Had a terrible accident, i thought it was a trump, then i thought the warm feeling in my trousers was the glow from the days beautiful sun, only to find out im now poo pants jo. Having to stop every half hour to poop, im exhausted by it ! Gonna head to asilan for two nights to recover, drink water and look to see what tablets i have…oooo….gotta go….theres a burble in my bum.
Today, breakfast at 9am with p and a then into the kasbar which was very memorable, although each corner seemed to have a tourist boutique with owners swarming like flies to sell, without meaning to sound snobby, tourist trash. Nice morning, then another goodbye as we headed for marrakesh, same route but slightly different intentions. Crossing the atlas mountains took me to 4000m up and back down and suddenly it was very cold. Met two italians doing a similar route on bmws, then met them three more times! One of them said he had heard about me in italy from one of his freinds in europe, said he recognised the bike, amazing eh??? In a hotel 30km from marrakesh waiting to see what tomorrow brings, hoping to get up early…hoping!
….a bit later
Im parked up in a hotel in serrat, when i say this i mean literally, shirley is up some stairs and parked in the reception just in front of the desk for safety… !!!
A bit later still…..
Breakfast with the french in the hotel then into marrakesh, perfectly into a secure carpark and wandered to find a laberinth of dead ends, music smoke and shops of the souqs. The main square is huge and had snake charmers, dancing monkeys, hoopla and orange juice stands. Wandered until lost and bought some saffron for big sis then still lost, further confused by children sending me the wrong way and had to pay someone to show me the way out! Rode to within 60km of casablanca and found a hotel who said my bike would be safe up the steps inside next to the reception desk. If only my camera wasnt broken! Shirley has an interesting bed for the night! Out to find dinner but its after ramadan and now food during the night is hard to find! During ramadan food in the daytime was hard to find as many places just close due to little business, now they close at night as traditionally everyone eats with family for a rew days after ramadan in a kind of party atmosphere. Add to this the somewhat backward town im in and ive rushed to my room since the current poo valve was about to fail due to fried wild cat kebab.
Again a late breakfast but very enjoyable, pietro and alice intend a walk to see the apes hand stones or monkeys fingers and im going to try to get to a mountain village thats famous here and only accesable in the summer. Little did i know what i was in for. 30km of road of asphalt with random washouts and then nothing but rubble called here ‘the piste’. This turned from fun to challenging, no road signs here at the junctions! After another 34km the going was so rough, steep and tight to drop offs in the turns that 1km took 15minutes! At two pm i turned back since whilst i had enough fuel, i didnt have ther the daylight hours or the energy to continue. The marker showed 61km still to reach the village. The view atop this last mountain into the gorge was quite breathtaking. Back in the digs i fell straight onto the bed and dozed! Later i found three lovely spanish girls had arrived, one of which was part
icularly lovely but i thought they were very young so was polite, only to find out after they had left that they were all in their 30s.good dinner and laughter music and instruments then stargazing on the terrace under blankets, bed called at 3am!
Later on 20th….
Yesterday was a simple run from ait oudinar to ouazazate but breakfast and goodbyes lasted until midday! Lovely quite roads playing dodge the free roamimg g camel then 26km from ouazazate pietro n alice caught me up, they intended to bunk in a little village 57km further on called ait benhaddou which was used to film jewel of the nile and jeses of nazereth. I arrived in ouazazate and was increasingly unimpressed by its tediously flat symmetrical boring architecture so i had a horse burger and moved on. I did intend to stay here but it was such a horrid plain uninspiring place i couldnt see anything worthy oy backdoor! I left to find p and a who had taken the biggest suite in the hotel. I negotiated a room an ensuite with drinks three course dinner and breakfast for 22quid. We all took tea by the pool and jumped in, finding out my waterproof camera isnt waterproof! We tried to walk to theold kasbar but the sunset beat us so we returned to a bar run by a scruffy arrogant frenchman who looked down his large dirty hairy nose at us whilst getting steadily more drunk. P and a were great entertainment though and both very clever, sharp as a drawer of knives.
Another incredible day but a very entertaing night with two italians, three fabulous spanish girls and two berbers. Really good fun, music dancing singing and laughter in all languages! Tell you more later…
….later
The spanish girls have left and ive just found out they were not as young as i thought, they certainly seemed young so i was being polite! Im already sadthat they have left and now im leaving the italians and berbers…oh short stays can be so sad!
