Day 58 - Dar Bouazza

The sun was out and feeling quite warm when we left around 11am this morning. Our first stop was to do some shopping at a supermarket in El Jadida. About an hour later we pulled into the car park of Marjane and spent some time looking around the shop trying to find the things we wanted. It struck me that not only are these shops laid out differently to our usual ASDA back home but once you find the items you have to try and interpret what is inside the packet from the external labelling which of course is likely to be arabic or french. All part of the challenge.

We then made our way the short distance to the chosen campsite in the centre of town. On driving around we were not too impressed and decided to move a little further north to another site even though the reviews for this were not great. As we were driving along I am thinking that I am going to miss the first half of the commentary between Bournemouth & Blackburn. We arrive at around 3:30pm and turn on the computer to listen to the remaining time in the match. To my surprise there had been an accident around the ground and they had delayed the kick off until 3:30pm so I was in fact able to listen to all but a few minutes. Unfortunately we only drew 0-0 which is not a great result for us. The site is very agreeable but we are moving on tomorrow up the coast.

Featured image shows some of the stunning scenery as we are making our way north on the coast road.

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Day 57 - Oualidia

Time to move on today. We serviced the vans, paid our dues (90 dirhams a night - £6.50 which included electric) and departed around 11am.

We intended to travel up the coast the 30 miles to take a look at where we had an overnight stop last year. The idea was to take lunch here and either stay the night or move on up to El Jadida if it didn’t suit. As it turned out it was exactly as I remembered it and Terry & Brenda agreed that we should stay the night after we had taken an initial walk up to the sea front.

The place is a natural lagoon and very sheltered. It is where the Moroccans take their holidays and there are lots of holiday apartments here. We are parked on a car park split in two by a bridge. One side has maybe 30 vans whilst our side has 15 tonight. The cost is 25 MAD or £1.80 for the night.

Tina rested this afternoon whilst I took the video of our journey today of the dashcam and joined the parts. I can now edit this when I get back to the UK and maybe add some music to give people an idea of the scenery and how friendly people are. We had kids waving whilst driving along and some with their hands out for sweets, pencils or money. The sweets and pencils have long gone and we have taken the decision that handing out money really makes very little difference.

We now plan to move up to El Jadida tomorrow … our original probable destination for today… oh well we are on holiday and can enjoy the remaining time we have left here whatever way we choose.

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Day 56 - Safi

Another quiet day… warm if not a little breezy.

We took the opportunity to catch up with family and friends using Skype. Not a lot of gossip but just good to hear that everything is OK back at home.

After lunch Tina decided to have a lie down and I couldn’t sit there anymore and see our lounge blind all crumpled so I decided to have a go and fix it. Fortunately I watched the fitter back at the garage in Agadir when he tried re-tensioning it so I knew how to take it apart. With a little help from Terry at the end with the tensioning it was soon operational again.

The two dutch groups moved off today so there were only a handful of units here on site. Very peaceful.

Featured image today was taken at Essouira where we met a Moroccan guy, educated in the USA, and his girlfriend travelling in the trike. They had done 7000km in 9 months sleeping and eating in this vehicle.

Moving on tomorrow with a general plan of moving up the coast a little further. We will see where we end up tomorrow night…..

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Day 55 - Safi

Relaxing and quiet day. As usual Tina had done too much and her feet and ankles were hurting more than normal. We decided that she needed to rest and so she amused herself with doing jigsaws on the IPad.

I sat in with Terry & Brenda and took copies of their dash cam footage for the recent journeys. I also took copies of the recent photos they had taken. Later in the day I started to convert and join the individual files into one day’s film of the journey on that day. It will make it easier to edit and view in the future.

In the afternoon another group of dutch campers arrived for one night. They consisted of both caravans and motorhomes. I did some research on the group that arrived yesterday which is an escorted tour run by the KDC… the dutch equivalent of the caravan club. They were two weeks into a 50 day tour of Morocco. The tour included a number of exercursions, meals and the ferry across from Spain but did not include fuel, campsite fees of food. The cost … €2950 per van. We have done the trip far cheaper and would have had plenty of money left over for the execrations if we chose to do them.

