As the title suggests, after planning a trip with a few mates and they all backed out, I went to morocco alone......
The trip started on 22nd April, just haven't had time to upload the pictures etc..
The ride down to Poole was uneventful. The crossing was cheap and cheerful, LD lines from Poole to Gijon which for a return with a cabin and the bike was £160, I thought that was good?
The boat is a little tired, the Norma Asturius, looking a bit dated and no bloody WiFi!
26 hours later arrived in Gijon at 8pm, and with nowhere booked for the first night decided to head for Leon. I did take a couple of wrong turns and ended up arriving at Leon around 11:30, with nowhere to stay and everything looking like it was closing up I remember thinking this could be interesting.. I stumbled across a nice looking hotel with underground secure parking, can't remember what it was called, it was late! 60 euros for B&B and the parking, I had decided prior to the trip that my budget was around 40 euros a night but it was now midnight and needs must...
Headed out early, had a McDonalds (good old Maccy D!) breakfast and sat by the river in the centre of Leon thinking about the day ahead.
The plan was always to ride straight down through Spain as the destination was Morocco. So I headed out of Leon and south for Madrid. Spanish motorways are quite good, and of course in the light of day I came across numerous hotels along the motorway I could have stopped at rather than the expensive one in Leon but hey-ho...
Zamora, Salamanca, Caceres, Merida, Seville, all went in a flash. Hit some serious rain north of Seville but it seemed to came and go real quickly, then just south of Seville I decided it was time to get the camera out......
I really liked the tree opposite, can't say why but it looked like a nice tree?
So, had a quick drink here and a snack, then decided to press on.
I had always planned not to plan? i.e. not to book hotels, just seems a bit more exciting? Looked at the map here and decided to head for Jerez where I would try to find a hotel.
I got down to a nice little place called El Cuervo. Bit of a one horse town but very quaint. The first hostel I came to looked fairly clean and at 15 euros a night for B&B I thought I couldn't go wrong?
Even somewhere for the bike!
A bit of a walk round the town, a couple of beers and some tapas, then an early night. I was about 2 hours from Algeciras so an early start would see me at the port early enough to get over to Morocco reasonably early.
A 6:30 start from El Cuervo saw me in Algeciras at 9ish. The Moroccan 'way' started there. As soon as I rode into the port I was hounded by 'hustlers' all wanting me to buy a ticket from 'theyre friend'. Luckily as soon as I parked the bike and saw about 3 of these coming towards me a police car came round and scattered the roaches. The policewoman in the car was really helpful, as I really didn't have a clue about what to do! She directed me to the ticket offices where I bought a return for 120 euros.
I had read some horror stories about boats that never leave on time, taking hours to load but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised!
The boat loaded almost straight away and a 10:30 sailing actually left at 10:30!!
Well, within 10 minutes we were in the Straight of Gibraltar on a high speed Cat, crossing time 45 mins, Africa Here I come!!
A large Chinese container lorry sailing across made me wonder where was all that stuff going, it was huge!!
Then into the port of Cueata there is a statue of some god or something holding up a couple of pillars? I think its supposed to signify the mountains either side of the Gibraltar straight?
So, docked in Cueata which is really still Spain. A very short trip to the border, god was I dreading the border...
I had decided to cross to Cueata as opposed to Tangier Med as I sort of figured it might be easier doing the two separately?
The border was definately one to forget......
As soon as I came within spitting distance at least 3 'fixers' made a bee-line for me and rushed towards me waving frantically. I had decided that I would try to make it through without getting involved with the 'fixers' and seeing a couple of official customs guys in the blue suits decided to ride across to them, and ask for advice. Now I read all the bumph on crossing the border on here, but nothing quite prepares you for the complete 'mayhem' that is the Moroccan border..
One of the 'fixers' that were coming over was now waving really frantically and shouting, but I had fixed my gaze on the officials and nothing was going to stop me reaching them, except that is a make shift barrier, made from a scaffold pole and 2 plastic blocks...
I dont quite know how I managed to stay upright, or damage the bike more than I did, but that sound of me hitting the barrier, albeit at 5-10 mph, and the shear shame of it will live in me forever.....
After collecting my thoughts, and the unwanted attention of the whole of the border, I decided to get off and survey the damage. The scaffold pole was at exactly the right height that it went under the oil cooler air duct and over the top of the front mudguard, I honestly couldn't have caught it any better that I did, virtually no damage at all, even the blue paint of the pole came off the underside of the fairing, although it was fair to say i was pig sick, and actually felt physically sick....
I had been told all about the border and how crooked it was but nothing prepares you for it, so blatant, even the police at the exit who check your passport again flick through it, checking for money, he was disappointed as there was none in mine, and very abruptly said I had to go back, "No Stamp" he said, I was that pissed off by then that I got off the bike, opened the passport and stuck the fucking stamp right under his nose, he looked surprised and just waved me on and walked away!
So, the 'fixers' now had me. About 20 minutes later and about 10 quid lighter I was in Morocco!
Stopped in a bank to pick up some cash, then a quick look at the map, and I was off, heading for Tetuoan, then ChefChoaun.