Well fallen off twice today, that makes, 7total, is there a prize at 10?? Day not over yet!
Yesterday i got up to watch the sunrise over the dunes, then back to bed, rewoke had breakfast then promptly fell asleep on the bed again, left Merzouga at midday, the desert roads are empty for miles. Lovely ride but id left too late really. When somewher is only 200km away you think its doable very quickly but it never seems to work out that way! As i rode through another flooded road some kids made a barrier to stop me so they could nick stuff but its too well tied on for that. Into the dades gorge as the sunset and turned the mountaibs unto a melting pot of reds oranges and purples. Found the hotel just as the call for prayer went out, fantastic place, all vernacular abd very arty. After dinner spent the night talking french with an italian couple and a berber man. Very nice too !
The dunes bean small and i walked by a small beduine camp, hoping they wouldnt see me and do the ‘ getting money out the tourist’ game. As the dunes got larger i realised you shouldnt walk in a straight line, its exhausting. Following the dune ridges i steadily climbed aiming for the peak of the grande du to achieve. Its colour is like rose gold but changes with the light. After my second heart attack and as sweat poured from every pore i was 40ft from the ne some 160m tall. The sand is quite different to the sand you find on beaches, this stuff is better compacted by the wind than any builder could manage summit one last push up the steepest incline and i collapsed at the peak to watch the sun go down. Beautiful sunset with three camel drives in sight and surrounded by nothing but dunes, before it got dark i slid down the west face. Down was much easier than up! The guys with trials bikes did in less than a minute what had taken me an hour! In the hotel the owner said he saw me and commented to the staff that the man in white must be our englishman ! Fabulous dinner and bed. did i mention that yesterday i met three guys on bmws and ktms with very flash expensive gear and no idea! One had fallen from his oversized unmanagable bike and broken his foot, i know we shouldnt, but my how Shirley and i giggled!
Another beautiful day in the desert. Shirley has had a problem charging phone and other kit so today i woke at 6 am watched the sunrise over the dunes then back to bed before breakfast then i took a look at her. It was only a blown fuse, maybe at the same time as the lights blew but im concerned i havent found the original fault. Still she seems good now. Washed my smalls Then a walk through the village, a swim in the pool and a diary catch up in the sun. Im a little concerned about spanish post as 8sd cards have gone missing, it would be a terrible shame to loose all those photos. At 5pm i set of to climb the highest dune around this area and was in for a suprise.
The next day i sleep in a little and mohameds brother, abdul took me to a natural hot spring where they wash. HOT! I mean scoulding rip your skin off peel the epidermis leave your body tingling hot. Really good though and i managed full emersion but couldnt stand to swim. Encouraged by abdul i got as far as i could then when were back in Rich i was told many marocs cant get in the water but only splash themselves with it! Id been had! The massage was good though. Even if it was man on man! I stop a few times on the way to the desert until i get to the longest patch of flood, only 2foot deep but about100m long, i got wet but Shirley was a star. As i rode i admired the red mountains but found as i got closer…they were sand dunes! I showed the guys in the hotel my web and they saw the pictures from my leaving party, ive sold two salsa girls for 34 camels each, good bargaining eh? Anyhow, goodnight from my kingsize bed in a 4star hotel in the desrt with fossils cut and polished to make the sink! Think ill have a swim tomorrow after breakfast is served then see what the day brings.
I think i might be engaged to be married! As i had breakfast in a traditional home, the mother played matchmaker with her daughter of 26 who was quite a looker! I was tempted for a moment! Here marrage is like a contract and only vallied for a set period. Off to see the mines next but the roads got so bad we couldnt get through, although i was set to continue, abdul said it was going to rain and we would never get back. So into a shop of his freind, usually i wouldnt be tempted but i was on thi occasion, a pack of fags, 80 quid and my old m ns shirt later i had a new blanket. Always the realist eh? Hot country and o motorbike and i buy a blanket! The road to Rich was flooded so i waited for the water to go down to knee level and ran the30m stretch, cheers and hoots from the motorists were encouragement enough. In Rich i met mohamid and family, walked the village, ate with the family and met brothers sisters and freinds. This village say hello by banging heads! Great night of entertainment really casual but fun, one guy tried my bike which seemed to make everyone tense but turned out ok. One of those eventful quality days worth remembering for all its events and new freindships.
Staying in a real berber home tonight. Had great fun today. Update maybe tomorrow.
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