Mid afternoon the electric circuit board where the cables where connected to caught fire. One of the dutch proceeded to pour water over the flames and we wondered why it didn’t cause more problems but it did put the flames out. It wasn’t long before the staff here started the repair work and we were connected again in around 90 minutes. The work down in accordance with Moroccan standards not european. It seems that on of the dutch had connected into our group of electrics and in turn a number of vans connected to him. The electrics simply overloaded and as there is no trip it caught fire.

Listened to the Bournemouth match against Nottingham forest. The internet here is better than usual and we did not suffer from too much buffering. We lost the match 2-1 and are slowly slipping down the league table. Lets hope we start winning again soon. Next match against Blackburn on Saturday… that we will be a test of nerves.

Decided that we would rest again tomorrow and move again on Friday…. Getting closer to our exit from Morocco.

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Day 54 - Safi

We left today around our usual time and travelled the 140km up to Safi. The journey took us along the coast road that we travelled last year. The scenery is stunning with waves breaking over the rocks and some coastal beaches that would have been good to use for wild camping if we could find a spot. The end of the journey as we approached Safi we were passing some industrial plants one of which was a phosphates complex.

Once set up and lunch taken we got the washing machine out to catch up on an overflowing washing basket. The wind was gusting and so it didn’t take long for the majority to dry. Tina once again did too much and suffered with her ankles and legs so much so that she was in bed before 9pm with additional pain relief.

We have taken the decision to spend a couple of days here and enjoy the sunshine and not having to travel. Not sure when we will move on up the coast nor how far the next stage will take us… its all part of the adventure.

The site has some very loud peacocks roaming and once again dogs that continued to bark most of the evening. Lets hope that they don’t continue into the night and keep us awake like Essaouira.

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Day 53 - Essaouira

Delightful day. Leisurely morning whilst we get organised to visit the medina in the centre of town.

We walk up to the hotel where we are likely to get a petite taxi. Soon one comes along and we all start to get in. Sorry says the drive “I am only licenced to carry 3 passengers” I am sure that we have seen these taxis elsewhere with 4 passengers and the driver. Tina and I got in with the understanding that Terry & Brenda would catch the next taxi.

Once down in town I start to look at each taxi as they come by as there is more than one place where they could be dropped off. I must have stood there for 20 mins before walking back to Tina and suggesting we try somewhere different just in case we missed them. Lo & behold they had walked the journey and were only just behind me.

We all walked around the medina with its different shops selling all manner of things aimed at the tourists. We came upon the battlements where there were cannon still in place. Looking over the wall the sea was crashing over the rocks. It was a great vista and pleasantly relaxing.

After walking around some more we came upon a square at the back of the shops which had restaurants on all sides. We chose one and ordered our meals. Very nice and delicious. A little expensive by Moroccon standards but still cheaper that we are used to. The cost around 100 Dirhams or £7 each.

We now walked back to the area where we had parked 12 months before. The car park was still there but Motorhomes were not allowed anymore. Each couple took a taxi back the 2km to the van. It cost 7 dirhams (50p). You wouldn’t get that value in the UK.

Tina rested the afternoon and we made a decision to move on tomorrow to Safi … about 140km (just about 90 miles). We have chosen a campsite where we can get electric and catch up on the washing. Our trek north continues albeit slowly.

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Day 52 - Essaouira

We’ve travelled to the coast today which is the first part of the slow route back to the port at Tangier Med. We have around two weeks before we intend to cross back into Spain and then push on to Southern France and finally the UK via Eurotunnel.

There was no real difference between using the toll roads or not so we decided to come non motorway. The road was in the most part straight and across flat open countryside. Very boring !! The sun did come out and out of the wind it was quite warm at around 20°C

Now parked up on the guardian parking alongside the beach. We hope that we will take a stroll or taxi into town tomorrow and have a look at the medina. Last year we stopped only one night and saw nothing of this very pretty little place.

The wind has strengthened and it can feel quite cold compared to what we have got used to recently. Shouldn’t complain though as we can still go out without a heavy coat, gloves, scarf etc.

