Thursday 16 February 2017

Agdz to Gorges du Dades - 131 miles

After our usual routine we were away by 10.45 en route to Ouazerzate with the intention of restocking the larder. The new road ran out at the edge of Agdz but the old is still in good condition – that is until about halfway at the pass of Tizi-n-Tiniflitt (5583 ft amsl) from where much road building is taking place with many diversions and unmetalled surfaces, making for very slow going.

Roundabout art in Ouazerzate

However, we eventually arrived at Ouazerzate and managed to park on the main street, almost outside “the supermarket”. Well, Tesco it ain't which we found surprising for such a large town; really just a somewhat larger grocery store that's self-service, including drag-along shopping baskets. We stocked up on quite a bit but there were no meats, fresh fruit or vegetables so after unloading into the van we went in search but to no avail. Plenty of cafes and restaurants and some touristy shops but even the souk only had one stall selling some manky oranges so we left it at that and will stop off at one of the smaller towns later. Refuelled then headed towards the Vallee and Gorges du Dades, an intended visit last year which we didn't get to.

Kasbah, just outside Ouazerzate - looks like a film set

Miles and miles of nothing!

A very good road out into featureless hamada – Ouazerzate is well known for it's film locations and you can see why if you need desert – and we stopped off along the way for a late lunch. Then continued on towards the mountains, spotting snow-covered tops in the distance (a bit hazy today so distant photos have not come out very well) before reaching our chosen site for the night at Ksar Kaissir. Which was closed. 

Sculpture outside KK site and hotel

Can't recall where but they make this type of knife here

Not to worry there are a few more along the way but it was getting late. We decided on a place at the start of the Gorges du Dades and thankfully it was open and we found ourselves following in a pair of French vans who we later discovered we had “met” before. Welcomed with mint tea whilst we registered, we were then subjected to the hard sell for a 4x4 excursion, which we declined although the French party acquiesced.

A few piccies taken up the Gorges du Dades

Rock formation is called "The Monkeys Fingers"

There's snow on them there hills!

It got dark very quickly and went quite cold, but we are 5500 ft up in the mountains. Blanket on the bed tonight!

Wednesday 15 February 2017

We had nothing planned for today, so after our usual routine we did quite a lot of it, taking the opportunity of getting some rays and walking Jamie around the site. Being about 2km from the town itself, which is not that big, we concluded it was not worth walking there. It is, however, a very pleasant place with all facilities including a swimming pool (closed for winter) and a restaurant. From the comings and goings it seemed to be more a one night stopover site although there were a couple of motorhomes staying longer.

C'mon Dad, Dad, let's go out!

Camping Kasbah de la Palmerie is situated in the grounds of the El Caid Kasbah, a place we've learned that has been in the same family for generations. The kasbah has been fully renovated by teams of volunteers, funded by the proceeds of the campsite amongst others, and tours are available although we didn't indulge.

Tomorrow we'll move on to Ouazerzate for shopping then the Valley and Gorges du Dades.

Tuesday 14 February 2017

Foum Zguid to Agdz - 146 miles

Hot and sunny again, we got through our usual routine and were on our way at 10.45 after saying our goodbyes to the young man who had been so friendly and helpful. First call was to top up the fuel tank then onto N12 again heading for Zagora.

Looking at the map above you may wonder why we went “the long way”. Well two good reasons, the first being we had only planned to go as far as Zagora. The second, the road north from Foum Zguid, the R111, was awful last year, being around 30km of potholed piste and we had no reason to believe it was any different whereas we knew the N12 eastwards was fine. As it turned out it was excellent almost all the way to Zagora, the poor sections of last year having been repaired. It was only past the airport (yes, Morocco does have provincial airports) that it had been poorly repaired and was a bit bumpy. It was not particularly scenic, and almost no traffic, although the last third was through an area that was obviously well irrigated because there was a lot of new agriculture going on. We only slowed for the occasional traffic hazard..........

Not a common problem in the UK!

Zagora is a modern, town with, frankly, not much going for it; a long wide open main street lined with cafes, restaurants, small shops and all the other paraphernalia of an average size town. What it did not have was what we wanted, a supermarket so that we could restock the larder. Yes, we could probably have got all we needed from what was there but it can be so much hassle when you're not used to the way they work. Never mind, we aren't desperate and we know that Ouazerzate further up the road has what we want.

Entering Zagora

The much improved R9 between Zagora and Agdz

An old deserted kasbah - one of a few along the valley

So onto the R9 and up the beautiful Draa valley, which is really one great long palmerie following the river and actually has flowing water in it, a rarity in Morocco. There is a tourist route signposted, which we investigated, but the signposts quickly ran out and rather than chance being taken on to a road suitable only for 4x4's we turned back to the main road. Our plan was thus amended to stopping for lunch somewhere then see where we get, but there has been some tremendous road-building and the R9 is now an almost-completed fast silky smooth wide highway. Fine as far as it goes but where once there were any number of places where you could just park off the road, the edge is now some two feet above the verge with next to no chance of parking at all. The road is still in brand new condition through the towns and villages but stopping there only results in being surrounded with kids – and there seemed to be dozens of them about.

