Thursday 26 March 2015

The Only Way Is Up


21st March


Today was a mooching day as we like to call it, it’s Saturday, “sports day” and there was plenty of it with footy and rugby. Earlier on I was getting minute by minute tikatape commentary on the internet of the Wales v Italy game, and although it was about 4mins behind my brother was keeping me posted and up to date on WhatsApp, Wales romped to a great win to set the bar for the other teams to follow, unfortunately the perennial whipping boys Scotland did not turn up, leaving Ireland to set the target for England. Unfortunately for England they did not have enough in the tank to overcome Irelands target and Ireland took the spoils, what a great finale to the 6 nations.
Better news later, as the font of football knowledge Lawro had us down for a loss to Villa and once again the muppet was wrong!!
We took Max out into the desert for a stroll, it truly is an amazing place. The dunes change colour from bright yellow to red/orange and deep purples depending on the time of day and cloud shadows etc, Max also had an altercation with a few dung beetles which was funny to watch.


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We saw many of these wells in the desert

We have decided to move on tomorrow, it has been cloudy the last few days, hopefully we will find them clear blue skies soon. So we looked at plan B going East over to a place called Figuig 2km from the Algerian border, but although it looks ok on our map, the N10 actually runs through a part of Algeria and now that the borders are closed it is impossible to go this route without a 4x4, so we decided to revert back to plan A, north to Meknes/Fes. We ordered a meal from the restaurant meat brochettes with chips etc, the meat was quite tough, possibly Camel or Goat, chip butties were excellent though
Note: You may remember I mentioned a French chap last week, whose dog had passed away?  His name was Alain Giletti, he had a very successful skating career 


22nd March


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One last stroll into the desert, once  again we said our farewells to Ken Lynda and Dave, they are following a similar route to ourselves, so no doubt we will catch up again soon, and also a few people we had met on site, we were on our way.
We are heading for a place called Kasbah Jurassique a few km past the town of  Ar- Rachidia, we passed the Ziz palmeraies along the way and stopped at Source Bleue de Meski, a natural spring that flows into a swimming pool, it is overlooked by the deserted Ksar Meski

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The remains of Ksar Meski

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Lunch over we headed on, we passed a series of dams including the Barrage Hassan Adakhil,

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Barrage Hassan Adakhil,

To Kasbah Jurassique

We arrived at the site, there was only a couple in their Landrover  here, we could pick where we wanted, a few hours later a French convoy of 15 or more pulled in 32°09'12.0"N 4°22'28.6"W 50dir p/n
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Before and after the French invasion
 
The site is in the Ziz valley, we are over shadowed by the outskirts of the high atlas mountains,  the river runs along the campsite, it’s peaceful.

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Although we have a telecom mast 50m away I have no internet?
 
I bought a fresh chicken in Merzouga yesterday, the insides were still attached and so was the neck!! We are having a roast dinner today with all the trimmings, we have had chicken quite a lot here, but we normally Piri Piri/Spice it and have it with salad, but today I’m all Tagine’d out,  and need a proper Sunday roast, we take it for granted back home and Sam excelled our first roast since Xmas.


23rd March


The convoy of French pulled out early as did the Landrover couple, we are alone. We took a stroll down the river before we head out, Max was off the lead and spotted a donkey in the field, I shouted at him to stop as he bounded through the rough shrub, he was not stopping, we have been here before!! I took off after him and then could see that the donkey looked non-plussed, there was no Jack Russell biting at his feet? I shouted for Max, nothing? then I saw his head bobbing against the strong current and loosing the battle. He had fallen into an open culvert that split the field, he was doing his best to fight against the flow but was being taken down stream, the bank was to steep and he was getting pushed under! I ran down a little and lied on my stomach, I was able to catch him by his harness as he was passing by, and scooped him out, you could see he was a bit shaken and shocked, as he shook himself down soaking us in the process. My clothes I had on were full of mud and went straight into the laundry basket when we returned, cheers Max..

