Fez to Marrakech

2 December 2006

A lie in till 8, absolute luxury! Quick trip to Internet Café and then into Fez for lunch and a walk round the Medina (Fez old town – 9400 twisting alleys and 350 mosques crammed into the walled city). Very different in daylight but still get lost time and again. We are taken to see one of the tanneries…. A steep climb up a winding staircase leads onto a rooftop and a view that almost feels biblical. The stench is incredible because much of the process uses animal excrement and body parts (by the vat full). We are all given a sprig of mint to counter the urge to wretch (and we came on a good day as it is relatively cool). Also taken for a view of the city (another staircase climb) but well worth it for the view. Starts to pour down so head off back to the campsite for dinner and a few drinks in the bar which is packed as there is a Moroccan band on. Great atmosphere and reassured that an entire nation can have as little rhythm as I have!

Fez

3 December 2006

Wake with a bladder the size of Barbados and end up getting up relatively early to help set breakfast up. A bit of a bombshell at breakfast as Dylan gets up to a note from Owen (our so called team leader) to say that he has left for London (various excuses in his note but the fact he has not had the backbone to let anyone know face to face speaks volumes). Luckily, we have plenty of people left on the trip who have been here before and, to be quite honest, possibly know more about travel in this part of the world than Owen did. Really galvanised the group who all took it in their stride, including Dylan who, as driver, has really been left in the lurch. Anyway, Overland Club are trying to find a replacement for Owen and in the meantime someone will help Dylan with navigation, organising Visas etc. Think we are all relishing the challenge which says a lot about the group. I am now tasked with sleeping on the truck at night, not a bad role as the bed is very comfy and I don’t have to set a tent up every night.

4 December 2006

We have a new man on the way. Stewart or Stuart, who wanted to lead this trip in the first place and is currently in Nairobi will fly to Casablanca via Dubai (slightly long way round) meeting us in Rabat on Wednesday (Monday today). Set off early for the Roman ruins at Volubilis, the

largest in Morocco. After travelling south for an hour we realise we are heading the wrong way and eventually head east reaching our destination just before lunch. Impressive ruins but not Fountains Abbey or Angkor Wat. Still it’s sunny and life is good. Four hour drive to Rabat, Morocco’s capital where, after a failed attempt to set up bush camp in the sand dunes of the Atlantic coastline we decide to head into town and use the camp site. Unfortunately I leave my wash bag and towel on the spare wheel after reorganising my locker. Miraculously my washbag is still there but the towel has long gone on the journey back into Rabat…… grrrr! Here in Rabat till Wednesday or Thursday as we have to get visas for Mali (get the Mauritania ones at the border).

Observations of Morocco so far…..

Possibly more donkeys than humans

Moroccans don’t yawn

You can buy a camel’s head for 5 Euros (not sure what you then do with it but it may be an idea for the Secret Santa as the financial limit is, rather coincidentally, 5 Euros)

Favourite attire is a Jabbala (pointy hooded cloak) as worn by the Sandmen and Alec Guinness as Obi Wan Kenobi in Star Wars

They like their flags

The King is a keen surfer and wears shades on all his photos

Only 10% of the people who visit Marrakesh ever choose to come back.

5 December 2006

A Grande taxi into Rabat (large clapped out Mercedes), a quick haircut from Halibdah, a geography and economics student from Marrakesh – a bargain at 30 Dirham (£1.80 ish). Much wider lanes than the hectic Medina of Fez and a lot more relaxed. Tour of the Casbah (walled residential area of the city) with great views of the Atlantic coastline. Trip to hypermarket for a football, bits and pieces for tea and to stock up on beer as it’s pretty much dry from here to Mali (2-3 weeks, several thousand kilometres and the Sahara desert).

The group has been split into 4 groups – Cooks, cooks helpers, cleaning and security. As team B, Linda, Cindy and I have been cooks helpers for the first week which involves getting up and helping with Breakfast (early starts as it takes ages to set up gas bottles, tables, various washing and disinfecting bowls, boiling water for flasks) and helping with Dinner (tea for us northern types). Anyway today is our last day as helpers as tomorrow we go onto cooking duties. Slightly daunted by the idea of cooking for 15 on a camp fire stove but luckily my incompetence was identified when the groups were organised and Cindy and Linda are both confident and capable.

6 December 2006

Dylan is taking the truck to Casablanca airport to pick or new team leader up so some of us have blagged a lift (not originally on the itinerary). Poured down in the night much to Alan’s surprise as he left his tent open and woke up in a small lake!

Casablanca the most western city in Morocco and the biggest. Not a great deal to see apart from the now standard Medina and the Grand Mosque (the second or third largest place of worship in the world depending which version of the Lonely Planet guide you read)^.

^{Costing $800 million dollars it was built 10 years ago and holds 25,000 and is most notable for the 200 metre minaret. Quite impressive really but the cost is pretty offensive when you see the conditions that the vast majority of the city live in. Back to Rabat on a train that smells of camels. The new man Stuart has arrived. Mid 40s from Melbourne so all cricket conversations are banned. Seems very well travelled and keen, which is perhaps the greatest attribute after Owen who quite clearly did not want to be here.}

7 December 2006

Up early to collect Visas form Mali Embassy…. Usual scenario with African embassies. You get there early and then sit around all day waiting for them to write a couple of words and stamp your passport. This time is put to good use though with Dylan, Robin and I trying to siphon diesel from the 600 litre reserve tank into the tank the truck runs off. Nothing like the taste of diesel in the morning….still nicer than petrol though (previous rather unpleasant experience from Tembe in South Africa). The Embassy fails in it’s commitment to complete the visas before 12 and with the discovery that we can get Mauratanian visas in Casablanca for 300 dirham (30 Euros) less than at the border. Despite having only just arrived, Stuart kindly agrees to stay behind and organise everything with the Mali and Mauritania embassies while we head on for Marrakesh. 5 hour drive not made any easier by many of the crew dropping like flies with some strange D & V bug. By the time we get to Marrakesh most of the van has taken to their beds. Still, it makes cooking easier and the few healthy ones amongst us stay up feeling fairly chuffed that we have not been stricken with the mysterious lurgy.

8 December 2006

Wake at 2 with a desperate need for the toilet and an urge to throw. Rest of the day in my tent. Cindy also been taken ill our so only 4 fit people left. Still, at least I get out of cooking tea. Was going to insert a photo of a tent with my feet sticking out of the bottom but never got round to it....

9 December 2006

Fit and well and off into to Marrakesh…….

Southern Morrocco and the Sahara await so may be a while before the next update.