Morocco Madness, Day 12

Another leisurely start, breakfast and we say our goodbyes. 

Today we can go east or west. Both are appealing. East would take us further into the the arid zone towards the Sahara, something we had both thought about since running the MDS in 2018. But we also want to see the coast and get the benefit of slightly cooler weather; we can't do both. 

Over breakfast ideas run around my head and back in our room they form into a firm plan - we will head to the coast!

Out on the road, and boy it's hot! 🥵 It feels like you're riding into a hair dryer at full blast. In town, the chin bar of my helmet is raised to get maximum airflow, while at speed it drops for protection.

We dice with Marrakesh traffic until we get onto some faster roads heading directly west. Once again we're avoiding the main roads and trying to find interesting ones. That means they're either unmade or twisty. In this case twisty after we turn off and head south west. 

The roads are mostly good quality tarmac and run through Very arid areas and wide dry valleys. There are walled plots of land behind which we can see there are trees growing presumably to harvest some agricultural products. They are like walled oasis in the desert. We pass a few trucks carrying huge loads of hay that seem to defy gravity, hanging over the sides of the truck - if the straps break whoever is beside or behind the truck would be crushed.

We cross many dried up water crossings, fortified with concrete to prevent the road from being washed away. During heavy rains one would have to ford these points very carefully if it was possible at all. 

We drop down to the valley floor and there's the trickle of a river we have to ford. But it is a trickle and presents no problem for us. During the rains this river must be a raging torrential as downstream there is a very steep cliff that's been carved from the rock and it's sides are festooned with detritus hanging from the trees that cling to it's sides, and large rocks are scattered over the river bed itself.

But despite the great roads, we pass through settlements that are virtually deserted (no pun intended). One place has what looks like a row of shop fronts with neat parking places marked out and even a sports ground, but it's a ghost town. 

We ride on and the terrain changes yet again, the river irigates the land and now it's green with palm trees and even forests. 

As we've headed west, it has become noticeable cooler which is a big relief after the oppressive hairdryer heat. 

Christopher and I briefly swap bikes and I relish the smooth and powerful delivery of the Africa Twin, while he enjoys the rough edged 'real bike' rawness of my 33 year old DR650. 

We end up at Essaouira on the coast but our hotel is deep in the old medina, which does not allow motorised access. We find sheltered parking and then lug our bags for ten minutes or so through the maze of narrow alleyways.

The Medina is full of character but in places it's also full of cat shit! Cats are everywhere and just like Moulay Idriss they enjoy the hospitality of the residents while leaving the same residents to walk through a cat shit minefield. The cats are cute though. 

Dinner is outside a small restaurant in a courtyard but the service is rather slow and Christopher is not feeling A1. At least the food is good. 

After the meal, I wander the streets, while Christopher heads back to the hotel to get some shuteye.  Outside the Medina, the city feels like a mini Marrakesh, with entertainment in the city open areas and stalls selling local products. Inside although full of character, it also feels like a bit of a tourist trap.

Our room has a partial sea view and indeed I can see and hear the crashing waves. But there's no obvious way to reach the small sandy area not so far from our hotel. The medina is walled and access outside is only through certain points and there are not many directly facing the sea.  As I write this blog sitting on my bed, I can hear the Atlantic waves crashing against the rocks - heavenly.