More tomorrow..
The trip started on 22nd April, just haven't had time to upload the pictures etc..
The ride down to Poole was uneventful. The crossing was cheap and cheerful, LD lines from Poole to Gijon which for a return with a cabin and the bike was £160, I thought that was good?
The boat is a little tired, the Norma Asturius, looking a bit dated and no bloody WiFi!
26 hours later arrived in Gijon at 8pm, and with nowhere booked for the first night decided to head for Leon. I did take a couple of wrong turns and ended up arriving at Leon around 11:30, with nowhere to stay and everything looking like it was closing up I remember thinking this could be interesting.. I stumbled across a nice looking hotel with underground secure parking, can't remember what it was called, it was late! 60 euros for B&B and the parking, I had decided prior to the trip that my budget was around 40 euros a night but it was now midnight and needs must...
Headed out early, had a McDonalds (good old Maccy D!) breakfast and sat by the river in the centre of Leon thinking about the day ahead.
The plan was always to ride straight down through Spain as the destination was Morocco. So I headed out of Leon and south for Madrid. Spanish motorways are quite good, and of course in the light of day I came across numerous hotels along the motorway I could have stopped at rather than the expensive one in Leon but hey-ho...
Zamora, Salamanca, Caceres, Merida, Seville, all went in a flash. Hit some serious rain north of Seville but it seemed to came and go real quickly, then just south of Seville I decided it was time to get the camera out......
I really liked the tree opposite, can't say why but it looked like a nice tree?
So, had a quick drink here and a snack, then decided to press on.
I had always planned not to plan? i.e. not to book hotels, just seems a bit more exciting? Looked at the map here and decided to head for Jerez where I would try to find a hotel.
I got down to a nice little place called El Cuervo. Bit of a one horse town but very quaint. The first hostel I came to looked fairly clean and at 15 euros a night for B&B I thought I couldn't go wrong?
Even somewhere for the bike!
A bit of a walk round the town, a couple of beers and some tapas, then an early night. I was about 2 hours from Algeciras so an early start would see me at the port early enough to get over to Morocco reasonably early.
A 6:30 start from El Cuervo saw me in Algeciras at 9ish. The Moroccan 'way' started there. As soon as I rode into the port I was hounded by 'hustlers' all wanting me to buy a ticket from 'theyre friend'. Luckily as soon as I parked the bike and saw about 3 of these coming towards me a police car came round and scattered the roaches. The policewoman in the car was really helpful, as I really didn't have a clue about what to do! She directed me to the ticket offices where I bought a return for 120 euros.
I had read some horror stories about boats that never leave on time, taking hours to load but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised!
The boat loaded almost straight away and a 10:30 sailing actually left at 10:30!!
Well, within 10 minutes we were in the Straight of Gibraltar on a high speed Cat, crossing time 45 mins, Africa Here I come!!
A large Chinese container lorry sailing across made me wonder where was all that stuff going, it was huge!!
Then into the port of Cueata there is a statue of some god or something holding up a couple of pillars? I think its supposed to signify the mountains either side of the Gibraltar straight?
So, docked in Cueata which is really still Spain. A very short trip to the border, god was I dreading the border...
I had decided to cross to Cueata as opposed to Tangier Med as I sort of figured it might be easier doing the two separately?
The border was definately one to forget......
As soon as I came within spitting distance at least 3 'fixers' made a bee-line for me and rushed towards me waving frantically. I had decided that I would try to make it through without getting involved with the 'fixers' and seeing a couple of official customs guys in the blue suits decided to ride across to them, and ask for advice. Now I read all the bumph on crossing the border on here, but nothing quite prepares you for the complete 'mayhem' that is the Moroccan border..
One of the 'fixers' that were coming over was now waving really frantically and shouting, but I had fixed my gaze on the officials and nothing was going to stop me reaching them, except that is a make shift barrier, made from a scaffold pole and 2 plastic blocks...
I dont quite know how I managed to stay upright, or damage the bike more than I did, but that sound of me hitting the barrier, albeit at 5-10 mph, and the shear shame of it will live in me forever.....
After collecting my thoughts, and the unwanted attention of the whole of the border, I decided to get off and survey the damage. The scaffold pole was at exactly the right height that it went under the oil cooler air duct and over the top of the front mudguard, I honestly couldn't have caught it any better that I did, virtually no damage at all, even the blue paint of the pole came off the underside of the fairing, although it was fair to say i was pig sick, and actually felt physically sick....
I had been told all about the border and how crooked it was but nothing prepares you for it, so blatant, even the police at the exit who check your passport again flick through it, checking for money, he was disappointed as there was none in mine, and very abruptly said I had to go back, "No Stamp" he said, I was that pissed off by then that I got off the bike, opened the passport and stuck the fucking stamp right under his nose, he looked surprised and just waved me on and walked away!
So, the 'fixers' now had me. About 20 minutes later and about 10 quid lighter I was in Morocco!
Stopped in a bank to pick up some cash, then a quick look at the map, and I was off, heading for Tetuoan, then ChefChoaun.
More tomorrow..