Morocco - Part 1

A land of olive groves and sand

Arriving in Santander, we then had a pleasant drive through Spain, staying overnight in Salamanca, and onto Tarife the following day. We found a campsite conveniently close to Tarife and enquired about ferry schedules for the following day. We learned that the ferry that day to Africa had been cancelled due to the very high winds. Fortunately, overnight the winds died down slightly and we caught the 11am ferry to Tangier, Morocco. The crossing itself took only 35 minutes, and during this short period we met a couple from the UK called John and Bridgette. Having both been off-roading in North Africa many times they gave us the low down on the customs ‘formalities and oddities’ to expect upon arrival at Tangier. Their advice was well heeded. The customs was a shambles, although I am sure we will get much worse elsewhere on our trip. We were clear of customs in 2 hours and after purchasing car insurance we headed eastwards towards Chefchoen. We arrived at the campsite, which is up in the hills overlooking the town. After setting up camp and having dinner we headed down into town. The old part of town is great with small winding passageways hosting numerous small shops. Later that evening we learned that the heightened police activity we had noticed along the way was due to the arrival of the King of Morocco the following day. Not sure who his potential enemies are but the police turned out in large numbers.

After a pleasant night we decided to move on the next day, figuring it would get pretty hectic around this area when the King arrived. In hindsight we should have stayed a couple more days as Chefchoen is a nice place. We then drove southwards towards Meknes and planned to find a campsite along the way. The region is scenic and abounds with olive groves and wild flowers. Life around here appears to be relaxed and laid back. Pretty much what we are looking for. A couple of hours into the drive we came across a village called Ouazzane and decided to stop for lunch. This turned out to be quite fortuitous as the market was in full swing and we stocked up with some food items. Soon we were approached by a hotel worker who offered to show us around the old medina. We told him we didn’t have much time so it had to be no more than an hour. Again this turned out to be a good move as the old part of the town was very interesting and was well worth the detour.

We then carried on south towards Meknes and found a very conveniently located camp site centrally located between Meknes and Moulay Idriss, and the Roman ruins at Volubilis. The owner of the campsite is called Abdul and he is a friendly helpful person. The campsite is set in an old olive plantation and is full of bird life. The following day we headed to Meknes as it was market day. We also wanted to check out the campsite in Meknes, which we found was closed. We spent the day looking around the old city and palace before heading back to Abdul’s campsite.

The next day we went to the picturesque hill town of Moulay Idriss where Islam was introduced to Morocco. We wondered around for a while then tucked into another tasty Moroccan lunch. The food in Morocco is both delicious and healthy. After lunch we decided to walk to the Roman ruins at Volublis. The walk took 35 minutes and luckily the weather was cool. These ruins are well worth a visit and are screaming out for World Heritage status and the appropriate funding for renovation and reconstruction. There is so much to see there that one could spend hours roaming around. I was surprised that the numerous mosaics - open to all elements – are still in such good condition. Be warned that the car park attendant who will arrange a taxi for you is running quite a scam. If you have the energy then walk back to Moulay Idris and get a taxi. We didn’t, so ended up with a taxi that after negotiations directly with the taxi driver was reduced by over 50%. Later though, we found out from Abdul that the fare we negotiated was still way too much. We enjoyed our three nights at Abdul’s campsite, but it was time to move on so the next day we made our way towards Rabat to get our visas for Mauritania.

We heard there was a campsite near Rabat at a place called Sale le Pelage. However, upon arrival we could not see any sign of a campsite – open or closed! Thus we headed down the coast a few kilometres to Telage le plage and found a small hotel called Hotel Panoramic. Besides a secure car park, the hotel also had Wi-Fi so we were able to connect with family back home. The following day we headed to the Mauritanian embassy where we had to get help filling out the forms as they are in French. I wish I had taken languages more seriously when I was at school. Forms filled, we were told to come back at 3pm the same day to collect the visas. Great. We spent the next few hours looking around the old walled town and the Kasbah overlooking the harbour.

We picked up our visas at 3.30pm and headed back to the hotel. These big coastal cities though are not really my cup of tea so we were keen to head back east to the rural hinterland. The last night at the Hotel Panoramic was quite funny though, as the owner, who was completely drunk owner, decided to take over from the hired singer. I suppose it was his version of Moroccan karaoke....it wasn’t good.

The following morning it was time to head back east with Fes being our destination. Leaving Rabat, I got the first fine for a traffic offence – going through a not-too-obvious red light. After some good humoured banter with the policeman I managed to get the fine reduced from 400Dr to 200Dr. The bottom line here is that if you infringe the police will jump quickly and you will pay. It definitely pays to be very diligent when driving.