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Day 51 - Marrakesh

Today was a day of relaxation, recuperation and communication.

Late start to the day. Whilst having breakfast at around 10:30am we skyped Andrew, Krish and the girls. It was so lovely to see the grandchildren and realise how much they change in such a short time. When you see them most weeks you never really appreciate their development. We followed this with a FaceTime call to Stacie, Summer, Bentley and Skye. We haven’t spoken to them for quite some time and in both instances we were able to show them something of our surroundings.

After our calls I helped Brenda set up her Facebook account and start to invite some of her friends to join her. She was able to use their Hudl to start to see photos that she hadn’t seen before.

After lunch I sat and listened to the build up and the commentary of the game between Bournemouth and Brentford. Disappointedly we lost the game 3-1 but it seems that we had missed a number of chances. It still keeps us in the running for top honours if we start to win again.

When the match finished Tina, Brenda and I strolled up to the on site 'gift shop’. Mohammad decided that he had to sell us something and started to dress me in a Jellaba and berber headdress. I was not impressed but the girls couldn’t stop laughing at my expense. I turned down the offer to buy. He then turned his attention to Tina. She showed some interest in a tunic and pantaloons and once again added the headgear. I must say that she looked far better in her outfit than I did in mine. We ended up buying the outfit minus the headgear.

After our evening meal we spent the evening with our travelling companions and recounted things from our past and remembered old TV programs. How sad is that but good fun and lots of laughs !!

Tomorrow we are heading for the coast and will start the steady but slow drive north to the port. The current plan is to cross in 14 days from today. We have no definitive plan where we might stay tomorrow but know the general area. The adventure continues ….

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Day 50 - Marrakesh

Wow … what a great day.

We woke late and took our time this morning. We showered and had a leisurely breakfast. We were offered yesterday the opportunity to have both vans washed for 80 dirhams each (about £5.50). This morning we took up the offer after Tina suggested that I was not fit enough to do it. She’s right of course. He spent a long time on each van and made a really good job… well pleased with the result as its no longer chocolate brown but the silver grey its supposed to be.

Whilst the van was being washed Tina was cleaning the inside from the mud that had found its way onto the carpet and floors. She also washed out a few things. We made arrangements for the mini bus to take us into the square this evening at 5:30pm. and agreed a price.

After lunch Terry and I fitted the Tyre pressure monitors I had purchased in the UK and been carrying all of this time. It will be interesting to see if it all works without any of the alarms when we leave here probably on Sunday.

It was now time to risk life and limb to take the ride into town. It became fairly apparent that the driver was late for the next pickup as he was not just driving fast but also weaving in and out of traffic. I am so glad that we didn’t bring the vans into the centre of the city.

We arrived at the square and felt disappointed as the pop-up restaurants were nowhere to be seen. We plumped for a meal in one of the established restaurants on the edge of the square with some great views. Very nice meal and at slighlty higher cost than we have become used to. We now had an hour to kill. We strolled a little way into the souk but was afraid that we might not find our way out in time for the return journey (Last year Tina and I with some friends got lost for three hours). We did however now find the pop-up restaurants. Its a shame that we didn’t come a little later as eating in one of them would have been an experience on its own. Maybe next year.

A slow stroll back to the pickup point and then a more relaxed drive back. There was still the weaving and near misses but it was not with quite so much haste.

A good enjoyable day and yet more unforgettable experiences. Morocco never ceases to amaze me.

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Day 49 - Marrakesh

I

t continued to rain throughout the night but had stopped by day break. The site was showing some signs with puddles. I once agin got clay stuck to my shoes when I went to retrieve the electric cable.

The trip today was not a long one … just over 100 miles. However, we were going to go up and down mountains for most of the way. The journey was eventful at one point when we came across  a small car which had hit something and now had its from t left all stove in and sitting in a ditch on a narrow part of the mountain road. Trucks, coaches and cars were having to inch past. Some trucks were parked up a short distance down from the accident. The drivers were out of their cabs and praying on their pray mats. You wouldn’t see that in the UK.

