First day back on the bike after a 10 week hiatus. I was up and off soon after 7.30 in the hope of covering as much distance as possible before the day became excessively hot. 
I eschewed the possibly-more-scenic coastal route in favour of covering the maximum distance efficiently. There is a long way to go, and I will rarely again have the luxury of good modern roads. So motorway via Marrakech, hoping to reach Agadir today. 

Motorway riding is fairly boring, and I don't want to bore anyone. I might write an essay soon about local driving habits, but for now I will confine myself to saying "adapt and survive". 

Often the scenery was impressive, almost like another planet. Crossing the outlying offshoots of the Atlas mountains was hard on the bike, and my rest stops became increasingly frequent. Partly to let the engine cool, and partly so I could readjust my delicate parts. This saddle is hard. 

A few stand-out incidents:

- sheltering from the sun at a closed-down service area: 2 local lads scraping a living selling sweets and tea explained that my bit of shade was actually their improvised latrine, and they invited me to rest under their proper shelter and drink tea with them. Incredulous responses as I explained my plans via Google Translate. No charge. 
- a chat with an arrestingly handsome young Parisian biker (Moroccan heritage) with beautiful bike clothing, a beautiful BMW sports bike, and an outstandingly beautiful new Moroccan wife. 
- Eddie and Maxime from Denmark (but with rather more exotic heritage than that might imply). Also heading for Cape Town, on gleaming KTM bikes with customised black/orange paint jobs and matching clothing. God knows what that all cost. 

We met up later in Agadir for a congenial dinner on the beach front. He's an ex-soldier and former UN official. He has had frequent stretches in war zones, and a brush with PTSD which led him to retire early and take to the road. They travel together all over the world and have a Youtube channel: EMPath2. Take a look if only to admire their bikes. 

I have rarely met such a happy optimist as Eddie, he is certain that we are on the brink of a new golden age for mankind; human ingenuity can or will soon end wars, provide cheap clean energy, transform marine transport, end disease and hunger, transform third-world economies and reverse aging. And above all dispense with the need for Banks and their parasitic functionaries! This from a man who has seen some of the worst our species can do to each other.  Maxime mainly smiled at him lovingly and kept her own counsel. 

As a footnote, Eddie also believes that Britain will come to its senses, and be forced to rejoin the EU to arrest its post-imperial economic death spiral. The surplus of Leavers who have died of old age since the 2016 referendum already far outstrips the small majority who voted to leave. I don't care, I'm Irish now. 

Decent little hotel in Agadir. Cheap as chips, and great friendly staff.