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The Ziz River

We left before midday to go to Midelt, as we drove along you could still see snow on the mountain peaks.

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We entered Midelt which is a very modern town by Moroccan standards and then onto our stop for the day Ksar Timnay Hotel 20km up the road,   
32°45'06.1"N 4°55'08.3"W.  A very nice modern campsite, European standard facilities 110dir p/n inc leccy, with good wifi.

To Ksar Timnay

No sooner have we settled in a British van pulls along side ours, I recognise the plates it’s Gordon’s van, what’s the odds of that?

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Another empty pool, not seen one open yet

We sat around and caught up over a cup of tea, as to where we had both been since Tafraoute, we will have a drink later,  and did we ever!!

24th March
This morning after saying cheerio to Gordon, “he is stopping another day” I mention to him that there are a few flakes of snow in the air, he says earlier on it was heavier!  It is decidedly colder, so much so we are both wearing jeans and socks for the first time since early January. We set sail for Azrou, to Euro Camping 33°26'41.0"N 5°11'30.5"W it’s 100km away, straight up the N13. There is a cedar forest at Azrou in the Middle Atlas, It is home to roughly 75% of the worlds population of Barbary Macaques. We plan to visit them.

To Azrou
Our intended route
 
To El-Hajeb
Our final route!
 
Midelt is on a plateau,  and shortly after leaving we start to climb the Mid Atlas, the snow flurries get more frequent as we climb around the twisting road, we keep climbing, we are now in the thick of those snow capped mountains we could see earlier, the snow is thick on the side of the road, and shortly after on the road.
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We saw our first snowplough of the day, flashing amber lights coming towards us, shooting grit behind it. I mention to Sam that the snow is getting heavier, a big understatement. as we climbed the road it became more treacherous, snow was now sticking fast, we turned a bend to see an accident had happened up ahead, the police were on the scene a car was on it’s side along with a coach on it’s side, there were about 30 people on the roadside  “they must have been freezing” the car had a blanket thrown over the front of it?. We passed the accident, it made me think about our ourselves driving this 3.5t front wheel drive sledge down the mountain. We started to descend a while later and we entered the town of Timahdite 1800m ASL, there was a line of  traffic going nowhere. The Gendarme had stopped the traffic from going any further due to the blizzard now engulfing us , so we parked up behind and waited. Soon after we were approached by two Moroccan lads, they were wet and cold, they had been in the coach earlier, and hitched a ride down, they told me the driver of the car was killed outright and there were a few on the coach that had injuries, I tell them to jump in to warm up, they are so grateful  to us.
The lads names are Ali and Eshan, Ali is going to Rabat, Eshan is going to Azrou to play at a wedding, he is a drummer in a band. They tell me the people on the coach threw the blanket over the windscreen of the car, and that the drivers head was smashed and was killed on impact. Ethan had a gash to his forehead and I gave Ali our first aid kit to put a bandage on his head, they seem quite calm considering their earlier plight. Ali spoke good English Ethan spoke none but I tell them I will drop them off in Azrou, I made them a sandwich and we sit and wait. We waited there for over an hour, then a coach turns up, a relief coach, they jump out and thanked us, shaking my hand vigorously. 
All this time the snow has been gusting and we can't see out of Sam’s window, then the traffic started turning around and going past us, the Gendarme tell us the road is closed and we have to go via Almis-du-Guigou and then to Ifrane before we can get to Azrou, Sam asks if the road is ok for a camper,  he nods and says tres bon. We follow the traffic hoping they’re going our way and quickly reset the satnav to Ifrane. The road is good as we appear to descend the snow is getting thinner on the ground, but further along as we enter Ifrane its Xmas postcard time again, Ifrane is a very nice town the buildings are straight out of Switzerland, nothing like a Moroccan town, it’s a ski resort. We come across a snow barrier it is closed and the vehicles are directed another way. Vehicles are sliding on the surface, lorries are trying to turn around it does not look good, I loose traction a few times, as my heart enters my mouth. We follow the traffic and again we are stopped at a barrier, the Gendarme are not letting anyone go further. There is a queue behind and then a knock on the window it is Ali, he has spotted us and came to say hello and again thank us for our hospitality earlier, his coach is behind us, after all he has been through he is still in good spirit.
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A lull in the snow fall is an opportune time for Max to stretch his legs
 
