Late the night before we dicided that we would stay in the campsite the day and catch up on admin duties like washing and website stuff. After putting thw washing on, we took a stoll down to the beach. The wind was still wishling along and the sea was a bit choppy. I didn't likethe lookof it much as it had a lot of man made features like a breakwater, marina and row opon row of sunbeds. Further along the beach looked nicer though, with the dunes rolling straight into the sea. Once back to thw washing, we took it back to the hut and hung it out. While Verena rested I got stuck into siting the diary entries I had written into website format and down loading and contructing the page for the gallery. This took quite a long time, but once finished I went round to the Internet access hut only to find that I could not up load my website updates. I then popped down to the main office and managed to sweet talk them into lettingme use there compute which had internet accessin upload the changes. This done and the website checked, I went back to the cabin. At some point in the day I also manged to get through to home onthe telephone, and gave Mum all the lastest news. That evening we just chilled out at the campsite bar and had a bed time beer before reteating to our little cabin for a good nights sleep.
After repacking all our gear and getting it in the Landy, which took quite some time as we had a lot of it out. We headed off along the coast road south and to Gibraulta. Once there we indeed found the big traffic jam I had been warned about, but decided to stick it out as it was chucking it down we rain. It was 2 hours by the time we had got some fuel (very cheap in Gib, wihich I paid for in English money, thanks Aunty) and found a parking space. We went for a walk round the town centre, stopping for lunchin a british pub and completing a few other jobs like getting out more money. I also managed to change to Jersey money I had brought with me in a rush, into English notes so I would be easier to change or spend in the future. That done we drove to the most south point of the island to get my first glimps of Africa and take some pictures. We then drove back through town and came across the same traffic problem to leave Gib. Eventally we got out and headed back toward Malaga. We stopped in a campsite quite far outside, which had basic but nice facilities. We got talkingto an English couple who had sold up in England a bought a place near the campsite. But Spanish building speeds ment that things were running slow and they could not move into there place until April. Me and Verena just spent the evening chatting and drink Sagrea, before falling into bed.
After packing up camp late we set off for Malaga, stopping at a shopping center along the way simply to killl time. Once in Malaga it took us quite some time to find a parking spot. Once out the car we head through town with somelocal direction and found the tourisum office, to ask about things like interent cafes etc. Not before stopping at a local cafe for some tranditional lunch. We thentried to access our mail at two different internet cafes but my Yahoo account would not work at either place. A problem at Yahoo's end I think. We then down several laps of the town center to kill time before finding the train station on foot, to make it easier to drive to later. A spot of food shopping and back to the Landy to take Verena to the train station. After a sad goodbye I jumpedback into the Landy and found my way out of Malaga. Once out on the road I just kept going until I reached Algericies. I found were the port was then returned to a shopping area out of town and parked up next to some other campers which had also stopped for the night. It was still raining and so I decide to sleep in the back of the Landy. Once things had been rearranged slighty I settled down to a good nights sleep.
I had set my alarm so to make sure I did not sleep in. After a quick breafast and sort out, I went down the road back toward Algercies to find a ticket office for the ferry. This was easy as there was one right along side a petrol station. 80€ later I had myself a ticket to Ceuta and the next boat was leaving at 10:00. So I headed straight down the port. I followed the signs to the key side and parked up along side the other people waitingfor the boat. Before long we board and we off. 45Min's later the boat docked in Cetua. As you are still in Spain you just drive straight off the boay and out of the port. I took to first fuel station I saw and filled up, including the jerry cans. This was for to reason's one it was good clean fuel and two because it was cheep (50.4 Cents/Lt). This done I followed the signs to the Morccain border. I dicided to enlist the help of one of the guides, as it all looked pretty chaotic. They pointed me from window to window through the process which took around an hour(this I hear is good). It paid off in the end as the customs bloke was trying to give me a hard time. So I set my guide on him who sorted it out. I then changed some euro's into Dirame and set off down the road. As I round the corner I was confronted with a crowd just outside the customs fence which I had to drive through. I was then out on the open road and followed the few and far between signs to Tatwan and onto Chefoughous. Along the way I drove through stunning scienary and found my way to the campsite over looking the town. After taking the 2 hour back, difference with the time, I had arrived eary afternoon. I set up camp and got a few odd jobs done. Later I talked to an interesting German lady who had been touring Morocco in a van on her own, and an older French couple with a new TD5 Landy with many coustom bits which where made in Morocco. I nice dinner, and glass of wine. I then clambered into the roof tent and typed up my diary for the past few days, and off to sleep.
