After a couple of days in Marrakech with friends it’s time to continue our journey.
We leave Marrakech on early Wednesday 14 April, we had romantic ideas of getting a train from here to Fes but our bikes weren’t allowed unless completely dis mantled. We can take a bus, it’s only at 12:30 but it’s now 9:00! We waste time drinking cafe au lai, eating boiled eggs wrapped in pancakes (a first and sooo good) and beans.
We arrived in Fes two hours later than estimated, our bus driver found it very difficult to go 100 kmph let alone 120 kmph (the speed limit) which made the 10 hour journey very tedious, Alex started reading the same book twice…
Despite saying we wouldn’t stay in the same place we did when we first arrived in Fes (with hindsight the grotty sheets, cold showers and sound of cats crying weren’t great) but it’s late and all the other places have seedy men so it will have to do. On a plus note they have sorted the showers and the water is hot!
We leave Fes the morning of Thursday 15 April for Chechaouene, another bus journey with a delay - 3 hours turns into 5! We arrive in what they call blue city and it’s absolutely gorgeous. So pristine and the medina is only made up of white and blue facades. We roam the streets observing the friendly people, the lovely doors of houses and small shops full of nick nacks. Our mission is street food so after finding harira, lentils and kefta (all at separate vendors) we head for bed.
Having preciously said we had finished our stint of cycling in Morocco we have decided to cycle from Chechaouene to Merliti as we can’t bear another delayed bus journey! It’s going to be hard after more than a week off the bikes…
Thankfully our day of cycling starts with a lovely long downhill, we look back on beautiful blue city and how high up it is - but to go down you must go up (which Alice sings every-time we go down a bloody hill). And boy do we go up and up and up - a sigh of phew is exerted once it’s over!
As cycling outside Tetouan to get to Merliti the roads became busy with lorries and crazy car drivers. One car got so close to Alice she tried to veer off the road but without use of her breaks she flew into the ditch! No one stopped to help which we were surprised about as people always give us thumbs up when passing or shout well done from their windows. Alex was in front of Alice on the road and unaware of what had happened but a Moroccan lady shouted at her in Arabic whilst speeding in her car by. Alex got off her bike and wondered up the road to find Alice with a few scratches on her one arm and both hands but thankfully nothing serious. We arrive in Merliti exhausted but unfortunately it’s not as wonderful as we were informed. Almost a ghost town with very average but expensive hotels, restaurants and cafés. The beach is spooky with all the beach umbrellas, chairs and tables on it but completely deserted. Tanger is 40 km or so away but after 80 km we can’t peddle anymore - TAXI! We both fall asleep in the back of the taxi exhausted and arrive in a built up, busy and fast paced Tanger. We find a clean hotel, eat yummy sea food and crash.
We board a ferry from Tanger Med Port to Barcelona, we find our cabin then have a G&T on the deck whilst we watch Morocco become smaller in the distance and reflect on what a special month we have shared together in an incredible country.
Commentaires
Enregistrer un commentaire