2014 - MOROCCO .. All posts here now please..

[tonka]

17 Funster vans left Algerciras yesterday..
Fast ferry (late) into Tangier Med...
All cleared and arrived into Asilah late afternoon. Lovely evening but rained in night and all this morning..
At 9am a hoard of internet hungry motorhomes invaded the Moroc Telecom shop and no one (shop staff) seemed to know what what was happening... Eventually we have got sim cards etc.. The 200dh 1 month deal does not seem to exist.. I have a 10 day access for 40dh...

Some of the group moved to Mohammedia, us and others staying at Ashilah for tonight...

 

[Carol]

After much fun,rolling of eye's in the telephone shop this morning most of us are on line now. Great how the funsters help one another, special thanks Ricec (Colin) for his help. We are staying a extra night at Asilah. last night we went on the town with John and Kath (Champers) was a real experience with
All the stalls at night, real bussel about the place but no hassel from the locals at all.
Kath and I managed a bit of shopping and haggling, a bag for Kath and 2 pair of shoes for me, then Eddie spotted a Moroccan mat for outside the van we only paid £10 stirling for it, was a bit like Rowan Atkinson carrying it around.
Tomorrow another adventure.:thumb:

 

[tonka]

Now on 3rd Cider in the Champers van and setting up about the 5th MiFi.....

 

[mogbl]

Will this nightmare ever end

Hi All sounds like we missed an adventure. Just to let you know Our van was booked in for 9am to have the new windscreen wiper motor replaced. So up at seven ready for 8am to drive the twenty miles to the dealer. Get in Drivers seat start engine get the remote control for our automatic self levelling system push the button Nothing? push again nothing? Go to the main control panel push the on button Nothing. Check the fuse all Ok So their we are with our camper off the floor stuck. Luckily I happen to have an electric drill so have to take the cover box off open the valves and raise the legs using the emergency system which requires a drill. Put it all back together 9.30am by now. Start the engine again begin to drive out notice radio is not working. Stopped by fellow camper the Sat dish not gone down must be a fuse. Checked it was the fuse it was also responsible for telling the levelling system that the engine was running and without it the system would not work. So there we go learning all the time. We shall get to Morocco hopefully this year???

Richard & Mo

 

[canopus]

Now on 3rd Cider in the Champers van and setting up about the 5th MiFi.....

Come on Steve you know you're limit is only two pints. You'll be pishing like
a racehorse if there are many more mifis

Many thanks for getting ours sorted by the way

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[bungy]

Now on 3rd Cider in the Champers van and setting up about the 5th MiFi.....

its all down hill from there im afraid...doubt youll manage a 6th wifi!

 

[mogbl]

Yah Hoo!

At last we have wipers, we have the ability to level and un level our camper, we have found GPL we have love.

We' re on the road again Yes back on the road again. I think I've turned mental with happiness. Mo is thinking of having me sectioned that way she can stay in an area where she can get the street until Haley ex Harold wanders off this moral coil. I suppose she thinks the Croppers are having a lot worse time than us so she takes pleasure and comfort from that. She's weird!

We will get there

Richard & Mo

 

[Arnica]

MiFi set up

Now on 3rd Cider in the Champers van and setting up about the 5th MiFi.....

After 2 hours in the shop with laptop, came away with the dongle working but no MiFi. Many thanks for setting up the MiFi for us Steve.

Catch ya later :Cool:

 

[canopus]

Just downloaded Tomtom Morocco on to my I Pad and Colin & Tina have just put me some additional MH POI's on - brill - many thanks Colin & Tina - now we will be able to get to where we need to be - the road map only goes so far. Let the sun shine in :Cool:

 

[TerryL]

Sitting in the pouring rain at Ocean Bleu at Mohammedia, the MiFi working well although not the greatest signal. By the time I got to the guy at the desk, he'd done so many that it took less than 3 minutes to complete the transaction! Plugged it in, had to change the APN but no problem and it worked straight away.




