(Not So Famous) Five Have A Moroccan Adventure

[DeeGee]

Originally Posted by macrae85

Ferry's booked for 16.30hrs Portsmouth to Bilbao this Friday,keep the reports coming-cant wait! :)

Cool! is it your first time??

[macrae85]

Originally Posted by DeeGee

Cool! is it your first time??

Been over on foot for a day trip in 2004.......just finished 'jetting' the bike,time to start packing!

[DeeGee]

Originally Posted by macrae85

Been over on foot for a day trip in 2004.......just finished 'jetting' the bike,time to start packing!

Enjoy! If you're going into Tangier don't take any help from the guys without a uniform on! If you've not done a D16 form already, it's a good idea to do one before you go, stood us in good stead

[Vicks]

loving the report Gav. jealous as well.

[Azmontana]

Fantastic report. Keep it coming. I'm going next year and would love to get some tips?

[MeinMotorrad]

[joneswgareth]

Yeah come on Gav - put FIFA down for 5 mins and get on with it!!!

[boboneleg]

Hurry up Gav don't make have to play solitare again

[Wildman]

[Loutre]

so many katooms

[DeeGee]

Originally Posted by joneswgareth

Yeah come on Gav - put FIFA down for 5 mins and get on with it!!!

Ha ha you know it!!! Fookin game!! Been graftin too though promise another installment in the morning. Also got some video which is going to a pals for editing

[the foolish fellow]

You been playin too much golf

[DeeGee]

Originally Posted by Vicks

loving the report Gav. jealous as well.

Hey Vicks How's tricks? And jealous?? You've got a great "back yard" to play in and all the sand you could ever wish for!

Originally Posted by Azmontana

Fantastic report. Keep it coming. I'm going next year and would love to get some tips?

No problemo, drop me a pm and I'll help with whatever I can

Originally Posted by the foolish fellow

You been playin too much golf

Too frikkin cold!!

Right then on with the show

So we all decided a rest was in order, for us and the bikes. The temperature was up (34 degrees), the hotel was the bees knees and what better place to choose than the historic city of Fes? The next day we had a lazy breakfast and then went to see our friend the security guard to get us a cab into town as we wanted to explore the Medina.

First up we thought it'd be great to get a lift with this guy



Well? "When in Rome" as they say! Turns out he had some wood and other items in the back and there was nowhere to sit. We'd seen quite a few folk in the back of the little tuc tucs and I was a tad disappointed that we weren't going to get a ride on one . We waved him off and went for a more conventional mode of transport.



We all piled into the old Mercedes, which seemed to be the choice of the locals.





It was a bit of a squeeze in the back, but Rob looked happy for some reason?





The taxi driver was very helpful and friendly and took us to a place that overlooked the city.







Jack looking over the city.



Once the snaps had been taken it was back into the old taxi



To the Medina Sir!!

Good to see the hi-vis jackets are required over here!! I don't know why I was suprised, but the donkey or mule was a major mode of transport for many many locals.




The Medina was amazing. The sights, the smells, the people, the shops, the stalls, the alleys, the architecture, the donkeys!

Let's take a walk.

























































We saw so many donkeys, the Q? Was asked.......... Erm......... What happens if the donkey/mule wants to do it's erm........ you know! Oh bollocks, what if it wants to do a dump? What do they do?

Here's the answer



The Medina as you can probably see was a labyrinth of narrow streets and alley ways, it was like a maze. After a good hour or so we decided to head back, but we seemed to be going round in circles and a lot of the streets and alleys looked the same. A young lady kind of latched onto us and to be honest we were all a bit suspiscious as she was just following us round at first and we couldn't shake her off. In the end we asked her if she could show us the way out of the Medina and she agreed and took us out pretty much straight away. We also agreed to offer her some dirhams, but she refused and said she liked to help us and it was good for her to practice her English language.

Here she is talking to Terry and Pete.





Building falling over? No problem!



Jack found a friend



Terry getting some cash while Rob watched his back.





As we were finally out in the open our new found guide called and liased with the taxi driver and told him where we were. Before he dropped us off he agreed to come and collect us and take us back to the hotel.

On the way back we came across a car accident and just brought home to us how dangerous it was over there on the roads.