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The houses of Ifrane are so different,
 
The time is now dragging and it’s getting dark, I say maybe we should try and find a side street and stop the night here, the snow does not seem to be abating. We are told we are waiting for a snowplough to clear the road then we can leave, and sometime later I see the amber flashing lights and the plough approach. We are off, squeaky bum time as they say, we are close to the front of the queue, so we follow like lambs to the slaughter, they stop the traffic about 12 vehicles after us, I think we are lucky. The road is shocking we see many cars on their sides, and an army lorry that was about 8 vehicles in front of us is now in a ditch, I mutter to Sam that maybe we should have stopped in Ifrane, but it is too late now, maybe we weren't so lucky after all, I descend the mountain in 2nd gear, don’t use the brakes I tell myself, and keep plenty of distance from the car in front, I also have my warning lights flashing for good measure. We follow the stream of traffic down the winding road; “gingerly”. Fortunately my god was with me “Inshallah” and we make it down to the next barrier there are about 60 vehicles or more waiting to go up!!
 
We entered a large town called El Hajeb, it’s taken over two hours to go 23km from Ifrane, it’s pitch dark and we have been travelling for 9hrs. There are no campsites we are aware of, so we park behind a group of lorries on the side of the road in the busy part of the town under a streetlight. No sooner have we stopped a chap in a jelabah knocks the door asking are we sleeping here, we reply yes if it’s ok, and he says 10dir, he is the guardian?  Not wishing to doubt him we pay, we just need to have a bite to eat and sleep. We reflect on todays events, a few days ago we were in the desert, and complaining because it was cloudy, what a difference in the weather it was now 2c.  I later mailed a few people from MHF who are coming the same direction, and told them the condition of the roads, and to seek advice before attempting the Mid Atlas.
 
25th March 
 
We woke early, we had slept well but now the town is coming to life. Kettle on we make a plan, Azrou is kicked into touch, who gives a monkeys we have seen enough snow, we head for the historic town of Meknes. We need to stock up with food and there is a Carrefour there and hopefully it sells beer, we are running short !Along the way we pass miles of vineyards, and olive groves, 
Meknes is a very modern city, even the road sweepers have  hi viz clothing, not your usual jelabah. the buildings are Hispano-Moorish style, We find the supermarket, but it does not sell alcohol. Food restocked we head 50km up the N13 to Volubulis the ancient roman ruins


 
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UNESCO World heritage site
 
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The Arch of Caracalla.
 
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Is this a communal crapper? It’s actually the baths fed from the aqueduct 
 
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A few of the many Mosaics.
 
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The Basiluca
 
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The Capitoline Temple
 
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Olive press
 
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This pillar came in handy for Storks to nest.
 
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They may have been good builders. But Sparkies they weren't
 
We were touted outside by many would be guides, but their lack of the English language was the deciding factor, non merci. It was well worth the visit, we traipsed about for two hours, and I took many photo’s along with video clips which I will upload soon. These Romans knew a thing or two about building and planning.
It was onto the campsite we would stay at tonight, a few km from Moulay Idris. Auberge Belle Vue 34°00'54.9"N 5°33'44.5"W. We are greeted by the owner a friendly chap, it’s 90dir p/n inc leccy no wifi, and I cant get a signal on our Mifi.  The site itself is clean and pretty although the toilets/showers are typical Moroccan standard.
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Another empty pool
 
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Restaurant area
 
There are a few vans here, French and Dutch, and I notice two British vans parked above us, they are not about, and we are too tired to seek them out.
I got a message from Ken, they are in the municipal campsite in Midelt, they were going to leave early today but have been told that the roads are closed, they are staying put for another day, Gordon will also have to sit it out at his campsite!
This evening we sat down to steak, new potatoes and green beans, my fav with lashings of Colemans.
 