For everybody aiming for this place tomorrow, the instructions in the Aires book are out of date due to lots of redevelopment. To summarise, southbound on the R332 from Rabat after passing the Police Post, go straight across the roundabout (right turn is blocked off) and continue towards Mohammedia for about 500m. At the Sunset Beach hotel (not yet quite complete) turn right, there are 3ft square signs pointing down the road. At the bottom turn right onto a rough sandy track - it's ok for all us types - and continue 'til you see the site ahead. Turn in by the cafe and reception is there.

Northbound, watch for the signs where all the new hotels/apartments are being built. If you get to the roundabout you've passed it.

The site is quite full but the guy said he'd do his best to get us all in. Mike and Gwen led the others in just after us and had no problem.

Terry

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[tremaer]

Singing in the RAIN

Well, we have also been sitting in the rain all day!!! We are at Moulay B.
May catch up!!!
Raymond and Libby

 

[tonka]

No rain at Asilah since about 2pm... Quite nice now..
A coffee and sort wifi in the Champers van started at just after 11am...
That turned into nibbles and then drinks.!!!
At 6pm the ladies were in wigs, dancing on the car park and a bloody disco in progress..... Finally they have gone quiet..oh:

My wife has been returned, worse for wear and is now asleep at 6.30pm!!!

Looks like doing my own tea again....


Attn. Mohammedia mob.. Can you tell them 11 vans will be there at 2pm ish tomorrow.. :thumb::thumb: Make some room......

 

[AlanVal]

17 Funster vans left Algerciras yesterday..
Fast ferry (late) into Tangier Med...
All cleared and arrived into Asilah late afternoon. Lovely evening but rained in night and all this morning..
At 9am a hoard of internet hungry motorhomes invaded the Moroc Telecom shop and no one (shop staff) seemed to know what what was happening... Eventually we have got sim cards etc.. The 200dh 1 month deal does not seem to exist.. I have a 10 day access for 40dh...

Some of the group moved to Mohammedia, us and others staying at Ashilah for tonight...

Hi just bought a 100 dh internet sim lasts 1 month 400 mg a day. Got the first one at Asilah. A month ago.... Val.

 

[TerryL]

No rain at Asilah since about 2pm... Quite nice now..

Bloody typical - although it seems to have stopped here now.

Wilco 11 vans 2.00pm.

Looks like we'll be staying another night, don't know about the others.

Terry

PS - Passed a police check at Rabat - didn't stop us though.

 

[pinkie]

Pinkie, you are not saving up that toilet cassette again are you? Last time you did it it was in the cold of the UK, not the heat of the Morocco. I dread to think You might gas those poor filters working on your van!

Loving the updates on your adventure.

Ha ha!

Well after driving down from Scotland for 6 days before stopping at any site, I nearly gassed myself trying to empty it and dry-retched a few times, we won't talk about the way my back went - excrutiating pain right across it - trying to carry the bloody thing. People looked on but no one (even the men watching me struggle in pain) offered to help, and just laughed when I dry retched multiple times trying to empty the bloody thing!

What can you do???!!!!

Since then, I have tried to empty as much as possible, but since being at Essaouira on the car park and no facilities for emptying I have furnished some blokes with money for shoes and lots of Marlboro lights for emptying the thing for me a couple of times. Since there is a disgusting leak into the shower tray, hence the stinky pinkie, the men at the garage are going to clean it out and solve the problem - hopefully!

Having looked at the paint job today - v. bad attention to detail and I am SO unhappy with them...............it is well deserved!

Fortunately another friend here drove past at the time and happens to be their neighbour, he gave them a good talking to, told them to sort it out properly in 2 days for me. So I am hopeful all will come good.

Definitely not giving them any more work, and the guy who took the measurements for the joinery and did the translation to the joiner..................... I wanted 3 open cabinets, slightly smaller than I have, overhead each side for storing clothes etc. approx. 180cm x 30 and ended up with 2 (what look like) cd racks 20cm x 60cm.

