A Blue Christmas?

Wed 24th Dec (Xmas Eve)

The site we are on is a small one, mostly made up of German campers. There are two serious, overland vehicles here, the Austrian one has come here via Mongolia!!

I had been disappointed that we hadn't got further into the Sahara, until the German overlanders tell us that they have retreated from there because the weather is too bad! Well, if it's too much them it would be a test too far for Fay (and us!) I feel better; we had made the right decision after all.

We go to the local market to shop and pick up some fish and calamari, oranges and biscuits. Back at the Granite Rose campsite we prepare our Christmas Eve BBQ. Not typical Christmas Eve fayre, maybe, but then this is not a typical Christmas Eve. So as not to be totally unseasonal, we spend the evening playing cards whilst listening to carols on the ipad.

Thurs 25th Dec (Christmas Day)

Christmas Day dawns bright and sunny. Strange as it may seem, we realise that we have not heard a single Christmas pop song. Out with the ipad and a quick search for my all time favourite soon puts that to rights...Slade's Merry Christmas Everybody! Well what else?

After breakfast sat in the sun and phone calls home, we go off in search of the famous blue rocks. They are far bigger than I had imagined and we spend the afternoon walking round these surreal, colourful, giant lumps.

At 6pm, as promised, the campsite owner prepares and cooks for us a three course Christmas dinner: salad, fish tagine and fruit salad followed by tea and chocolates. It was all very nice, enhanced by the fact that we ate it in the moon light.

Fay's turn to paddle!

Wed 23rd Dec

We left oasis camping, following a route plan devised the night before across small roads towards the Anti Atlas Mountains. It is a windy day, meaning that until we reach the mountains we are driving through an orange, sandy mist. Had it not been for the sand storm, we may have ventured further into the Sahara but on hearing that this wind has prevailed for the last four days we opted for the mountains instead.

The pre planned route was going well until we reach a road closed sign. However, the sign is laying down. Does this mean the road is no longer closed or that the wind has blown the sign over? Only one way to find out! On we go over places that have clearly been either cleared or hastily repaired until we reach a missing bridge! We are so close to our next junction, we can see the town we are heading to on the other side of the river. Time for Fay to prove herself once again, we take her for a paddle up stream. She does spin a bit; I expect the riverbed stones are hard on her girly feet? She does it! Emerging out the other side, to the waving approval of the road workers. Good old Fay!

By late afternoon we have reached the town of Tafraoute. We check out the three campsites plus a couple more further out, they are all much of a muchness, so pick the one with the prettiest name! This area is noted for the Lion rock, a large rock bearing the face of a lion. It's not quite Aslan, so somewhat disappointing after we have driven so far to see it.

The welcome at the site is warm, we will see what tomorrow brings. Whatever that maybe it won't involve baking mince pies!

The high road, the low road or NO road!

Mon 22nd Dec

We did leave this morning. Driving on through Sidi Infi, the town which lost all bar one of its campsites in the rain, as well as buildings, roads and bridges. There is a great deal of work to be done here. The road we expected would take us onward, is seriously no more! It has completely disappeared. We won't be joining the Foreign Legion after all! Instead we take the only other road that is open; we'll see where we end up?

The landscape begins to change as we leave the coast. Before our time at Abdul's, we had driven through Argan tree plantations, now we were driving through cactus plantations. Soon it was sand, sand and more sand. With a few palm trees in the mix I was starting to warm to this Moroccan scenery. Now all I need is a camel!

Our campsite tonight is very different but very friendly, different area, different people maybe? It is a small, long established site surrounded by sand dunes and palm trees. We are welcomed with mint tea, which we watch being brewed, it is quite a long, drawn out procedure but worth it. Even I am enjoying the sweet mintyness, usually it's PG tips all the way for me!