 
26th March


This morning the owner comes by with a pot of gratis mint tea, we have been in Morocco nigh on 3 months and this is our first, it’s the national drink, but to be honest I’m a Tetley man.  Today we headed for Ouezzane to Motel Rif it’s 70km from here, we drive through some lush green countryside with rolling mountains, very much like the Cotswolds. We pass many Police stop points, but are waved through. We reach Ouezzane after a few Max breaks.

To Ouezzane

This is a nice place, 34°46'22.3"N 5°32'42.5"W. 50dir inc leccy but no wifi again!  Luckily our Mifi is working. The weather today is much brighter 18c in the shade and we find out the poor weather that has engulfed most of Morocco for the last week is making way for the sun to shine.

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A pool with water, the first in Morocco.
 
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The owner saves flags. No sign of the Welsh dragon?
The town is small with a few shops for essentials, there is a lake nearby, we will take Max there tomorrow. We will see what the weather forecast is for Chefchaouen for Saturday? If it’s good we will head there, if not we’ll make another plan, maybe over to the coast. Our time is running on in Morocco we have officially 11days, It has gone so quick, It’s been a blast! 
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While we have been here in Morocco, being a Muslim country there is a distinct lack of pork products. The big seller here and you see dozens of varieties of it, it’s luncheon meat, some plain some with pimento or olives, most are made from Turkey or Chicken, we are fed up with them, lets try the Camel.   

Friday 20 March 2015

East To Merzouga




14th March


We awoke with a severe hangover, we didn't feel like driving but we have to move on unfortunately.
Tafraoute has by far been the best place we have stayed, the scenery, the town everything about it is good, but we have to move on to see other parts of Morocco to use as a comparison. It is definitely a place we will return too and stay longer next time! So we said our farewells and made our way to Tata. The drive again was stunning and I took some video which when I get good Internet connection I will put on YouTube. We stopped on route at an Oasis for lunch, and enjoyed the the tranquillity and fantastic scenery.

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We then drove onto Tata 29°44'50.9"N 7°58'23.8"W. The campsite is in the centre of town,  80dir p/n inc leccy, It's ok as we only plan to stay one night then drive onto Foum Zguid.

To Tata
Tata is situated on the Sahara plain and not far from Algeria. It is another town with a high Army presence.

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Tata High Street


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Sam's dad Neil had mailed her to ask if we are alright, himself and Pauline are Saturday morning readers and was concerned because the blog had not been published,  once again our internet connection is poor and I was unable to upload photo's.  I have however been able to open a sports page to see Wales have beaten Ireland in the 6 nations, and England have limped to victory over Scotland, all to play for in the last game.

15th March


We set off for Foum Zguid,there is only one petrol station in Tata, and none on route, we eventually found it after driving around for some time.  There was a power outage at the petrol station, “power outages are quite common and frequent in Morocco” and the attendant had the front cover of the pump casing off, he took a reading from the internal flow meter, he then had to hand crank the pulley to fill me up,  we took turns on the crank as I noticed his arm was tiring, he then took another reading took out his pad, subtracted the readings on his calculator, multiplied that by the cost per litre and we were on our way! By this time there were several vehicles waiting and a lot of Arabic or possibly French! was being gesticulated by the irate drivers!  Patience I murmured to myself. 
The drive was pleasant, quite flat for miles with long stretches of straight road. We stopped at a waterfall at Tissint, about an hour out of Tata. “Casades du Atiq”

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We left and proceeded on our way, shortly after we were diverted onto a makeshift road to pass another bridge that did not stand up to the floods in November


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We arrived at Camping Kaima Park in Foum Zguid. 30°04'47.6"N 6°52'14.2"W  40dir p/n. situated as you enter the town.