P****d off is an understatement!!!! I don't think the joiner was too happy either, I spent an hour with diagrams explaining what I wanted (paid £50 up front, half of the cost for materials) I ended up with 3 out of 4 units - Christ knows what happened to the other one, all were totally wrong. I started shouting at the guy (the measurer and translator not the joiner) and walked out in the end.

That went well then!!!!

Oh and for everyone else, we had a bit of rain here today, the first we've had, a local said 3 bad days of weather now.

Hopefully tomorrow will be more successful!

I shall be using my other friends tradesman from now on.

Pics to follow in 2 days, but I'm warning you all it is very blue, sort of duck egg! No one will miss me anyway!


I am going to see if my other new best friend will sort this out for me.

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[Malcolm Bolt]

The weather today has been dull but the clouds have now cleared at Taghazout - so we are probably in for a cold night - BBRRR. Tomorrows forecast is for lots of rain - nearly three centimeters. Methinks that tomorrow is a day to stay on or find hard standing. Following day - forecast is for much less rain, as it is for the day after that. :Sad::Sad::Sad: From Monday though it is sunshine all the way :thumb:.

This evening Mohammed told me that the guy I had been wary of was indeed here last year and in fact he and not Mohammed is the main man. My thoughts that the Arabs were muscling in on the Berbers turf were of course complete fantasy as there are no Berbers working here anyway.

No work for new washing machine today due to inclement weather. I know lots will be disappointed to hear that.

So
Food in fridge - Check
Screen cover on - Check
Bonnet skirt on - Check
Water filled - Check
Grey empty - Check
Bog empty - Check
Beer in fridge - Check
DVDs available - Check
Batteries charged - Check

Rainy day tomorrow - Sorted

 

[makems]

We had a fairly dull drive down to Mohammedia (dull as in uneventful). It rained all the way - sometimes lightly sometimes it was torrential.
Well actually it wasn't entirely uneventful on the Rabat ring road. There was an artic jackknifed after rear ending a car that seemed to have about 15 passengers. And Colin and Andy had their vans attacked by some nutter throwing bottles full of something unknown at then. Andy has a big dent in the hab door, Colin's van is undamaged but the culprit has brown trousers after Colin stopped, reversed and went after him with a hockey stick. The Moroccan was a bit too quick though.
We were a bit worried about getting along the rough track by the beach to Ocean Bleu but Gwen did her usual and gunned it through no problem. Good job no one was coming the other way as she wasn't going to stop!
It was a bit tight getting through the entrance (we had to turn one of the signs sideways to make room) and then we nearly got stuck in the mud on site (we left quite a furrow where the wheels were spinning).
The advance party are planning to push on to Marrakech tomorrow and Tagazhoute the day after. Unless of course we get a lot more rain overnight in which case we will be stuck here in the mud until it dries out a bit.
This hard packed sand is fine when it's dry but when it's wet it's as slippery as he'll and difficult even to walk on never mind drive a front wheel drive Motorhome on.

 

[Kiwi Coss]

Just a word of warning we had a guy standing on the side of the road just before Rabat (I think) and threw a plastic bottle, filled with something, and reasonbly heavy at our van. Lucky for us it hit at the top of the windscreen and on the far side and did no damage. Van in front (Andrew and Debbie) had same done to them and got dents in their door. I stopped and backed up to polietly talk to him, and explain the error of his ways in a mannor he would understand and remember, if you get my drift. but he hot footed it across the field. so keep a watch out for him as Makems and Stevebill said he had a bag of missiles ready to throw.

 

[Kiwi Coss]

PS
Hockey stick can be safely stored away again till next it is needed.

 

[SilverF1]

Weather is definitely wet for the next couple of days at Sidi Ifni and to the north. 17mm forecast here Friday night/Saturday morning, brightening up from Sunday.

