Day 10
06/01/2010
We were woken early by my alarm 7am
It was time to get up, rain still falling, but only light. Up, dressed, washed and start to pack, as the son poked his head around the corner “morning”, his first and only English, must have practiced all night, then the mother entered with food, very much like crapes or pancakes, with an oil side dressing, hmmmm, dumped the oil, we had some marmalade, washed down with more herb tea.
Just picture, 3 strange men who don’t speak your language, all with expensive bikes, cameras, mobile phones, gps, you name it, piss wet through, come into your house and take it over, leave wet things everywhere, then you feed them, make their beds and give them breakfast, not understanding a word they say!!
Now that’s good people, they really put themselves out for us.
We packed our bags and said thanks, we had arranged the night before between ourselves to pay for every thing.
Saying our goodbyes, we gave them 300 dirhams, about 30 euro, she was over the moon. I think that was about a month’s wages for her. Lubo gave her son a smart t-shirt (needed washing) lol!!
And it was time to go.
The plan, ride north, find a hotel with beer and a nice hot shower, not alot to ask!?!
Cold wind, tired, heading home. The sinking feeling, it was nearly over. We rode, not stopping much, some very cool roads, loads of twisty tarmac, helped brighten our day (and truthfully I’m running out of things to say, I can’t remember now.)
I remember thinking, time for a smoke and pulled over.
I think you can tell from these pic’s how low we all were.
We kept heading north ish, maybe northeast, to the coast, looking for a town somewhere with life.
And the first real town we got close to was RABAT, but we decided it was too early to stop, so, on we rode. I think this was the point where we picked up the A1, a toll road, oops. Another hr or so and we pulled off, heading into a town called KENITRA. What a mistake! It was bedlam!! Must have been rush hour, one way systems and every one had a horn. We kept loosing sight of each other. I used the pavement and zebra crossing the wrong way to get past the cars. Lubo rode through a Mercedes garage and squeezed through 2 new merc’s lol. The owner crapped himself, shouting at lubo. Ian was nowhere to be seen. We just hit the horn’s and went up the middle, making people move. ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH! Let’s get the hell out of doge!! Stopping on the outskirts, ian spotted a hotel, very posh and rather more than we wanted to pay, pool and everything but, ce la vie.
Back on the road again. Time wait’s for no man and nor the open road, A1 again, straight flat and fast. Sun setting, dark again, rain, cold, hmmmmm maybe we should have stopped at that hotel.
Cruising in the dark, bored, I played with the satnav, 100k to the nearest town, PFFFFFFFF!! This was the pits again, tried slipstreaming a wagon, but no good, too turbulent, so dropped back and just followed the lights. I had left ian and lubo far behind, I just wanted to get there, laying on the tank, listing to the engine at 110k, she sounded good, 120k still sweet, hmmmm, faster, faster, 130k, still good, shall I push it? We are nearly home, 140k, this was a little too fast maybe. Best slow down, don’t want to break the bike yet. Back to 120k, that’s a good speed for me. Stopping at a toll booth, I waited for the guys. Then we rode together into LARACHE. Heading for the center, keeping our eyes open for a hotel. What a lovely small town, people everywhere in coffee shops and restaurants. A large square with couples and family’s, sat chatting, music playing, cool place. Ian read his guide book, apparently there were 2 or 3 nice good priced hotels. We parked the bikes and ian was gone, hunting down a bargain with parking or security for the bikes. I wondered off to find cigarettes and lubo sat on his bike, it wouldn’t stay upright lol!!
Go on lubo, let go please!
I grabbed us a coffee and we waited for ian. Not long and he was back, 2 hotels, one for 50 dirhams a night and one for a 100 hmmmm, £5 or £10? He said the £5 one smelled a little and had a shared bathroom and the £10 one had on suite, shower, aircon and tv, SOLD.
Sorry, them prices were per person, also, for a small fee, a guard would watch the bikes all night as they had to be parked outside on the walk way, cool. Let’s get showered and out for a drink.
Gear all laid out trying to dry it, we all showered and got our glad rags on (the only thing that did not smell!)
I opened the window and it was raining hard again, so out came the waterproofs. We asked at the desk for a nice place to eat and somewhere to get a beer, she pointed us in the right direction and we left. The rain got harder, the streets were dead!! Everyone was closing up, just our luck.
But we had beer
A couple of drinks later and off for food. Me and ian had a mixed fish dish and lubo had chicken, then back to the hotel to sleep.
Last night before we hit Europe, now the end was in sight.
5 years and counting
-
