Dakar was an interesting city to wander around in and get an idea of how the city functioned. Must have walked for several miles this way and that. The heat was getting to me so I sought out a barber for a trim. His idea of short was a little different than mine and I ended up as close to shaved as I have been in decades. By staying over a day I was able to get some laundry done and even washed my coat in the bath tub.

I headed out of Dakar early to avoid the traffic that can be quite hectic here. Made real good time and reached the boarder about 12:30 so changed my plans and crossed over.

Dakar market

Boarder ferry

Traveled north to where I had stayed on the way down. Not sure what I would find for fuel on the 520 K to known fuel stop so I found, (at a pizza shop) a five liter plastic jug. I filled this with fuel and ran a 110 k then put it in. I did find fuel before the border so I could have made it but it kept me from worrying about it. The wind was coming at me and I used one more liter of fuel going north than I had going south.
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Back at the border with Morocco, (Western Sahara), I again crossed the no man’s land. That is the area between border posts where you have checked out of one country but not yet checked into the next. Most borders post are fairly close but some can be many miles apart if it is over a mountain range or other m/l uninhabited area. This was three or four k with no road you just ran across the rocky desert, not even a cat road. Not a problem with the moto but class 8 trucks and trailers had to cross the same way. Not sure how long it has been since the end of fighting between these two countries but there is a strip along the border that you do not want to go wandering around in as there are still land mines.

No man's land

Was good to be back in a more organized country. Moroccan customs was helpful in getting me through even though I found no one that spoke English. Took a while as first I had to convince them that the bearded person in passport photo was me, (remember my hair cut), then had to wait for officer to come back from lunch to check out bike. By the time he got back the crew that checks vehicles for nuke material had gone to lunch so I had to wait for them. Much of this was due to it being a week end as there were quite a few less working than when I went down.

Stayed 77k north of the border. Next morning I left with high winds coming at me at 45 degrees from the north east. My highly questionable wind gauge is how far I am leaned over into the wind, I put it at 80 to 100 K. This went on all day with sand blowing across the road making it look like snow fall.

The blowing sands of the Sahara

Made it to TanTan and noticed a slip when I pulled away from police check point. Stopped and checked my chain. It and the sprocket had taken the brunt of the low blowing sand. I lost half the life of my chain and sprocket in one day. The sand had blasted the paint of my pag packer brackets and did a good job of cleaning exhaust pipes and engine guard.

Sprocket and chain well beyond maximum wear limits.

I don’t know the whole story but Morocco is now claiming Western Sahara, this is not recognized by the UN. The King is coming down to W Sahara and they have Moroccan flags everywhere. But it is all phony, the people here really do not have a choice, there given a flag and it is implied that they should put it up. The preparations for the King’s visit are everywhere. I passed two convoys and at least a dozen empty tour buses, (to haul in a crowd), on the way north. All the police check points were spit polished and double checking everything. There were several communication vans as I came north.

From the news reports it is clear that the King is trying to buy support in Western Sahara, will be interesting to see if the people come around to support being Moroccan.

The closest BMW dealer to try to get chain and sprocket was in Agadir so I headed that way. They could get me sprockets but could not find a chain anywhere in Morocco. Seems that with all the F800s I saw the police riding there should be a chain in stock. Sprockets were to be in the next morning so I headed up along the coast about 80k.

Market in a small village north of Agadir

This is surfer country. Found a small village that catered to the surfers on the beach and got a bed for 100 dh.

Decided to make my chain last as long as possible. I had master links to fix it if it broke. Oiled it every day and checked adjustment. It did make it all the way to Spain but I had no more adjustment left to take up any more slake.

Headed east to Taliouine, a walled city that has not changed as much as Fes or Marrakech and less of the tourist trap. Spent an extra day here just getting lost in the old city, (took my GPS with me after the first time).

Old city

Every kind of olive you could want

Headed to the Vallee du Draa, amazing how they farm in the narrow valley where it gets water and the rest is desert. Bought a box of dates, wish I could get some of these at home. Then headed for the mountains.

Date palms growing in the valley

on the road

There were two gorges that were recommended as good rides in the Mid Atlas mountains. I had been up one so I decided to cross the mountains going up the other, from Boumaine Dades. At the end of the gorge was this switch back road going up the side of the mountain and at the top was a hotel with restaurant. There was another biker stopped there so I pulled in.