The R9 follows the Draa valley and palmeries

Eventually we turned off the R9 along a piste road and found somewhere to stop a few hundred metres away for a, by now, very late lunch. Checking the map and site books we realised that the town of Agdz was probably our best bet for the night and we noted an attractive-looking site just out of the town, Kasbah de la Palmerie, so headed there. And indeed it is a very pleasant place, again parked amongst the palms after a nice welcome from the guardian. This spot has a couple of unusual features which we'll explore tomorrow and tell you about then.

So settle in with a nice cuppa as the sun sets behind the trees. More tomorrow inshallah.

Monday 13 February 2017

More light rain in the early part of the night but it cleared and we woke to a fine warm sunny day again. Bren disappeared while walking the dog and Terry was washed, dressed, van sorted and breakfast being prepared before she came back – chatting with a French couple!

We had intended moving on today but while servicing the van we decided to ask the young guardian for some help with the tyre problem. Half an hour later a guy turned up on a moto, took the wheel off (using our jack etc.) and took it away for repair. Wish I'd got a picture of him, the guardian AND the wheel on the moto! Less than an hour later he was back, refitted the wheel, showed us the broken screw he'd taken out and charged us a reasonable 150 dirhams. Job sorted, eat your heart out Kwikfit! Oh yes, he was also quite good at rounding up cows!

First catch your cow then fix the wheel. Breakdown vehicle in foreground!

But it was now a little late to start out for our next intended destination so we decided to stay another night – it wasn't a hard decision – and go for lunch at the Restaurant Chegaga, our favourite little spot in Foum Zguid. We were once again welcomed and served a delicious meal of Moroccan salad, brochettes of chicken and beef with rice and superb frites with all the usual extras, accompanied by squeezed in front of us orange juice and finishing with cafe au lait. At 150MAD, he got a good tip too and became our friend for life.

Back to the van then and as there was nothing to do we did that. Sitting in and out of the hot, hot sun until it got dark and we withdrew for high tea. It's still nice and warm and we're not unhappy that we were unfortunately delayed.

But push on tomorrow, places to see and some comprehensive shopping now needed so we plan to go to Zagora.

Sunset over the toilet block

Sunday 12 February 2017

Some light rain overnight and a dull cloudy morning with more threatening. After breakfast tidied up then checkout our puncture. Pressure lost overnight so rolled Bertie off the ramps and re-inflated but checking a couple of hours later showed it was still losing pressure slowly but fast enough that we have to get it fixed straightaway or else change the wheel. At least the wheel nuts can be undone okay, we checked!

The rain showers persisted all day and into the evening so it was a day for staying “indoors”, deciding not to go out for lunch. Jamie was a bit unsettled, asking to go out every hour but then coming back in after a few minutes then curling up on whoevers seat had just been vacated!

Jamie "on guard"

So our plan is to move on tomorrow after having the tyre fixed – we spotted a place in the village so will give them a try.

Not the best of days today.

Saturday 11 February 2017

Jamie got us up again, but it's another lovely morning so after breakfast get the washing done. We'd left the boiler on all night so plenty of hot water for a change. With the hot sunshine and a nice breeze it's almost ideal drying weather.

Then we discovered we'd got a flat tyre! Got the compressor out (we come prepared) and pump it up but after a couple of hours it was losing pressure again so it's either the way it's sitting on the ramp or more likely, given some of the roads, a slow puncture. We're not going to worry about it too much, just glad it's happened on a campsite, where we can enlist local help if necessary, rather than the road. We'll investigate further tomorrow.

So after lunch we walked into town to get some bread and water – we live quite frugally you know (not!). It was very quiet and after getting our supplies we stopped at the friendly cafe in the square where the guy remembered us and served us delicious freshly squeezed orange juice. We'll maybe go back tomorrow for lunch.

Back to the van and, as forecast, it had started to cloud over and gone cool. The washing wasn't quite dry so we left it as long as we could but then a suspicion of raindrops on the roof decided us to get it in and close up outside, just in case. As I write the sky is now clearing but the forecast said the rain would carry over until teatime tomorrow so we'll see.

Friday 10 February 2017

Tata to Foum Zguid - 85 miles

The only problem with the parking at Tata is that it's on a main road and gets noisy early so Jamie actually pestered us this morning, first time in ages. Still it was a lovely morning (again!) so we got on with it. After breakfast and packing up we took a short walk around the town looking to maybe top up the larder but all we managed was bread.

Todays target is not very far, about a couple of hours, so we joined the N12 heading for Foum Zguid, a place we've stayed at several times before with a view to staying a few days and get some washing done etc. The road is again a two lane metalled surface but not particularly smooth so we took it easy. Following the line of the Jbel Bani mountain ridge, it was almost straight for many miles at a time, allowing us to use cruise control for a change. Traffic was virtually non-existent, just needed to keep an eye out for roving herds of camels, goats and donkeys – well that's what the signpost said!

Foum Zguid is another garrison town, quite modern but with an old centre. There has been quite a lot of new building around the garrison and today it looked like there were some important visitors judging by the number of chauffeur driven cars parked outside. We easily found the Khaymer Parc campsite and were welcomed by one of the three young lads who run it. He told us just to go find ourselves a place, which was not hard because it was almost empty. We chose the spot where we stayed on our first visit, close to the amenities block and with full sun all day. And a working electricity hookup point!

Got ourselves quickly set up and had lunch then settled down to a hard afternoon, relaxing in the sunshine.............