Goodbye Morocco
After six weeks, Mike and Jo end the Moroccan leg of their travels on a high note.20 to 24 Jan 08
This is our last post from Morocco.
The Riff Mountains were different to every other part of Morocco we had visited. This place has a Wild West feel to it. Everywhere here you get the impression that central government control is limited.
On 21 Jan we rode over the Riff Mountains to the Mediterranean coastal town of Nador with the hope of getting a cheap ferry to Sete in France on 23 Jan. We couldnt get a cabin, and Nador wasnt the sort of town we wanted to spend a week in waiting for another ship. We headed north along the rugged Mediterranean coast to overnight at the town of Al Hoceima before pressing on to Tangier.
We were parked in the main street studying the map and deciding which of the unattractive accommodation options we would take, when a fellow asked if we needed help. Within a few minutes we knew that Stephane was French and that he was working in Al Hoceima for two years for his French company.
After considering the accommodation options, Stephane offered us his spare room and organised a garage for the Elephant. Once we had stowed our gear, we had a guided tour of the waterfront, selected some fish from the fishermen on the docks, and had them prepared by a nearby restaurant.
Stephane and I had some background in common so we had plenty to talk about (apart from Morocco) and he was also astute enough to organise a couple of cold beers to top off a wonderful evening.
This was to be our last night in Morocco and we couldnt have had better company or a better time to remember.
The next morning we said farewell to Stephane and headed into the Riff Mountains for the gruelling eight hour ride to Tangier. We arrived just before last light and purchased a ticket on a fast ferry to Spain. Jo fought it out in the passport line while I manoeuvred the Elephant through the traffic jam and we were on the ferry a few minutes later and with a few minutes to spare before departure.
By 2100 on 24 Jan we had cleared Spanish immigration and were heading for a hotel. After six weeks our Moroccan adventure was over.
We stayed in Morocco longer than we planned and we were reluctant to leave, but we still have a long way to go and we need to keep heading east.
Morocco has a reputation of being a paradise for bike riders and it has lived up to its reputation for us. The fantastic mountain and desert roads should be obvious from the photos. We have also had a bit to say about the food along the way as well. It is probably also obvious from our posts that we have felt very much at home here. The Moroccans are genuinely friendly and hospitable, there is none of the anti-western rub we have experienced elsewhere, and there is little crime and no alcohol induced violence.
We have made ourselves a promise that this will not be our last winter in Morocco. There is simply too much more to do.
Our enduring memories of Morocco:
Frozen mountain roads.
Amazing scenes at every turn.
Great history that is part of life and not just a packaged experience for tourists.
The rhythm of rural life.
Mopeds everywhere and .
the amazing things that can be done with them.
The architecture and heroic colours.
The mountains and
the mountain roads, that just
go on and on.
Good bye Morocco!!