Morocco 2013

[SUGGY]

More Views of Morocco

Photos ,

View going up Gorge of Dades .

Where we had to tun round as it was too narrow to continue , if you look at top right you can see a white mark , that is a white Mercedes van , it give an idea how high the road is .

On the way back down .

Camels on the roadside on the way to Erd Chebbi .

View over a Palmeraie on the road side .

 

[Carol]

If you going in a 4 x 4 into the desert do take some dirums with you and not just notes, and if you have any pens because you will come across some of the poorest but nice people living in the hardest conditions, and a little means a lot to them. An amazing experience. Enjoy.

 

[bryandh]

Fabulous pictures Suggy, we do envy you . Keep up the good work and keep on with the pics.... best wishes to Rosie


Regards, Bryan (& Anna)

 

[alfandM]

Thank you for sharing those great photos,it looks a most enjoyable trip for you, enjoy the rest of your travels:thumb:

 

[Theonlysue]

Nearly 46,000 hits

Who are these people? :Cool:

S

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[Philcott]

Nearly 46,000 hits

Who are these people? :Cool:

S

Just us checking to see if there's a new story to read!
Lovely pics suggy

 

[Bluemerle]

Nearly 46,000 hits

Who are these people? :Cool:

S

I am one of these people, followed the thread every day right from the begining. I LOVE IT.

 

[Carol]

Nearly 46,000 hits

Who are these people? :Cool:

S

Sue they are people like you and me who want to explore the wonderful sights that Morocco has to offer, but want a bit of reassurance that a thread like this gives, also some great tales on here from you and your traveling companions :thumb: be good to see how many of us takes the plunge next year, I am keeping my fingers crossed that Snowbird will give it a go again next January.

Keep your posts comeing from Spain, good to know you are doing well.

 

[veevee]

Will there be a photo competition for Morocco 2013, I've already chosen mine!

 

[Malcolm Bolt]

Graham and Rosie you have put us all to shame. I could not have attempted to go on some of those roads and as for the rest they will have to wait for next year. The pics are fantastic. :thumb::thumb::thumb:

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[Peter & Elaine]

I just can't wait roll Xmas lets get going
Wana go NOW sod work money kids the universe everything go now now

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Sorry guys went of on one again
Fantastic pics keep em coming live the dream

 

[GAUDIE]

Maroc telecom is great we have fond memories of streaming football in the Sahara desert with nobody around for miles!

More info on it here if it's of interest:
www.europebycamper.com/2012/01/morocco-3g-internet-dongle-maroc.html

Hi
Really interesting that you can do the above.
Can you describe in detail, for a limited knowledge person, exactly how you do this please?
Much appreciation in anticipation.
Gaudie

 

[GAUDIE]

I have a dongle for my PC which costs 200Dh for one month (£16)
I also have a local sim for my iphone which costs 100Dh for one month.
Both have unlimited internet.
3G seems to be widely available and reasonably fast although as Steve says speed drops off in the afternoon when I think all the French motorhomers are using it. They all seem to have satellite dishes and are presumably watching the French equivalent of Corrie and Eastenders in the evening.

Hi Mike & Gwen
You probably know by now I am not too au fait with MFN but just wanted to know what the situation is with your MH ie Are you mobile yet?

I am currently in an Oasis Campsite nr Guelmim, remote and fascinating. Eating Moroccan food with the owners of the site, so personal and intriguing.

If you want to reply, can you e mail me please at gordonj@madasafish.com, it's easier for me.

Best wishes.

