Wednesday 17th February - Monday 22nd February

Wednesday 17th February[/i]

Got up early eager to get out of the garage and into some fresh air. We said our goodbyes and paid our money and we were off. We just wanted to get out of the city and into the countryside and some fresh air into our lungs after the garage. We headed back towards Moulay-Idriss and the roman ruins at Voloubilis near the campsite. For 10Dh each we had a walk around the very big and good roman ruins, with some great floor mosaics, still preserved in the open air.

While there I received a call from an ADAC rep about the windscreen. They would help locate a windscreen and I think help with cost. It was very difficult to understand her, but I needed to fax her the motorhome reg document. We headed back to the campsite with the intention of saying thank you and our goodbye’s to Abdul. He wasn’t in though so we left a note and continued our journey.

We had decided to head a little further south to Azrou, where we had been told of a free campsite in the grounds of a mock castle. We headed off over the mountains with the windscreen, which we could view out of, but had to go slowly. Apart from the erratic driving and the bumpy road, we spent the journey taking in the sights around. The Shepard’s, sheep and goats as well as all the donkeys. At one point the drive was similar to going over the peak district. We eventually came into Azrou and found the illusive campsite, it had a bizarre grand entrance and we drove into a courtyard next to a large stone Arabian castle type Disneyland building. We parked up and were told by the campsite manager, Steve a great character who is Moroccan but has a strong Texan accent, that the camping was free, including the electric and free baguettes in the morning! We asked again to make sure and it was confirmed that due to the owner being a very rich Arab that at present it was all free. We parked up and plugged in, the views around were great as we could see over the hills and into the valleys.

Thursday 18th February

Had a look around the castle, it had been finished and due to open as a hotel and nightclub, but water was running through it. We entered the grand castle that was decorated with great ceilings and light fittings and bits of furniture. The colours were slightly ghoulish but everything was grand, money though doesn’t seem to buy taste. The water though was everywhere leaking through the ceilings and walls, with big puddles in most rooms. It was a strange crazy stagnant building, in fact it was a bizarre campsite and situation, but we weren’t complaining, as it was free. So it seemed a good enough place to wait till we heard from the ADAC woman about the glass.

Steve we found out had lived in Texas for a long while hence the accent and he had a few animals that he said were gifts from the boss. We got chatting with a few other campers, a couple from Australia, Cortney and Martin, as well as Mark and Jackie from England. Mark even made my travel guitar sound a lot better. Since buying it to take on the trip I hadn’t often picked it up, as the sound was rather poor and the action far too high. Mark lowered the action and the guitar then was a different creature, sounding and playing better. It was now something I wanted to pick up and play on, so thank you Mark. We also got chatting to a younger Belgium couple called Xavien and Carole. They came by the motorhome later and we got on really well, they had been in Morocco for three months. They had travelled all about and very far south to the desert, they told us some great stories and that we would see some beautiful sites. They though, had had their fill of Morocco and were almost desperate to get back to Europe. Carole especially, as Lorna had already seen and experienced Morocco is not as good for a woman than a man, as everything is male dominated.

Friday 19th February

Last night there was a very heavy storm with strong winds and rain, at one point knocking out the electricity. We had fitted the bike cover over the window to protect the rain from getting in, an idea of Lorna’s that worked very well. We headed into Azrou with Xavier and Carole to pick up some veg and other items required. We did some shopping for the first time in Morocco and found it wasn’t such a difficult experience, as we just filled bags up with what we wanted and they weighed it and we paid, simple really! We then all found a café to have coffees and mint teas. The café was full of males only mind.

Later in the day Mike, who we had met in Mirtal, turned up. I had texted him to let him know about the free camping. So later that evening Mike, Xavier and Carole gathered round our motorhome, another night of socialising. Something we hadn’t been used to as yet on our travels. Was a good evening getting to know everyone more.

Saturday 20th February

Today wasn’t raining so we took the opportunity to go for a walk. We had been told of some ancient Cedar forests up the road in the hills where there lived some wild apes. So off we headed up to the hills, where we were pleasantly surprised to be alone in our travels and not hassled, as we passed a few Shepard’s with their herds. We had been told when you got to the forests there was a tourist area with people ready to take you on donkey or foot to the monkeys, but they wanted paying and the monkeys could just be found by carrying on walking. After a long walk up into the hills and with still bits of snow on the ground, we arrived at the forest. Before we even got to the tourist bit we came across some apes sitting relaxing in the trees. So we watched and took pictures, like good tourists, before heading back down the road.

By the evening we were both pretty tired and wanted to eat and relax in bed, but an invite for some after dinner wine came our way courtesy of Jackie. So after dinner I headed over to say hello, Lorna being too tired and needing sleep. We had a lovely chat as Jackie kept topping up my red wine, though I had to retire after a bit as was in need of sleep.

Sunday 21st February

Today the rain was heavy, Xavier and Carole were also heading off so we said our goodbyes and exchanged emails and numbers, we would both be in eastern Europe in the summer so would hopefully be able to meet up again. I grabbed a lift off them into town to buy a few bits and then tried to get a taxi back to the campsite. I think a combination of my poor skills of explaining where I wanted to go and the fact the road up to the campsite was closed, ended in me not getting a shared taxi and instead walking in the rain. I had hoped to be able to wave down a grand taxi as I was walking back, but none passed. So by the time I arrived back at the campsite I was soaking wet through.

That afternoon I headed over to mike’s van for a jam, as he also played guitar. Later that evening he cooked myself and Lorna Spag bol, and more chatting. We hadn’t socialised this much for a while.

Monday 22nd February[i]

After most of the day spent waiting around for the ADAC Moroccan based rep to get back in touch, we established that she couldn’t source a window from Morocco. She could get one from Germany at €800 and they would get it shipped to Morocco. This came as good news, although the glass was still expensive it was cheaper than we had been expecting. She then said we would have to go south to Agadir, where she could get the window sent. Also she had a window place that needed to see the van encase they had a windscreen before she ordered one. Although ADAC were being helpful, this particular rep was very difficult to understand and speak with. She had a way of talking that went on without really saying anything, apart from using up my phone credit at a very expensive price! It would end up costing me hundreds in phone calls at this rate.

Agadir was over 600km away and the road was through mountains, we would have to take it very slowly. But the price for the glass was good and also it would be sunny down south on the coast. So we decided it wouldn’t be a bad thing waiting for a windscreen to be delivered in the sun by the sea. After looking at the map over dinner in our Motorhome with mike, we decided to take the longer route back up and over to Casablanca then onto Marrakech then down to Agadir. This route was one of toll motorways, although over 100km longer it would be less traffic and smoother roads. So better for our journey with the motorhomes broken windscreen. The rest of the evening was spent exchanged music and films with mike on the laptops.