For those not used to driving here, the red octagonal sign, in Arabic, is a Stop sign and not a Give Way. Most locals ignore these unless the police are about. On the subject of police, there are road checkpoints in/out of most larger places and the vast majority of time you will be waved through. At one we were stopped and asked if we were tourists. You also have old fashioned radar traps on tripods, even saw one in the central reservation of the motorway, near Larache, on the way down.

We've been here since 20/11/2013 and we have used one local 12kgs gas cylinder, via a barbecue point, and most of one 13kgs Gaslow cylinder. The other gaslow is full. We've been in the High Atlas across to Merzouga and back via Ouarzarte and Zagora and over the Tizi nTichka pass to Marrakech. Had temperatures below freezing overnight at 6,000 foot level. (warm in the day). Hope this gives you some idea of usage. Much warmer overall on the western coast so the gas should last you out for 4/6 weeks if you have the 13kgs Gaslows fitted. Spent a few nights at New Year on Taghazout beach.

If you fancy wildcamping near Tan Tan, go through heading toward Tan Tan Plage (El Ouatia) and about 6k out, turn right at the complex on the right and keep going until you reach the end of the road. N28.67643 W11.12289. Overlooks the Draa estuary.

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[andeb]

:Angry::Angry::Angry::Angry:

This nutter who threw the bottle at us yesterday was stood at the rh side of the road on the long steep hill into Rabat. He obviously takes advantage of the fact the MH's are going at a much slower speed and therefore an easier target. I did notice that he was carrying a bag which looked like it was filled with more ammunition

Grateful if he is seen or recognised by those following you could do the world a favour and drive over him ....

 

[Snowbird]

:Angry::Angry::Angry::Angry:

This nutter who threw the bottle at us yesterday was stood at the rh side of the road on the long steep hill into Rabat. He obviously takes advantage of the fact the MH's are going at a much slower speed and therefore an easier target. I did notice that he was carrying a bag which looked like it was filled with more ammunition

Grateful if he is seen or recognised by those following you could do the world a favour and drive over him ....

A quick word with local plod will stop his little game immediately, before someone is seriously hurt. Anyone causing tourists trouble is not looked on favourably.

 

[tonka]

I will advise the back end group to be aware and have cameras ready for the nutter... Hope to leave Asilah at 10am... little light rain at dawn but now going sunny. :thumb:

 

[Carol]

Testing

 

[Snowbird]

Testing

Its working :thumb:

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[Carol]

This is the third time of trying, did posts and got kicked out here goes.
Broke camp at Asilah at 7am, last night we had a brilliant evening with a young English speaking guide seen and learned things we would never had seen or known. Had a good nights sleep with the Alantic ocean lulling us to sleep outside our window. Woke handy and decided to get on the road to Marrakesh,
First half hour lots of heavy rain but not to bad now.
On the motorway uo to now we have had lots of people, a taxi pulling up to pick passengers with no warning and two chickens crossing the road in front of us.

Thank you advance party for the warning about the Rabbat nutter, hope to catch up at Marrakesh , good luck getting out of the mud.

Internet excellent done this travelling along.

 

[Carol]

Now I know it's working quick update, hope Andrew & Steve found our message and the weather is brighting up now.

 

[SUGGY]

We are still in le relaise , weather overcast 12c cool wind from the west ,:Sad: brrrrrr

Think we will stay until the weather picks up on the coast , we have been on sandy pitches before in the rain ....

 

[Freespirit1]

Ouarzazate and Many thanks to all at Taghazout

Was good to meet all you funsters at Taghazout over the last 2 days and put faces to the names and especially my long chats with Barry & Sue in the Burstner Argos ( not sure of your handle on here guys?)

My motorhome ( car lol) awaits us and we are now headed to Ouarzazate for a day or so before crossing High Atlas.

Will post more as we progress as requested Barry.

 

[Carol]

Hi Asilah,gang, we have cleared Rabat, no sign of the Nutter, lots and lots of police and mobile speed camera's along the road, around Rabat, OMG bus just gone past us going like hell with his engine uncovered and smoke pouring out, good adventure.

Sun out now near Casablanca .

I

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