Gordon

 

[SUGGY]

Erg Chebbi / Hotel Tombouctou

We have been here 3 nights now ,the views are amazing and it is sooo peacefull , We walked up the dunes and just sat for around 30 mins , you could see and hear the sand moving .....
and the Camels calling about 2 miles away ,

We are parked up in the Hotel Tombouctou grounds , it is around 1,000 Dirhams a night in the Hotel but only 50 Dirhams per night inc Electric for a camping car ...Bargain :thumb:

The place is beautifull , Rosie and I went for a Hammam in the Hotel spa area , The young female attendant gave us both a good scubbing down ,

We went for the Buffet last night 150D each , fantastic food and an amazing choice , we ate till we nearly burst oh:

Going to stay here tomorrow as it is going to be hot and sunny ,so we are going to have a day by the pool:Cool:

http://www.booking.com/hotel/ma/tombouctou.en.html

Photo's
This one is for Chris :thumb:
Hotel Entrance
View from the roof Terrace
Rosie surveying the pool
Camels on Guard at the Hotel Entrance

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[SUGGY]

Erg Chebbi / Desert shots

we'll park here and walk to the sea
Rosie that's a Camel Dung Beetle
well there were Tourist's on them when i set off .oh:
Mustafagasbottle
Sunset :thumb:

 

[algill]

Brilliant photo's Suggy. :thumb:

I've been following the thread with envy. You must be having an amazing time.

Gill

 

[makems]

Suggy - what have the roads been like down there?
We are at Tafraoute at the moment and heading for Taroudant tomorrow - is that the route you took? If so which way did you go - the direct route on the minor roads or back almost as far as Inezgane and then the motorway?
Although the van seems to be behaving itself at the moment I'm just a bit nervous and don't want to push it any harder than necessary.
Having said that Michael Schumacher (aka Gwen) thoroughly enjoyed driving up and down the mountain passes today. She managed to overtake all the trucks and kept up with the locals in their 4x4 pickups. A couple of locals coming the other way got a fright as she doesn't take any prisoners on the narrow sections - Some of them probably assume MH owners are chicken and will just pull right over.
Not Gwen.
She'll put one wheel on the hard shoulder like you're supposed to but Half the tarmac is HERS!

 

[makems]

We walked into Tafroute this afternoon and on our way back as the weekly market was closing down we came across this chap.
He had just wrestled this live sheep into his wheelbarrow so he could take her home (I'm assuming it's a she, he wouldn't want a relationship with a tup would he?)
Anyway looks like a good opportunity for a caption competition.
Any ideas Funsters?

 

[SUGGY]

Hi,
Where are you heading ? .

From Tafaroute we went to Taliouine (the road is OK just odd bits are a bit rough) , then to Quarzazate , turning left at Tazenakht but you can turn right and go to Agdz .then either go right to Zagora or left up to Quarzazate ,

The road to Agdz is a bit bumpy with potholes in sections , others have said it is OK just take it steady .
GnR

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[makems]

On our way to Tafroute we stopped at a local market in Tighmi.
When I say a local market I mean local - Gwen and I were the only tourists there.
We managed to get a few photos:
1. You think the straw bale trucks are overloade in the UK? Think again!
2. A stall selling fried fish which is then coated in salt and cumin. It's delicious. When asked if we could take his photo he said yes - if Gwen was in it too!
3. A rather handsome veg seller let us take his picture. 4. A lot of the vendors just spread their wares on the ground
5. They can make all sorts out of old tyres!

 

[makems]

On the road to Tafraoute there is a hotel right at the top of a mountain pass. We stopped and toke a few photos:

1. It's quite a height above the village in the valley
2. The view is stunning despite the cloudy weather
3. We spotted a couple of shepherds. Ones was watching his flock
4. While his mate was having fun practicing with his slingshot

 

[makems]

On arrival at Tafroute we parked up at the free camping just next to the Trois Palmieres campsite. 10Dh to the Guardian - less than a quid!
1. The Bolts' van and ours
2. A view in the opposite direction.

 

[tonka]

Enjoy Tafaroute...:thumb: we did..
Find the restuarant with the berber tent and if the polite coloured gentleman is there ask if he remembers us from our musical evening..

Say to him. "roar roar blow blow".

