his tours around several different schools in the area. Hamid and Youssef were both very proud of their village and its school. Even Benni appeared in one of the classrooms looking every inch the teacher!

Hammid

Youssef

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benni