After breakfast and packing my gear away, I headed into Chefchouen. I tried to call home, and then found my way to the interent cafe. I spent an hour thier,replying to e-mails. I then found my way into the old narrow streets, which twisted and wound there way up and down the hill side. I decided that I wanted to buy one of these Moroccan robes which is call a jabal. I found one I liked on a stall in the main square. After a bit of hangeling it was mine. After I continued my wonder through the twisting streets and came across the area on the river where they wash there cloths. From where I stood I could see the washing area and the river travelling for some way down the valley. After and steep climb back up the hill to the campsite I had a bit of lunch. I then started driving south again towards Meknes along the main roads. All the way there the sceniary was very impressive. Consisting of lush green fields, wide oen plans and low mountians. Before I got to Meknes I stopped off at the Roman ruins of Vouiblis. Which is the best sitefor Roman ruins in all og Morocco. Once there you could see why. The ruins covered the hill side and large parts of the Roman structures in tact. There where pilers, archways, mozaches, a huge arche of triumph and a large part of the main temple still standing. Once I had taken many pictures a returned to the landy and contiued on my way to Meknes. The plan was to find the campsite just outside of the old town centre. This I managed to do eventally after to hours of driving around searching for it. This was my first experience of a Moroccan city and I was amazed at the lack of signs. Not only where there no signs to tell you which street you where on but there also was rarly any signs at junctions telling you the directions the streets headed in. As I turnedup layeto the campsite I just through the tent up scoffed some dinner and jumped straight into bed.
After breakfast and a cold shower (hot water was extra). I got my bearings and drove the Landy into the Old area of Meknes. After parking the Landy at the edge of the city walls I headed in on foot. I soon came across the open air market and spent about two hours wonder the streets taking in the sights and sounds. It had everything you could possibly imagine. From live stock to DVD players. Icame across a very nice cake shop and so bought my self some munchies for the drive across to Fez later in the day. It then got collard by this guy from one of the carpet shops. I told him straight away that I was not interestedin buying a carpet but still he insisted that we sit down and drink tea. I wehad a good chat and soon the converation ture to carpets. This guywould just not give up. But I stood my grounds and repeatedly told him that I didn't want to buy one. Each timehe would try adifferent tactic. Eventally I got through to him and he gave up and I made my escape. I wondered through the streets back to the Landy and headed for Fez. Not far outside Fez when I was stopped looking at my map, a bloke approached me and offered the services of this younger bother as a guide. Going on the last experience I had just had with Morocan city signs, I decided to except. This turned out not to be a bad idea. As the 15 year old boy guided me to the main city gate, where we parked the Landy and toured the small twisting streets of old Fez on foot. We popped in and out of all the main shops along he way, and as much as the sales men would try I excaped all of the them. We then jumped back into the Landy and the boy guided me up one of the near by hills for a good view of the old and new parts of Fez. I didn't pay the boy with money but traded him a cheap pair of sun glasses andan old t-shirt for his time. Which we were both happy with. Then I started another ecpic search for the campsite that was supposed to be close by. This time I stubbled across another campsite, and after an hours search for the one I was lookinf for, I returned to the one one I had axeidently found earlier. This way a plesent place on the south side of the city in the bottom of a shallow valley surrounded by trees. So after seting the tent up and doing a few chores I got my head down for the night.
I got up had breakfast and had a wash. After quickly packing away I headed SSE to a town called Azou. I then turned off the main road onto the smaller mountain road which took me up into the mountains and through the Cedar forest. Breath taking views where round every corner and along the way I pasted through the village of Ain Leuh. The Nav. was a little hard as the signs where few and far between. But I managed to find my way along the roads I wanted to my first piste (Off road track). Or at least I thought it was the one I was looking for. An hour down the road and I was having big doubts. Instead I followed the most well used looking track and eventually came out on a tarmac road heading north. Not before having to negotiate some patches of quite hard-core off road. I followed this new road north until it came out along the N13 about 18Km south of Timahdite. It was getting late by this point and I decided that I would head south along the N13 toward Midlet, but would stop short and camp wide. After driving up and down a few tracks off the main road I found I nice campsite in the woods at a junction in the tracks. There I set up camp and soon after a local bloke from down the road came to see what I was doing. After sharing a cup of tea, he wondered off back home. I made my self a nice camp fire and had some dinner. As the light went the temperature fell quickly and so I jumped into the roof tent and got some sleep. Or that was the plan anyway.
