Scooters IN Sahara Update

[Ogmios]

thinking of yez.....

my heart goes out to you lot......

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wish my body were there too!

All the best for a successful trip

at times i think all we see from this distance is the romance of the thing, the "Noble Cause" - not the sheer amount of hard work, blood, sweat and tears it takes to actually DO this.

selfishly speaking i really hope to shake a leg, best foot forward, lend a hand, body and soul actually DO this NEXT time around

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

update

had a phone call from dennis this evening, they are camping tonight and its raining, they hope to get their visas in the morning for the next part of the trip, but a guy camping next to them had been waiting three days for his, so fingers crossed everyone for them for tomorrow.

Allie mrs dennis:

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

update

text from Dennis this morning, they are still in rabat their visas for mauri should be ready tomorrow, howling wind and torrential rain storm at the mo but they are all fine and in good spirits.

 

[Jaq]

As above......

Same from Paul.....pouring rain, soggy tents.....
Times like this, I'm ALMOST glad I'm not there...........er, ok, I'm fibbing really....

P.S.... to Allie...did you have a nice birthday?....x...

 

[Speggo]

Hello from a veryc wet qnd windy Rabat. We hqd q good run down through France & Spain, made better by an excellent night in a chateau run by a collegue of Paul. Good food and huge hot bath & 4 poster bed.

We met up with super hero David Hale on his way back. Thank again David. As promissed, the scoots were reqdy & waiting for us, so after a late meal, off to bed and sorted out the scoots the following morning.

Crossed into Cueta on NYE with the hope of finding a hotel, but no luck as there are only 3 in the place so decided to cross into Maroc instead and find a hotel in Tetuan. After " hours of the usual border trauma we were in Maroc about 10pm but fortuitously they have just opened a new Ibis hotel 1km beyond the crossing so we checked in and spent a subdued NYE with a couple of beers and a tagine. I think it was only my second NYE without a mega hangover Last time was the last scoots trip.

1st Jan. Chefchouan & Voloublis. Roman ruins excellent. Very good campsite 9km further down the road to Meknes.

2nd Jan. Off to Rabat for Mori visas. Arrived too late to submit them, so have to wait till tomorrow.

3rd Jan. John & I took the forms to the Mori embassy only to be told that we had the wrong forms. Quick rewrite and a bit of forgery later and all we have to do is wairt till tomorrow to get them back. The weather here is absolute pants, with torrential rain and gale force winds

More tomorrow and hopefully some pictures.

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

birthday

Hi Jaq

yes I had a great birthday thanks my brother his partner and two children were with me so it was brill, dennis rang earlier they are hold up in a building as the weather is so awfull very soggy tents,

love Allie

 

[Jaq]

Txts from Paul.....apparently the wind and rain have now subsided somewhat.........they were just off to, hopefully collect their visas to travel through Mauritania ( ), which was causing some concern as they had just heard about the Dakar Rally;....and Steve had to go see a doctor as wasn't feeling too well ...after which he'd been given treatment and now will feel much better, with luck,.....blimey, they're certainly getting their moneys worth this time around..........
Anyway, I'm told that the cunning plan today, once they've got aforesaid visas in their sticky little mitts, is to head off towards Marrakesh,..... fingers crossed...

 

[Duchess]

Crikey, they dont seem to be having an easy time of it do they Jaq ?

Fingers crossed here, hope all goes well on the next leg of the journey.

 

[Jaq]

Hi Karen........yes, I hope it's just teething problems....they've all put so much time, money and energy into this.......

The latest is that the Foreign Office is now advising against travel to Mauritania.....oh feck....

 

[Jaq]

22.30........

A Pow Wow has been had and the general agreement is to travel as quickly as possible through Mauritania....sadly avoiding the desert route, which Dennis had so wanted to do...
The decision to keep the Team together is a prudent one, IMO, considering the instability of the country at the present time....a close eye will be kept on updates from the FCO......
At the moment, they're in a hotel, about 100 miles from Marrakesh....the aim being to get there tomorrow lunchtime, all being well....

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

thanks

Thanks for the update jaq

Allie:

 

[MrIFan]

Bugger Dennis will be well miffed about missing out on the Desert again!! Still, better safe than sorry. I presume that as they are heading for Marrakech the visas came through?