Selfie

The road up the gorge

Looking up from hotel at top

Danish tour bikes

The rider was on the phone and waiting for the rest of his group, 13 riders all from Denmark on a tour. One of the bikes had gone down and they were fixing it. When they got there we all went in and had a bit to eat. It was good to have someone to talk to for awhile. The hotel looked over the gorge and the amazing road up the mountain so I decided to spend the night there. With a plan to head up in the mountains tomorrow and ride out the east side.

New friend

Farming in the mountains

The road
There are those ride that will always stand out and this was one that goes on that list. It is hard to describe the almost mythical feeling of riding up on in the mountains on a gravel road, you are all alone and at piece with the world. The views were fantastic. Most mountain valleys are formed by water running down a hill but in some cases the rivers were there first then the mountain pushed up. The Yakama River from Ellensburg to Yakama is one example where the river was meandering across a flat plane until the mountains pushed up and the river just kept wearing down in its original path. By the twists and meandering of this river I am sure that is what happened here when six million years ago African smashed into Europe and pushed up these mountains. I will put in pictures but Google Earth might be a better way to see it.

I climbed to 2850 Meters, (m/l 9000 feet for those still living in stone age), and the temperature dropped quite low. Found one spot where there was Ice. These mountains can get snow and if it came like it rains here one would be in trouble for sure. Made it to Iimilchil where there was fuel and then back tracked ten K to take the road cutting over to Midelt. About 15k in I met up with the group of Danish riders I had met yesterday, they had turned around because the road was washed out 50k farther in. They did say it was a nice ride so I decided to ride on for a way. I rode all the way to the wash out and even made it another K going over or around or through the wash out areas but finally came to a spot that I do not think a goat could make it around so had to turn around.

view from the top

More view

The road

More road

Me on top of the world

Ice, it can get cold up here

Amazing way the rocks are twisted and colored

On the way back I came upon a wreck that was not there when I came in. One car on its top, looked like they both came around the blind corner of these narrow roads with no where to go and too late to stop when the saw the other. About 20 k from Iimilchil I came upon a car that had a flat that they were having problems changing, seems one lug nut was a smaller size. So I got out my tools and helped them change the tire. They were very grateful and wanted me to come to there house for tea but it was getting late with little light left I had to pass and push on to Iimilchil to get a room for the night.

Washout

Where I had to turn around

The road

The next morning it was -2C. My operational temperatures are 0 to 40, less than 0 I look for a fire, over 40 I look for a air conditioned room. (For the metric challenged that is 32 to 104 F) But by the time I had breakfast and packed up temp was starting to climb up some, so off I went. Kind of fun to get lost sometimes and that is what I did today, missed a turn and eventually just ran out of road. Backtracked and found my right turn and rode on out of the mountains.

Camping in Morocco

Market day and hay for sale

view

Planning my exit from Morocco I rode to Al Hoceima on the Mediterranean Sea. This took me through some beautiful country but also is the pot growing region and every time you stop someone is trying to sell you some. Or they try to flag you down on the road. The government turns a blind eye to this. Left Al Hoceima early to make it to the ferry not knowing how long this would take. The road along the coast is in exultant condition and was a three and half hour roller coaster ride. (This road needs to be put on the great ride list).



Views coming up the coast along the Med

The ferry and border was quick and easy, was a slow day so never had to wait in any line. When I got to Spain they did not do any paperwork on the motorcycle, just had an officer walk up to bike and ask me for my passport. He took out a stamp and I was in, did not ever have to get off the bike. At the ferry dock as I came out there on the side was the 13 Danish riders that I had bumped into twice before.

Sometimes it is the small things that make you crack you up, I got a nice hotel room close to BMW shop and as I went into the bathroom on the toilet was paper that said it had been “sanitized”. You see the night before in Al Hoceima the hotel room cost me 100 dh, ($10), and I am sure the toilet had not been sanitized in ten years and you had to dump water into it to flush it, was kind of scary really. I was back in a different world, where the water got real hot and everything worked. Morocco does have nice hotels but I am just cheap and look for the bargains.

I made it back to Spain and a Corona, (even if they spell it wrong here)
Life is good