Thursday 2 March 2017

Sidi Wassay to Marrakesh - 200 miles

The sea calmed down and the air freshened overnight to a fine sunny and very warm morning. All our usual departure chores done and away by 11.00 en route to Agadir where we want to top up our stores at the smaller Marjane at Inouzane. The temperature rose rapidly and by the time we were parked up, we saw 40 deg!

Shopping done, we were going to stop there for lunch, but of all the huge empty car park we'd stopped in a refrigerated truck parked right next to us! We simply don't understand the mentality, but it got worse when a coach came and parked the other side! You have to understand this was a marked out CAR PARK which just happened to be empty!

So we left, en route to the motorway taking us to Marrakesh where we'd decided to stop tonight. Fortunately there was a service area within a few miles so we stopped there instead, also taking the opportunity to refuel.

Through the Haute Atlas

Very quiet motorway

From there on it was just a long haul on the excellent A7 motorway – TomTom telling us to take the junction after 178 km – first of all climbing through the Haute Atlas mountains then across the high plain with the air-conditioning going for much of the way, it was so hot. Although we don't usually use motorways, and there is a good alternative, we didn't have the time and it was also probably cheaper even with the 152 dirhams, about £12, toll charge. We got a little concerned when TomTom kept going past junctions for Marrakesh but it turned out the fastest route to our chosen campsite was around the city then back south on a motorway so no problem. Arrived at an old favourite, Camping Ferdous, just after 6.00 pm, a very long day for us and having travelled exactly 200 miles.

Quite busy, we found a quiet pitch at the back of the site (away from the peacocks as well – Jamie went nuts!) with electricity and should have sun all day. It was just turning dark as we set up and the temperature is still 30 deg C in the van with all the vents and windows open.

Going to be a very late tea, it's too warm to eat just now.