 

[makems]

We left Tafroute early this morning (well 9:15 is early for us!) and made the long haul to Taliouine.
As Suggy said a few posts back the road is not too bad. The first 15 miles are the single tarmac strip with the gravel hard shoulder. the rest proper 2 lane road.
There are a few ropy sections where you have to watch out for the potholes some of which would swallow a Smartcar whole. Where the edge of the road has been washed away by rain/floods it is usually clearly marked by a couple of stones stood on top of each other. Perhaps the UK could ship a few thousand road cones to Morocco!
WE stopped several times to take photos as some of the scenery is really beautiful - it reminded us in some parts of Arizona. A really nice stop for lunch by the side of a dried up river bed. We were entertained by a herd of goats on the mountainside and by a few locals on the donkeys the oither side of the river bed. LOvely goat tajine - yum!
WE arrived on site at Taliouine only minutes before Malcolm and Cathryn although yhey hadn't stopped for lunch - they had driven 6.5 hoiurs solid. Although about 1 hour of that wa sin the wrong direction!
As we were alkl tired we treated ourselves to a Hamam followed by the most delicious tajine yet - tajine Kafta. This is meatballs in a tomato sauce with fried eggs on top. WE took our own wine to the restaurant.
No time yet to go through the photos of the last couple of days but maybe there will be some tomorrow.

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[makems]

Suggy where are you now?
I think we're heading in your direction - Agdz tomorrow and Zagora on Sunday.

 

[Malcolm Bolt]

Emily sometimes just needs a good slap.

Emily did not have a very good day today. :Sad: She took us out of Tafraout in a southerly direction but her display said we were heading North. Emily does that sometimes, for no apparent reason she decides to have a duvet day and leaves us reliant on other forms of direction decision making. Yeah lets here it for good old maps. :thumb:

I have a copy of the Michelin Morocco National 742. Last night I set our destination in the sat-nav and checked the direction instructions with the map. Bang on Emily. By following her on screen instructions I could match up with the map and was happy that she would take us to Taliouine.

Today Makems left and we set off 15 mins later. We filled up with fuel and drove off following Emily's 'please drive to highlighted route' 'in half a mile turn left' 'in four and a half miles turn left' 'recalculating' Why is it when she says that, even though her voice does not change I know full well that she is being facetious? We drove for a while knowing quite well that it was the wrong direction (well either that or the sun got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning). I was looking for a sign post that would tell me which road I was actually on.

No luck. We did find the said sign but the number it gave was not on my Michelin and Emily had obviously never heard of it as she had reverted to 'please drive to highlighted route' and her visual display showed that far from driving on a dam fine Moroccan highway I was in fact in the middle of a field.

Nothing else for it, drove back to town, slowed down to less than walking pace in the traffic (that's donkeys, bicycles, mopeds and pedestrians), refused two very polite pleas to attend an exhibition and turned right. The road got better, well wider, and I stopped. The sun was in the right place but I still needed reassurance so stopped next to three motorhomes covered in newspaper being readied for spray jobs. Map in hand I approached - said 'Tal -ou-een' and pointed in the direction I was going. An immediate 'Oui monsieur' and we were on our way just one hour and twenty minutes after we had set off the first time.

After a short way we started to climb. Not bad at first. 3rd gear was performing well and the scenery was stunning. Sharp bend that one, down into second and accelerate away up the hill. Not bloody likely. It was half a mile before I changed gear and that was into 1st at another sharp bend. Never mind the scenery was still nice. Then some Moroccan bourgeois bugger had no doubt thought it would be absolutely hilarious to put up a sign to show there was a steep hill ahead. Smart arse. :Angry:

The road wasn't that bad really but our old boneshaker is a lady of leisure and unless you want to repack every shelf and cupboard you do need to ease off on rough roads.

On reaching every summit one is tempted to say that's the hard part over with let's go, but no. Stopping over runs on sharp bends, being ever fearful of brake failure when fully loaded, and avoiding those delightful little children who try to hold you up for bonbons by standing in the middle of the road with their hands raised means descents need to be controlled, so low gears are engaged and the average slow speed maintained.

All in all a very pretty route through very varied landscapes,rock formations that don't seem to be possible, dry mountain sides punctuated with tiny luscious valley floors, with fields the size of small allotment gardens where on 1st March wheat is already well over a foot tall, apparently affluent towns, obviously poverty stuck villages, places where all clothing is dowdy and others where clothing is bright and sparkling and very pretty.

A great day but a long drive nevertheless.