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52 days to Timbuktoo
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Looks like the work of an early Billy Bridgend
There is only one other van here when we arrive, it’s a small site, we set up and check the place out. Later on a convoy of German travellers arrive on a guided tour, and the site became quite congested.


16th March


Our intention was to stop at Zagora. Our satnav does not recognise the new section of N12 between Foum Zguid and Zagora and it says it will be roughly 3hrs via the R111 and R108 and down, however I have been informed by Dave that the road is good and newly constructed, so we veer right as we leave Foum Zguid onto the N12, satnav now say 8hrs?  A  few km down I stop to help a motorcyclist that has a puncture, good deed done we carry on and after driving a few km off road “piste” on a section of unfinished N12 we are soon close to Zagora. We reset the satnav for Tazzerine to split what is a long drive from Zagora to Merzouga and head there.


To Tazzerine
We entered Zagora and found we were on the N12!! we had been informed that this section is definitely not finished, and we come across a sign saying the next 49km is Piste. We turned around reset the satnav to avoid this and were back into Zagora and onto the N9.


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The drive took us through miles and miles of Palm trees and the odd villages. There were plenty of date vendors selling along the road and again the scenery is superb.

Arriving at Tazzerine we found the site Camping Amasttou, it was a good job it was sign posted as my satnav did not recognise the area! 30°46'29.1"N 5°33'45.1"W


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We are the only van here, and have the place to ourselves. We ordered a meal for the evening and took Max for a walk, we walked a few hundred metres and turned into a side street, that led into other side streets and a short time later we tried to find our way back but were completely lost in the Kasbah. I took some  video at first but soon stopped. Max was attracting a lot of attention due to his unique looks and we had children following us, also many people were giving us a wide berth as Max approached, I don’t think he looks like an American Pit Bull?


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Get your bearings before you enter
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The work of a master builder
No plumb lines used here
I recalled seeing the Mosque and we tried to make our way to it, but the side streets are a maze and we found ourselves back where we were earlier! It would soon be getting dark if we did not find the route back. After a while we came across an area that seemed familiar when we first entered the labyrinth. I had noticed a wall which I had marvelled at the construction and we retracted our way back and were at base camp! The site is nice and peaceful, they have Berber tents for accommodation, but it would not be my cup of tea!


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The Snug/Smoke Room
That evening we enjoyed a meal in one of the palm huts, and then turned in for an early night
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The North Star


17th March


We headed out early, picked up the N12. Along the drive we saw lots of Berber tents in the fields with camels wandering.
Morocco is a fascinating place for scenery, one minute you are driving through rocky gorges. the next you are driving for endless miles of straight roads where you will hardly see any other traffic for ages, passing through remote villages along the way. It changes from lush green vegetation to Oasis and then Hamada, you see groups of men sitting at cafes whilst the women are toiling in the heat in the fields. “they have embraced equal rights long ago”

To Merzouga
We started to see the dunes of Erg Chebbi as we approached Rissani and into Merzouga. We see vendors selling camel milk. As we drove through the town I heard a shout, It was Ken in a cafe having a coffee with Lynda and Dave we stopped and had a quick chat then drove to the campsite to park up. 31°05'50.7"N 4°00'23.4"W


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Erg Chebbi in the distance
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Dave and Ken's van's parked to the left
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A few trekking off for the trip into the desert for the night
We are close to the  Erg Chebbi dunes, stopping at Camping Les Roches, 50dir p/n inc leccy also they have wifi in the courtyard  area. Merzouga is noted for it’s camel excursions into the desert  and they set off each evening from outside the campsite to stay at Bedouin tents. We had a few drinks with our friends that evening and Dave tells me that they tried to climb to the top of the highest dune but had failed a few days earlier! I tell them that a Welsh flag will fly from the top tomorrow,



18th March


Today I walked into the town with the guys to do some bits of shopping. Ken got himself fitted out with a traditional Berber outfit

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Ken in his Berber outfit

We stopped and had a coffee and they asked which way I was going to tackle the climb? I had noticed all the quad bikes and off road bikes were ascending from the side. they had tried the North face a few days earlier and said the sand was too soft near the top and failed, they could not do it on their hands and knees, and the sand was too hot. My plan was to take the longer route from the side.
I left later while it was a little cloudy and cool, an opportune time.  Dave said he would accompany me, as he wanted to save face on the MHF forum for failing, you remember he had done the surfboard at Tafraoute. So we left base along with Sam and Max to walk about 1500m to the bottom of the highest dune. It was hard walking over the dunes and about two thirds of the way Sam and Max had enough and turned around.