Legzira

Fri 19th -Sun 21st Dec

We continued to do very little for even longer! It was so nice to have finally found a place which was not only friendly but also wanted to set good standards. Our host, Abdul, may not have been the first genuine Moroccan we have encountered but he is definitely the first about whom we never had even a momentary doubt. Part of what we have struggled to become accustomed to is the constant "hassling." Until now there has always been someone either trying to sell something, beg, ask for cigarettes/clothes/bicycles, faux guides etc. etc. Hence, Morocco has not been an easy country to relax in and there is absolutely nowhere to hide; even in seemingly the middle of nowhere a person will immediately pop up! So finding Erkounte Camping is a much needed respite.

Apart from enjoying the sun, we walked on the beach, sunbathed a bit and took tea with Abdul; sweet Moroccan mint tea served with honeyed pancakes.

We thought to leave on Sunday but got only as far as Legzira before turning back for another night at Erkounte Camping. Our neighbour, a lone, French fisherman said he was pleased we had returned, as we always speak to him. Abdul said he knew we would be back! Tonight he cooks for us in the restaurant. It is the best meal we have had in Morocco, a delicious salad followed by the most tasty of fish tagines all accompanied with Abdul's homemade bread. To finish, of course, tea and pancakes! This may of been our Christmas dinner??

Legzira was a place we were pleased to find. For sometime we had been trying to locate an un- identified photograph in the guide book of a large rock arch. We found it at Legzira, it is massive; set in deep red cliffs which reminded me of the cliffs at Sidmouth in Devon, these though are a much deeper red in colour, more the ox blood red of an old Chesterfield. There is more than one arch but it is the largest which really steals the show; Durdle Door would be dwarfed by this beast. Richard commented that I have started comparing places to home. Maybe? Perhaps because the time is creeping on? Not that we will find a cream tea here, though! No matter, back to Abdul for honey pancakes instead.

Erkounte Camping - a real Moroccan gem

Thurs 18th Dec

Neither of us had a good nights sleep last night; the site had blazing lights and was noisy, a down side to its position. Whilst still wishing to head further south but not feeling up to a long day, we set off in search of a nicer campsite. Again we see how destructive Mother Nature can be, the effects of the floods are all too apparent. Some towns still have no drinking water, there are bowsers beside rapidly repaired roadways. These repairs, by necessity, are make shift, single track dirt roads.

Before reaching Sidi Ifni, a town mentioned in the Foreign Office advise website as being cut off, we pass a very nice looking site. It is not on any of our maps or guides. It looks so clean I suggest that we turn round and stop there. This campsite is a jewel of a find. It has only been open a week. The owner is very friendly and welcoming, he is rightly so proud of his site. We are given an enthusiastic guided tour of the facilities, the restaurant, the shop and the terrace. This is a very "hands on" proprietor. He tells us how he has built this site and how after running a restaurant in Denmark for 15 years, he returned with his family to his home land. Now he is actively doing all he can to help the small village from which he came. It was the men from his village who have been employed in the building work. He needed to employ the old men to build the traditional outer wall, such building skills are a dying art now. Since the "men's work" is finished, it is now the women's turn to work here, in the kitchen and keeping everywhere spotless. Our host has great plans for his venture, as we learn over cups of Moroccan mint tea and sweet pancakes. Now this is a site I could understand people "long terming it," in.

Abdul tells us that of the four campsites in Sidi Ifni, now only one remains! How terrifying a storm it must have been.

What follows is a very relaxing day, sat in the sun, clear skies above and a calm blue sea below. A good place to do very little!

Tiznit

Wed 17th Dec

As promised the gasman arrived, complete with red, British cylinder the correct size. The price is good and we happily tell him to keep our old cylinder and give him the Turkish one as well. All parties are well satisfied with this transaction.