Eventually after some 5 hours we arrived at a supermarket. We hadn’t done any shopping at a large store for a few weeks so it was good to stock up. Tina was able to get her yoghurt for breakfast which had run out a couple of days ago.

Our next port of call was the campsite we had used last year. It had the area we used cordoned off as the Desert Detours party are due in tomorrow. It is quite busy and we are put into place and now hooked up so a nice hot shower is on the cards for the morning.

It wasn’t long before we were asked if we needed any meals delivered, Taxi rides in to town or the van washing in the morning. It looks like we will have the van washed as its absolutely covered in red mud from the days drive. We are also going into town to the medina / souk and have a meal in the square tomorrow evening. Looking forward to that. The rest of the day will be taken up with cleaning the interior of the van as its caked in mud and sand is everywhere. Happy days… at least its stopped raining and the temperatures are due to improve by the weekend.

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Day 48 - Ouarazazate

What a horrendous day!!

First the wind was still blowing quick strongly and had been all night but it had died down a little. Terry’s problem with the water seemed to be temporailiy fixed. The spring from one of his tie down straps went flying whilst we has struggling getting his roller blind in yesterday. The search yesterday proved negative and today there was still no sign of it. All the units around us had, or where, going today so the campsite suddenly looked empty. Was it something we said lol

The journey north started well and for the first few kilometres the road was good but it soon degraded into a track with many potholes. The rains in late 2014 had done a lot of damage and it was very evident on this road. Our speed was reduced to no more than 20mph and that was on a good bit. It was very evident that the Morocco authorities are trying to repair the road as there was a lot of heavy machinery at work on a stretch of road about 20 miles long.

Our route took us up into the mountains and the temperature plummeted to 3°C and we were driving as it was snowing. Fortunately it was not settling but it was cold especially since arriving here in Morocco.

Finding the designated campsite was an art in itself. We found it down a rough old track and through an arch that was only just big enough to get through. We were shown to where he wanted us to park. As we stepped out of the van my foot was immediately engulfed in very wet clay which stuck to the shoes. Terry and I decided that a different part of the site was called on so we moved to better ground. It had been raining here and continued for most of the day. It didn’t get any warmer either.

Tina took the boys out for a walk through the entrance gate whilst Terry and I was in reception. Next we hear a cry of help. Tina had fallen on the wet clay which was like ice to walk on. We quickly came to her aid. Terry took the dogs and I lifted Tina. I also nearly slipped myself. She was soon back in the van. She washed herself down and slept on the bed for a few hours to recover.

We are not impressed with the site and have decided to move on tomorrow. We are going back to Marrakesh and hopefully have a meal in the square on one of the nights. We are also going to attempt to find where they fill gas bottles.

It is still raining tonight so not sure what the ground will be like in the morning…..

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Day 47 - Foum Zguid

Very relaxed day. We didn’t rush to get out of bed therefore we didn’t have breakfast until nearly 11am. How wrong is that I ask myself. Oh well we are retired and on holiday …. why not.

Finally sorted out my dash cam. Been playing with it since yesterday but I did eventually apply a firmware upload to it and got it working again properly. I might actually now be able to download and show some of the stunning scenery that we have enjoyed since leaving the coast. Look out for an update.

We planned to have a stroll up to town in the evening but a strong wind came up really quickly. It picks up when the temperatures drop i.e in the morning and in the evening. When the temperature rises the wind drops. Our plans for the meal out tonight had to change as no one wanted to venture out with the dust swirling around and getting in all sorts of orifices. We have packed up all the outside gear ready for the off tomorrow.

Whilst packing up the outside gear both Terry and I took down our clothes dryer tripods. However when Terry removed the pegs holding his down a water leak app reared. He had pierced a water pipe that was running from the toilet block to the shower for the swimming pool. It was buried only about two inches below the surface. On of the your boys was called and he proceeded to try and fix it. He had brought with him a bicycle inner tube which he cut up into a strip and tightly wrapped the pipe before fixing it into position with some of Terry's cable ties. It eventually seemed to do the trick. Knowing Morocco I bet that will be still like it next year if we return.

