40th Birthday Morocco

For my first planning entry on this blog i am simply going to explore the art of the possible when making entries from my windows mobile based cell phone. if you are reading this uninteresting entry then the trial has been a success.

Now that the key decision to actually get on and make this trip happen has been made I can feel the excitement building and it is getting difficult to focus on anything else. Learning to write html and linking to photos as well is proving an interesting departure that has me sitting next to a yellow post-it note with the word GEEK written on it.

Having browsed the forums about insurance over the last few days I figured it was worth a quick call to my broker to explore the easy and obvious solution and get a quote from Chaucer for providing me with a green card covering the Morocco leg of the trip. The quote I received was not quite what I expected, had no mention of a financial transaction and is written verbatim below:

"Under No Circumstances"

Not sure I quite have a regular readership on the blog yet but figured I still have the obligation to keep things up to date.

Success on the insurance front and an inspiring trip to the Ace Cafe are the highlights I guess.

Great laughs over breakfast talking through my little trip with the team at work. Thanks Nev for providing the "feme tune" that now accompanies this blog entry.

The basic essentials of a route are coming together and it is time to subject my proposals to comments on the HUBB. All comments, suggestions etc are invited on the thread set up just for this purpose.

Figured one or two people may be interested in the bike and its preparation (or lack of) for the trip. Basically I bought my VStrom 1000 3 years ago in recognition that my riding was getting much less an every day thing and with a desire to use it on longer trips. Great thought I guess but so far only the trip to Italy 2 years back counts as using it for what it was bought for. Have read a lot and listened to loads of advice about bike prep before departing for Morocco but cant bring myself to go overboard.

Thanks to all at RRFCS for the good luck messages today as I ended my time with Rolls-Royce after 17+ years. Feels good to be free and starting on a new adventure that includes this bit of a bike trip.

Hope all of you that have signed up for the blog updates enjoy reading my waffle and at least some of you are inspired to throw a leg over a bike and ride.

Cant believe that today has arrived and I am really setting off on this trip this afternoon. The packing is done, the birthday celebrations have been completed and I guess that means I am ready.

Thanks to everyone who has shown an interest to date and I hope to be able to enter some more interesting content over the next few weeks. Departing this afternoon to get to Portsmouth in good time for tonights ferry crossing to Le Havre where I hope to get through to Northern Spain before finding a place to kip for the night.

Well I made it onto the ferry so it is all systems go.

Apparently a weekend of drinking and theme parks is not the ideal body preparation so my old bones were complaining after only fifty miles! only 4950 to go!

Big Pete is free to laugh since the first technical/crap preparation issue hit after 8 miles. minor cable reroute of ipod and intercom cables required a short stop!

miles so far: 154

Well that is France almost dispatched in a single day blast of motorways and Peage. Good weather and no traffic have made for exactly the day I needed, seeing what France has to offer can wait until the summer and today it was simply in the way. Have to admit to a few aches and pains though in the knee and arse cheeks-maybe a seat upgrade would have been wise!

Wednesday turned into a mammoth mileage day but it was fun from beginning to end. I decided to go for an early start and set the alarm to get me up in time to be on the move at first light and avoid any traffic issues getting clear of the coastal towns near Biarritz. Was heard to mutter "this is supposed to be a f-ing holiday to myself as the alarm beeped insistqntly. Up and about on time and was feeling all smug as I set off after completing all the bike checks with a professional touch and packing all my stuff quickly.

The bad use of French in the title pretty much gives the game away and the reason I am using an Arabic keyboard to write this is because I am sitting in an internet cafe in Tetouan having arrived in Morrocco this afternoon.

Slept like a baby and was happy to sleep in until 8AM and start my day. Well I say 8am but I was unsure if I should have put the clock back to UK time so in my mind it could have been 7AM. Dragged myself downstairs around 8/9 and was a little surprised how quiet everything was but got on with breakfast and getting the bike loaded and was soon on the road, headed for Chefchaouan. View Over Chefchauoen Very Early in the Morning

Late last night I discovered that Morocco operates on GMT all year round. What I thought was 9 or maybe 8 AM was actually 7AM. Not so critical of the late mornings, whoops. After a genuine lie in this morning until a real 8am I went to a cafe in town for breakfast and then set off for what was intended to be a slow speed exploration of minor roads in the Middle Atlas with a relaxed intent to reach either Midelt or if time allowed Er-Rachidia. True to the plan I turned off the wonderful tarmac of the RN13 and headed off a little yellow road.

Cant upload pictures from internet cafe so will have to add them later when I get home. You will have to put with 1000 words instead. The ride from the disappointing ErRachidia made me smile with stunning views across the Gorge du Ziz requiring frequent halts. Still made good progress and reached Merzouga by early afternoon for a first encounter with the stunning Sand Dunes of the Sahara. Weather was still and hot with the dunes perfectly set against a deep blue sky.

Decided to stick arround in Tinerhir and found a campsite in mid afternoon. Pitched in a sandy corner aith a bit of a whiff but managed to avoid too many stones where I would sleep. Took a walk into town in the evening, about 1.5 miles and was happy to chat with people briefly on the way in and then didnt hang around too long in the main centre which is well designed and practiced for the art of tourist Dirham extraction. There was a fleet of 4x4 vehicles poised to take the excursion bus passengers from Marrakech up the Todra Gorge.

Only a short update since I am working from the phone but I have arrived in Marrakech pretty much a half day ahead of schedule having done far more than I thought possible so far on the trip.

Checked into the hotel on the main square that Jason and I stayed in 21 years ago. all had a major overhaul since then and the price has gone up but it is all about location.

More tomorrow and maybe some pictures soon.

Had a great meal in the Jmaa Al Fna last night and walked around on my own for as long as I could to find my way around the Medina. Good fun and the hawkers are all so good natured and have so many victims available it is good fun.

Spent what was left of the evening enjoying the perfect hotel location by sitting drinking Coke while watching the square. That is a whole 9 days off the beer you should note!

During our time in Marrakech we took a car out to visit the SOS Childrens Village in Ait Ourir which is in the foot hills of the High Atlas not far from the city. It was an interesting opportunity to see the fantastic work done by the charity and the standard of what is being done for some of the most desperately needing kids is quite remarkable. The village is established with a number of family homes and some common learning and recreational facilities.