It was good to arrive to a welcome cuppa from the Makems and soon be told about the site. Hammam and restaurant - you've just got to do it. Tell you later

 

[Peter & Elaine]

Broken Link Removed

Are these guys with you lot then

 

[Malcolm Bolt]

View attachment 16904

Are these guys with you lot then

Had not noticed last night but I see they are lying in full sun this morning.

 

[Malcolm Bolt]

One for the girls

Cathryn's story....

As Malcolm has already told you we didn't have a great start to our journey to Taliouine but I wish to reassure you all that no Moroccan children were harmed during the day


Well on our arrival at the campsite not only were we greeted with a longed for cuppa by the Makems, but also the news that they had a Hammam at the site. I had been longing to experience one ever since Malcolm had experienced it at El Jadida but being a bit of a wimp hadn't tried it yet on my own so as soon as Gwen mentioned it I was in!

Gwen and I were booked for 5. 30 and we were told to take only our towels so we turned up towels under our arms. Now when Gwen booked us in she had been quite explicit and firm(some of you will know Gwen ) that it was NOT to be a man but a woman, so when we arrived and a man led us in we did momentarily feel a little bit uneasy. However he was quite certain that the lady would be with us soon. He showed us where to hang our clothes and indicated that only our knickers were to be worn! He left and Gwen and I undressed down to our M and S best.

We found 2 little plastic toddler steps and walked through the door into the Hamman deciding to sit upon these and wait.

To best describe the room I would say it was about 2.5 mtrs by 3.5mtrs decorated in an array of beautiful ceramic tiles various colours. Up on one wall were what looked like 8 large pieces of wallpaper that had been hung as though samples. Gwen quickly noted that one had been hung upside down!,

The room was gorgeously warm, our feet (and every thing else) were proper toasty mainly due to the furnace that was burning below the room.

Well imagine the scene , 2 grown women who to be fair have only known each other for a couple of weeks , were now sitting in our knickers on 2 toddler steps in a small room waiting ! I turned to Gwen " I do hope I don't get a fit of the giggles!"
Gwen " don't you dare , cos if I start I can't stop"
Just then a beautiful dark face popped into the door " Bonjour Madames" then popped out again.

Within moments the loveliest dark skinned , slim young women came in and gave us both the traditional bisoux.( kiss kiss kiss)

The young women then ripped off the wall 4 of the " wall paper samples" which were actually plastic mats and directed Gwen and I to lay on 2 each.

She then put a pot next to Gwen opened it and pointed at it and demonstrated to Gwen to start rubbing it on herself. I thought at that point oh ! It's a do it yourself job But no no she then started on me rubbing this sticky brown soap all over me. All OVER ME ! :Blush:
Once I was suitably covered she then put on a scratchy mitt and rubbed and scrubbed everywhere she had put the soap. My skin was coming off in layers - masses of it. I was turning pink as she rubbed and scrubbed, turning me over on my side, on my back then making me stand up so she could reach each square centimetre of my skin. When she was satisfied that she had scratched all the top surface of my skin off she then sloshed me down with hot water.

I was then moved over as she did the same to Gwen, after the sloshing down she then soaped up a flannel and washed Gwen all over , followed by washing her hair, a quick rinse over with more hot water and Gwen left to get dressed.

She then started on me again ( I must have been VERY dirty:Blush all through this our knickers had been shuffled about by our lady, we had certainly never had such shiny cheeks before!!!! But suddenly mine were almost dispensed with! And I think the only place that flannel did not reach was where my daughter amusingly calls her " fu fu " !!!!

My flannel wash over, she washed my hair , rinsed me all over with lashings of hot water and I was done!:thumb:

We retuned to our own campers positively sparkling and later the Bolts and the Makems all met for a lovely tagine at the campsite restaurant . Between mouthfuls and laughs of our Hammam experience we all couldn't stop yawning . Not only were we perfectly clean but also wonderfully relaxed! Helped maybe a little by the glass or two of wine with our meal.

The end of yet another amazing day in Morocco .

Roll on the next Hammam .... Are you coming Gwen?

Cathryn Bolt ( Malcolm Bolts' Mrs)

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