The winds were very strong throughout the evening and seem likely to continue throughout the night. The van is rocking from the wind ... Nothing else I hasten to add. Lol. It's off to Ouarzazate and Camping La Palmarie and another scenic drive we hope.

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Day 46 - Foum Zguid

Woke this morning and the wind was blowing a hooley. Our mat was 10 feet away even though it had some stone placed on it yesterday.

As we are on Electric thought that we would take showers and wash our hair… saves the precious gas. There are no places to refill our Gaslow bottles unlike Europe. By mid morning the wind had dropped and the temperature rising. Brenda continued with her washing in the machine. I spent around 3 hours trying to do some online banking transfers but because of the intermittent internet it kept failing which only meant I had to start again.

Around lunchtime we strolled up to the town centre… a roundabout with some shops and restaurants strategically placed. We ordered a meal at a restaurant recommended by the other brits on the site. We had marinated chunks of chicken on skewers cooked over charcoal together with chips, side order of salad, bread and very fresh orange juice. We saw at least 6 oranges go into every glass of juice…how fresh is that. The total cost for four people 240 dirhams (£17). What great value.

The afternoon Tina took a rest while more washing was done by Brenda. Our evening was once again enjoying the company of Terry & Brenda in their van. We decided that we might take a look at the town in the evening tomorrow and may be have a meal. Decisions…decisions. Great weather, good company, cheap to live what more could we ask for.

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Day 45 - Foum Zguid

Woken early this morning with the sound of our Italian friends getting ready to leave the site. They left at around 7:30am. So glad I am not in their party…. we are not up for early starts. We got ourselves ready for the journey and left around 11am. The road was straight and along flat land. We did see a variety of animals that included the usual goats, sheep etc but also some camels.

It was around 1:30pm when we arrived in the town and pulled of the road down a scruffy track. My thoughts were “What are we doing trying to stay here!”. However on pulling through the archway and beckoned around the back of the site we soon found ourselves in our own parking area with electric and clean toilets close by (albeit they look dilapidated they were extremely clean)

After lunch we dragged the washing machine out from the garage and Tina set too and started the mountain of washing. It had been 10 days since we last used the machine. In the heat of the day that we were enjoying the bedding and clothes soon dried. Next it was Brenda’s turn to make a start on her clothes washing. Her bedding will be completed tomorrow.

After dinner Tina decided that she would have an early night to rest her aching bones. She retired at around 9pm.

Tomorrow there is the weekly souk in town so we plan to take a stroll the short distance to have a look at what they have to offer…. perhaps another teapot for Tina.

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Day 44 - Tata

It was warm last night unlike the nights we had at Tafraoute. The only drawback was the early morning call to the Mosque at 5:30am followed by a 6:00am call. We woke late and the temperature was climbing. The decision was to go and explore the town and visit the souk.

Vegetables purchased together with some things that Tina wanted to buy like a dress and a tea pot. She has always enjoyed tea pots and kettles…. not sure why. We then strolled back to the van and got back around 12:30pm. We had shut all the blinds and kept the van cool which I am sure the boys appreciated.

After lunch I took advantage of the free WIFI in the swimming pool cafe. I listened to AFCB versus Huddersfield and thankfully we had a positive result of 1-1 and not a loss. Its a shame we let them steal a goal. On my return back to the van I found that a group of around 10 italian vans had just arrived. It seems that this could be a Desert Detours group on a 23 day tour. I have no italian to go and ask.

We have decided that we will move on in the morning and Tina will get her wish to get some washing done.

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Day 43 - Tata

We said goodbye to Tafraoute for another year. All our fellow FUNsters came across and said their goodbyes and wished us well on our travels. It was touching to leave but leave we must as we want to see a little more of this marvellous country with its stunning scenery and friendly people.

We left around 11am to travel the 180km route. The first part of the route was extremely slow going. The roads were very pitted and mostly gravel. The later part of the journey was on better tarmac roads and at one point I even got the vehicle into top gear.