After a restless nights sleep because of all the unfamiliar forest noises. I got up early and quickly had some breakfast and got on the road. I took the N13 south and the target for the day was to make Merzouga at the edge of the Erg Chebbi. This took me through the towns of Midelt, Errachidia and Erfoud. Along the way I passed through the Gorges due Ziz. Which has a lush green strip of land running along side the river, in stark contrast to the barren cliffs that surround it. After a few hours driving I passed through Rissani and along the N13 out into the desert. This last section has also be sealed apparently all the way to Merzouga. Along the road I stopped and asked his Berber bloke, who was sitting by a sign in the middle of know where, if he needed a lift. He replied in pretty good English that he needed a lift toward the Erg Chebbi to a hotel on the edge of the dunes he worked at. It was getting late and I didn’t want to spend the night in Merzouga and was planning to spend the night by the dunes anyway, so I gave him a lift. As we approached the dunes the hotel came into sight. It could have come straight out of a film about the French foreign Legend. It had a tower at each corner and castled walled tops, along with a single large arch entrance. I drove in and the bloke invited me in for a tea and I excepted. As we got we got chatting about all sots of things and it turned out that he run the camel tours across the dunes to a camp on the other side. As the sun was setting soon I decided that I would walk out into the dunes and get a vantage point to watch the sun set from. Along the way I met a local Berber who was doing the same thing. In half French/English I found out that he worked with the local tour groups translating for them. After a hard slog climbing one of the big dunes we sat there talking and watching the sun go down. It was spectacular watching it disappear behind the mountains far off in the distance across the flat desert plain. When it had set we made our way back to the hotel, where just short of it the Berber bloke left to go his own way. Once back I found the Berber guy I had given a lift to sitting on the terrace drinking. I joined him with my bottle of Spanish wine and we carried on chatting until late. He suggested that instead of spending the night just outside of the hotl in the dunes that we could take the Landy round to the camp on the other side. I was up for this so off we went. After circling the dunes along the plain we headed in to the dunes a short distance to the camp. In the process we got stuck and I had to use the sand track in anger for the first time. I glad to say they work a treat and we made our way to the camp. Once settled we finished the wine while looking the stars, before retiring to one of the Berber tents for a good nights sleep.
After a peaceful nights sleep I awoke and stepped out side the tent to be confronted by the dunes glowing orange in the morning light. After a traditional Berber breakfastpf mint tea and some sort of bread come pancake (with sand). I said I would give the berder bloke a lift back to Erfoud as a thank for letting me stay at his camp for free. The route back took as along the rivers edge bouncing over small dunes and crossing the desert plain along various tracks to Erfoud. Once in town we stopped at a local café and parked the Landy in the garage across the road. We both went off to do various jobs we wanted to do and arranged to meet back at the café for lunch. His we did but went down the road to Rissani where he new a guy who ran a café. There we had a nice lunch before saying our good byes and me heading off in the Landy west along the N12 to Alnif. There I took the piste North, which was a bit of fun at the beginning to find my way out of the village and through a couple more, but once out in the wide was straight forward. Along the way I ran into a French family doing the same route and we travelled the rest of the way together. At the end of the piste we said our good byes and I noticed a English register Toyota coming off the piste. After a quick chat to the drive who had worked in England amongst other places he invited me to follow him to his bothers campsite in Tinerhir. I excepted and off we went. Once there we had a tea and went back into town to get some beer and bits for dinner. Along the way he suggested that we could go to his parents place for dinner instead. I agreed and off we went. There we picked the vegetables fresh from the garden and his sisters set about cooking dinner. Later we settled down to a very nice dinner, befre heading back to the camp. A bed time beer and a chat and I retired to the roof tent for a good nights sleep.t let up and we had a wet and cold night's sleep in the roof tent.
After a slow pack away and a nice warm shower and shave I set off up the Todra Gorge. It is indeed a breath-taking site with the road running along side the river and the shear sides of the gorge towering overhead. Along the way a large group of English registered Landies came the other way. I think they were a group from LRO magazine. Who all waved and flashed as we passed. At the top of the gorge I left the village and found the piste going West after encountering the local kids who were being a pest and no help at all. Soon enough I was bumping along we other 4x4’s to my front a rear. The piste was really tough and many sections had to be taken really slowly, but it was all worth it for some of the views through the mountains. Eventally I emerged at the other end of the piste and head down the Dades gorge. This too had stunning views in the upper sections but I was all to soon driving through village after village again. As I arrived at the main road at the bottom of the gorge, it was only mid afternoon. So I decide to tackle another piste going South over the mountains. After some rough Nav. Ifound my way to the piste. Which again was quite tough and but worth it for the views. This piste took me over the Tizi-n-Tazazert pass (2200 meters). As I came down through the mountains the light was fading and I soon found my self driving along the valley in the dark. After finding an isolated plain I pulled off the piste and settled down for the night. I didn’t put the roof tent up as it was rainy and windy as well as the fact I could see lightening in the distance and I was on an open flat plain. So I slept in the back of the Landy.