Happy to move on from somewhere akin to Toromolinos, we reach to town of Tiznit. It is famous for the 5k mud and sand wall which surrounds it. It is impressive and must require almost constant maintenance. Inside is the kasbah. We find the campsite we had earlier read about, which is alongside the wall. It's location is good but again it's facilities leave more than a little to be desired. It is a little less packed than the Agadir site. We are starting to think that Morocco is actually a suburb of France! I am still at a loss to know why people long term on sites like these?

It was the wall we wanted to see though, so a night here will do. There are some other Brits here, they were caught in the floods, cut off at Sidi Ifni for a while until the road could be repaired. They tell us that as far as they know the road to the Foreign Legion Fort we were hoping to camp at, is still impassable.

We walk along the wall and into the kasbah. Tiznit is also famous for its silverware. Earlier on in the day, we thought it wise to fill Fay right up with diesel in case there were shortages further on. This we did, in a modern filling station which accepts Visa card. The only problem was that having filled right up and presented the card, the attendant then discovered that the line connection was still down! Consequently, our fill up cleaned us out of nearly all the cash we had on us. Since we were not intending spending more today, this shouldn't have been a problem and indeed it wouldn't have were it not for a certain very pretty sliver, filigree bracelet! The bargaining for this, over a cup of mint tea, concluded in us leaving the shop with only one dirham between us and Richard minus his wallet! The trader had taken a liking to Richard's Animal branded wallet, so once emptied, took this in part exchange for my handcrafted piece of prettiness. Whatever the actual value of the bracelet maybe, it now has sentimental value attached!

Gassing in Agadir

Tues 16th Dec

After a shower, which would pass even Ant camping Ahmed's standards of cleanliness (clean toilets and showers have become my biggest luxury) we leave by mid day. Neither of us wanted to, the sky was blue and the sun shining strongly enough for shorts and vests, a day sat about here would have been no hardship at all. However, we have a practical need - gas. Sourcing gas for cooking is not as straight forward as it ought to be, our English cylinder is finished and for reasons beyond me, gas, connectors and regulators are not universal. Even the colours of the cylinders, identifying the type of gas inside differs, so what we expect of a red or blue cylinder is not so.

Before leaving Turkey, we purchased a small Turkish type cylinder. It has only been Richard's know how, that has enabled us to us it. Now in Morocco neither English or Turkish types are available, added to this is that Fay's petite rear end reduces our options further; a fat bottle just won't fit!

Yesterday, we found a gas man who is prepared to refill our English cylinder but he can't do it until tomorrow. He tells us to meet him at a certain campsite in Agadir at 11am on Wednesday. So we remain is this area today. It has been a while since we had a day on a beach, luckily it is a warm, sunny day.

Mid afternoon sees us pull into the type of site we would never ordinarily frequent. It is packed, with little more room between vans than a supermarket carpark. The toilets and showers are barely fit for purpose. There is only one "sit upon" in the ladies; it doesn't flush and the door does not even close, let alone lock. Yet for some totally mystifying reason this site is full of "long termers," that is to say, retired Europeans in large motorhomes, staying here for the winter. Why???

The site is close to the centre of Agadir. To relieve the claustrophobia of the site we take a walk along the prom. Agadir is much more euro tourist friendly, there isn't the same edginess of the other places we have been. So for the long termers, Agadir provides a more comfortable atmosphere, less language issues, warm sunshine and a lovely long beach. I still don't understand the choice of campsite though?

Having decided to eat out, we peruse the menus of the many restaurants on the prom, then I spot a sign further along: Pakistani restaurant it says. Usually, we try to eat the food of what ever country we are in but it has been nearly there months now, since we left Pakistan and as the many good memories of our time there start to dim the not so good ones, we opt for a curry tonight. It was, of course, nothing like the food we had in Pakistan though the waiter did tell us he had a Hindi chef. (Not that there are many Hindis in Pakistan) None the less, we made a toast to Karim, our valiant guide for three weeks, and reminisced over our time in his country. When next we email Karim, we shall tell him of the evening we spent watching a Moroccan sunset whilst our minds were much further east.



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