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Heading to Base Camp
We carried on and made steady headway before our first break of many, my boat shoes had filled with sand so decided to walk barefoot, further up we stopped and watched some dirt bikes descend. We kept plotting our stops  and looked back and two others were also attempting the climb, the sun was now out from behind the clouds and making the climb tougher, we did 30 metres at a time and then stopped for water and catch our breath, the sand was soft and hard to climb. With the other two now getting closer we upped the tempo and hit the summit.

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The first Welsh flag to fly from the summit
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Success on the 2nd attempt 
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Algeria in the background
It felt good, the view from the top you can see over to Algeria. I got my flags out for a photo shoot, I knew Dave would not want to miss out and had brought my RAF flag, he had been ribbed on the MHF forum for failing, now he had the bragging rights and photo as proof. We were joined shortly by a Dutch couple half our age!! he tells us he has climbed Mount Snowdon and it was easier?  We took some photo’s of them, and they did likewise.


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Admiring the views
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After admiring the views from the top for some time, we descended down the North face, the sand was much softer and I could see why they had failed, it was much harder than the route we triumphed, although shorter.


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You can see the Dutch couple at the top

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A Berber des res we came across on our return
Back at the campsite Sam told me Max had struggled on the way back and was stopping under any bushes for shelter, she even had to carry him as the sand was too hot for his pads.
A French chap who had arrived today, approached the van later and stroked Max, out of the blue he tells me his dog died two days ago! it was panting and panting then died. The dog was 14 and had been on many a journey with him, he showed me a picture and I could see tears welling in his eyes as he spoke, I said to him to go for a walk into the dunes and remember the good times. “I thought of Sam and Scrumpy and was close to tears also”  He composed himself as if embarrassed by his actions, and told me he was ok, he has buried his best pal over here in Morocco and will return to visit!  The chap is as fit as a fiddle,  in his mid 70’s, he is travelling in tow with a woman companion in 4x4 Toyota Land Cruisers, He has been to Mali, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Libya on previous trips obviously when times when it was a lot safer, and you did not have these extremist idiots running amok in the name of Allah!!  I felt for him.
Later in the evening Ken, Lynda and Dave ate a meal with them in the restaurant, he told them he was an ex ice skater/coach, and had met Torville and Dean and Robin Cousens in his time.
We ordered a meal from the restaurant, Harissa soup, Brochettes with chips and some fruit, and ate in the van, delish.  I slept like a log.


19th March


I felt tired today after yesterdays excursions. It is not as warm and it’s cloudy, maybe it has something to do with the eclipse tomorrow. I try out the new software for the blog, It seems easier fingers crossed. I also made a Moroccan bread pudding with dates figs and almonds and honey, I will try a piece on Sam in the morning! 


Some pics of the site

The wind picked up later in the afternoon and the sand was blowing everywhere, I had to peg the mat down for fear of loosing it, and blowing into the desert like a magic carpet.


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The wind was picking up
We will get up early tomorrow and walk into the dunes to look at the eclipse, Later tonight it would rain! In the desert!! We have not seen the wet stuff for so long?  And neither had Merzouga.




20th March


We got up to see the eclipse but the sun was so bright overhead we saw nothing?
We said goodbye to the French couple traveling in the Land Cruisers

Au Revoir

Not sure how well this Windows Live Writer pans out but here goes?

I have posted a few more video’s YouTube that are not hyperlinked for those Interested.