We chilled out the rest of the day by the pool and soaking up some sunshine.





More food and beer that evening.





And after breakfast we gave our security guard a tip and loaded up the bikes feeling refreshed and thankful for the break.



We stopped for fuel once we'd succesfully negotiated our way out of the city, when we stopped I noticed that this guys fuel tank was simply roped on!



One of the locals.



The day was getting warmer as we headed further south, not a cloud in the sky, the roads were fairly quiet compared to back at home and the scenery was an ever changing canvas, it was awesome!

We stopped to take a few snaps.









Saw a shepherd seeing to his flock, he gave us a friendly wave



Group discussion.



We then decided to take our first steps off road, Terry had a waypoint in his satnav for a piste........ "Somewhere over there" he says pointing off to the left. So we left the tarmac and headed left.

At first the going was pretty managable, but then the stones got larger and larger and more frequent as you can see here, Pete.



I was ok, but Jack didn't like it, so she got off and walked for a while. We came across another shepherd.





We also had a bit of a hill to climb up.



From the top looking down and getting a bit of momentum.





Some of these pictures give you an idea of the terrain we were on.











At the top, the view was stunning.









Once we got to the top we had to find a way down the other side and it's a bit steeper than it looks on the picture, this is Pete making his way down





Terry having a lay down No harm done though



Helmet camera shot from on the way down.



Made it!



Stunning eh?



We eventually found the piste.





We had a couple of diversions and Jack had to get off and walk again a couple of times, but once we got on the piste it was simply awesome, we rode through part of the Cedar forest and we saw a few monkeys, but they were too quick for us to get any snaps. The scenery reminded me of the plains in the old western films on TV when I was a kid, you could just imagine wagon trains chased by the red indians hollering as we came over a hill and looked down onto what seemed like a huge prairie.































We eventually came to the end of the piste after approximately 10-15 miles, it was fairly manageable 2 up and it was great. Time to hit the tarmac.





We stopped at an auberge at the side of the road wanting to replenish our camel backs and take on some fluids, but the guy only had beer Unfortunately we didn't want beer, but we had a breather and Pete gave his bike a rest



Help was always on hand though no matter whose bike had a lay down





We spoke to the guy who owned the auberge and I chatted to the kids and gave them some Kendal Mint Cake I had with me, the young boy took the biggest piece, I laughed and he was going to put it back, but I told him he was ok.



While I was putting my helmet on a woman appeared from nowhere and spoke to me, I didn't really understand what she was saying until she pointed to the back of her foot where she had a large sore which didn't look very good The penny dropped though, she was asking if I had anything to treat it. I was carrying a first aid kit and I gave her some wipes and some anticeptic cream, it was the best I had and the least I could do.

We were back on the bikes and we headed further south. We were hoping to get to Midelt, but we were just chasing the horizon

Here's a few snaps Jack took on the back of the bike, enjoy!

















We made it to Midelt and found a hotel, again some guy flagged us down, he jumped on the back of Pete and showed us the way. Once we arrived the negotiations began. Stared off at 250 dirhams (about £20), after much umming and ahhhing we got him down to 100 dirhams, plus 50 for secure parking for the bikes (underneath some guys house 100 yards up the road) total cost was about £7.50



More later guys! And thanks for the kind comments so far appreciate the feedback

[Frog uk]

Bloody hell the memories are flooding back Gav, well done, mint write up.

The stony descent of the rock plain was scary as fook, much, much steeper than it looks in the pics, it would not have been a good place for a big off, miles and miles from anywhere and I don't think Marocco's 'air ambulance' would have got there any time soon. Certainly made you concentrate.

I think we NEED to go back to Chebbi and sort out them dunes

[DeeGee]

Originally Posted by Frog uk

Bloody hell the memories are flooding back Gav, well done, mint write up.

The stony descent of the rock plain was scary as fook, much, much steeper than it looks in the pics, it would not have been a good place for a big off, miles and miles from anywhere and I don't think Marocco's 'air ambulance' would have got there any time soon. Certainly made you concentrate.

I think we NEED to go back to Chebbi and sort out them dunes

Cheers Pete

Mmmmmmmm I think I've "unfinished business" over there!