Safe trip Guys and Gals, don't go talking to any strangers

 

[Fanum]

I hope they reconsider.......

There will be 50-odd Plymouth Dakar vehicles going through the western Sahara crossing route in a few days.......wouldn't have thought they'd have any trouble whatsoever if they go that way with a large group (and local guides)

 

[Jaq]

The visas came through eventually (!) for travel through Mauritania...
I think the general idea now, though, is to quit whilst ahead and get to Senegal asap......plus Steve not able to drive or ride for 3 days, presumably because of the medication he was given yesterday...
The thought of abandoning the trip had occurred to them, in light of potential troubles, but after coming this far, that obviously didn't sit well and quite rightly so.....
If it all goes boobies up, and the FCO advises it, then they'll come home early....which would be a shame after all this effort....
Anyway, a text from my lovely man this am, said they were setting off for Marrakesh and the sun was shining....

Plus Ian and I will be twiddling our thumbs, by a pool in the Gambia, for a week, if they do come back before time!!.........

 

[Fanum]

Jaq...when you speak to the white legged one, you might want to pass this on.....it's straight off the foreign office travel advisory website

We advise against all but essential travel to the area near Mauritania’s border with Algeria, and the area near Mauritania's northern border with Mali east of Nema, because of the risk of banditry, and the activities of armed smugglers and extremist groups.

The good news is the Scoot's route (unlike that of the Dakar) doesn't go anywhere near the Algerian border......this is where the Polisario are causing the trouble.

EDIT...the part on the FO website that you should register with the British Consul has been in there for several years and we didn't bother the last few times.....I don't know of anyone who has TBH.

As long as they stick to the standard Western Sahara crossing (or the tarmac route as we did on Scoots I) as planned, they should be fine

 

[(RIP) Dennis]

update

Just had a text from Dennis, they have arrived in Marrakesh warm sunshine, kit starting to dry out.

 

[Jaq]

Yes, same here from Paul....they're off into the town tonight.....gits!.....

Bill, thanx for that bit you posted about the FCO....I think that's the same website they're keeping an eye on....so yes, they'll be travelling down the other (Western) side of Mauritania......

 

[Speggo]

Writing this from a cybercafe in Fnar Fnar square, or whatever it is called. Just eaten far too much food in the square and all is right with the world at present.

The latest news is that the main road to Agadir has been closed by snow, so not sure if we will get through the Tizi'n'test pass at all. Plan is to have a go anyway.

I think we are all keen to carry on via Mori unless anything major changes.

Dennis had the first puncture today. Could be the amount of kit he is carrying?

The rain has finally stopped, but we had the new hazard of fog today on the main Casablanca road. Just in case you are wondering, Morrocan drivers can obviously see through fog without the need to slow down or put lights on

Jo's scoot gave up the ghost today, so now we have no running spare. I'm not riding at the moment so it is not too much of a problem.

More later (possibly from TanTan).

Steve & Elaine

 

[Fanum]

Writing this from a cybercafe in Fnar Fnar square, or whatever it is called. Just eaten far too much food in the square and all is right with the world at present.

The latest news is that the main road to Agadir has been closed by snow, so not sure if we will get through the Tizi'n'test pass at all. Plan is to have a go anyway.

I think we are all keen to carry on via Mori unless anything major changes.

Dennis had the first puncture today. Could be the amount of kit he is carrying!

The rain has finally stopped, but we had the new hazard of fog today on the main Casablanca road. Just in case you are wondering, Morrocan drivers can obviously see through fog without the need to slow down or put lights on

Jo's scoot gave up the ghost today, so now we have no running spare. I'm not riding at the moment so it is not too much of a problem.

More later (possibly from TanTan).

Steve & Elaine

I bet Dennis put that bloody Ultraseal in again didn't he!!

Hmm...let me think...who was the only person who had multiple punctures last time!!!

Tizi N Test is never closed for more than a day...they have a whole army of snowplows at Asni....Go for it!!!

Good luck Steve and all.......the uber-rich playboys on their high tech million pound machinery have given up, gone home skeeered and a bag of ragamuffin scoot riders are carrying on with their heads held high....proper job!!!

PS I still want a pic of Dennis giving the P.O.L.O toast

B

 

[Loiq]

We need some pictures, I know yours busy and all that but...

Send best regards to the rest of the scoots team from darkest surrey

regards Lo-IQ