We arrived in Fes and eventually found our way to Campsite International. It is not that easy to find, but if you get lost then ask for the Sports Complex which is adjacent to the camp site. We arranged for a guide to take us around the old medina the following morning.

The Medina which was built in the 14^th century turned out to be every bit as good as we had heard from others. When you look down from above it looks completely dead and lifeless, but when you enter it is buzzing with activity. Throughout is a web of small alley ways connecting numerous mini souks with their specific artisanal trades. Wondering the alley ways one can observe much about the Moroccan way of life. There is so much to see that one day doesn’t really do it justice. Hence we decided to stay an extra couple of days.

We then headed southwards towards the Atlas Mountains, choosing to take a secondary road which went through some picturesque country side. Estimating travel times when taking such roads is difficult as they are typically not in good condition. However, if you have the time, they are worth taking as you get to see more. Our destination was a campsite outside Midelt called Hotel Timnay. It is sign posted well in advance of arrival so it is hard to miss. Midelt is the centre for minerals and fossils in Morocco. It is also the gateway to the famous Mbladen mine from where the world’s best Vanadinite specimens came from. We also wanted to visit Aouli which is an old ‘art-deco’ French lead mining town.

The track to Aouli is poor in parts as the river has eroded sections away. It will likely disappear altogether in a few years. These were the roughest roads we had yet driven on, however we expect much worse on our travels around Africa. The drive took a couple of hours through a gorgeous landscape of gorges with multi coloured faces and structures. A great place for a geologist to visit. Aouli itself is striking as it is now a ghost town. It stretches along a river and one wonders how difficult it must have been to build this in such a remote and challenging place. The only people we saw were selling minerals and fossils, which they undoubtedly scavenged from the old mine dumps and workings.

The following day we drove south west towards Benni Mellal and then onwards and upwards to Ouuzoud, where one of Africa’s highest waterfalls is located. The climb up into the mountains to Ouuzoud takes at least an hour and is simply stunning. You see swathes of wild flowers, picturesque villages and shades of green that gleam. This is probably the nicest scenery we have seen so far in Morocco.

We camped at the Hotel France which is conveniently located for the village and the falls. The following day we hiked along the river through shady olive groves to the source of the falls. We then went to the falls which was crowded with Moroccan teenagers who had just broken up for holidays. They had a party going full swing – Moroccan style. Ouuzoud is well worth a visit.

The next day we left camp and drove to Cathedral Roche which was further up into the Atlas Mountains. The drive took about 4 hours, much of it upwards. . The Roche or Rocks were so-so but the drive to them was scenic. There are no camp sites up here and there are also few places to pull off the road and wild camp. We marked a couple of potential spots on our way up and so pulled off on one of them and set up camp. Soon a young Berber boy appeared and we offered him some of our dinner. He accepted, but didn’t finish his food and then departed. Shortly after we were visited by his family who were extremely friendly and offered us tagine and couscous. They probably heard from their son that our food was not that good and felt sorry for us !. We were amazed by the hospitality of the Berber people in the mountains and wonder whether we will meet another tribe as friendly on our trip around Africa.

The following day we set off to Imochil. On the way, we stocked up at the super market in Benni Mellal and gave Proper Job a deserved jet-wash clean at a gas station. A local told us the drive would take two or three hours. Not sure how they drive, but it took us almost five hours on some rough winding roads through mountains and dry dusty valleys. Approaching Imochil through a dry landscape you are struck by the sight of a deep blue lake on the outskirts of Imochil.There is also a small campsite on its shores, so we decided to stay at for a couple of nights and do some hiking. The climate here is cold and that night our Four Seasons sleeping bags were tested to the max.

The following day we hiked 7 km to another lake which forms part of a local legend where a young couple, who were not allowed to marry, shed enough tears to create the two lakes. They both died of heart break and since that time the elders in the villages in the area decided to allow their children to choose their own partners. This happens during a big festival each August and we were told that this is the only place in Morocco where the parents don’t choose partners for their children.

The following day it was southwards again towards the Gorges de Todros. Again we took a secondary route which took us a long time and it is fortunate that Proper Job has strong suspension. The drive through the mountains was again spectacular. After five hours we were through the step sided gorge and pulled into a picturesque campsite called Auberge Atlas which is set amongst date palms. The following day we decided to hike up into the Gorge to take some pictures. The walk took about 2 hours each way and follows the river through fig and date groves irrigated by a network of channels. There is clearly a lot of interest in these Gorges as there was a lot of people visiting, both Moroccan and foreign.

Tomorrow we head south again....leaving the mountains and heading into the deserts !!