The slowness of the journey was compensated by the spectacular scenery. We climbed up and down mountain passes with endless hair pin bends. One of the most enjoyable drives we have had here albeit we needed to concentrate to avoid the many boulders, holes and uneven surfaces. We passed through Berber villages, oasis and saw many of the locals going about their business. Many of the children waved and were hoping that we would stop and give them sweets, pencils or pens. Unfortunately we have already given our stock away before now.

We reached our destination around 5pm. The town of Tata is disappointing as we had hoped that it would be similar to Tafroute but it turns out to have quite modern buildings. We are parked in a municipal site with shared electric hookup just outside of the swimming pool. It sounds much better than it really is. You would not want to go swimming as none of the pools here in Morocco are heated and they stay very cold even with the warm sunshine during the day.

There is nowhere to walk the boys here and Tina is suffering from walking on the uneven surfaces at Tafroute. It looks like more duties for me lol

It is much warmer here this evening. Its 8:30pm and we have the habitation door and roof vent open. There is not the cutting wind that we had at Tafraoute at night. Temperatures are likely to be higher here in the daytime.

Terry posted on the FUNsters forum how disappointed we are with Tata and low and behold we received information quickly back of the places we should investigate so that is what we will do in the morning….

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Day 42 - Tafroute

The morning started well when I read our power input from the solar panels. It was reading over 5 amps before 9am and the sun was just coming up. We must have been successful with the change of regulator yesterday. Hoorah!!

Leisurely breakfast followed by sitting around with the others until just after noon when we wandered down to town for some shopping and lunch. We eat in the ‘transport cafe’ as Lynne, one of our fellow FUNsters, calls the place. Last year coaches and lorries were parked in close proximity whereas this year they are a little further down the road.

The walk back from town was tiring for us both and we needed to sit once back at the vans. On arrival we were greeted by the FUNsters that had arrived in the afternoon.  These included Simon & Margaret, Dave, Sue and Martin & Susan. More drinks and banter was shared and the session that started with Darren, Lynne, Phillip & Mena hadn’t stopped and continued. Checked our batteries…. fully charged. Hoorah Hoorah.

When the sun went down everyone started to retire to their vans as the temperature dropped and the wind was biting. Susan asked if I could get her MIFI working. It was still unlocked and no-one was able to work out how to use the unlock code that had purchased. The unlocking was simple but the adding the APN settings was a little more challenging but after a while I did get it working. Each Internet device is different and the interface needs a little working out.

We had already decided to move on earlier in the work and now the day has come it looks like we are leaving because the others have arrived and more expected over the next couple of days. This indeed is not the case but we are looking forward to the next part of our adventure ….

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Day 41 - Tafraoute

After a restless night trying to work out what we should do about our solar regulator sods law came into action this morning. After breakfast our neighbours, a German couple, started to pull off site but then almost immediately returned followed by a white van….. the same guys who had fitted our regulator and solar panel at Taghazout. How strange is that. I took a wa
nder over and he immediately recognised me. He was fitting a panel to the germans van. We would be visited after to see if he could diagnose our problems.

We had planned to go into town and have lunch but sadly we now have to wait for the solar guy. Terry & Brenda went on without us and we agreed to meet in town around 1pm. Sadly our visit didn’t start until around this time and by then Terry & Brenda had walked back.

After much explanation he could not see that he was measuring the output of the good panel not the faulty regulator (in my opinion) but eventually after around an hour or so fitted a new type of regulator which I felt much happier with. Still not sure if he has fixed the issue but I have concluded that we will need the whole installation checked out in the UK anyway.

Our visit to town was aborted and we sat out in the afternoon heat and sun. Lovely. Mid afternoon we were joined by the german couple, Robert and Lisa who hail from Ulm. Darren, Lynne, Phillip and Mena also joined our little group and we enjoyed the conversation.

We have agreed that the town visit will take place tomorrow and we will leave Tafraoute on Friday and hope to get to Tata. Hopefully we will be on electric hookup and we will be able to takle our mound of washing. Another couple on the forum posted how they had to retire inside this afternoon due to the heat whilst they were parked up at Tata. Bring it on is what I say.

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Day 40 - Tafraoute

Better start today. Decided that we would leave the washing until we next get on a commercial site which will probably be at Tata. Our morning was spent sitting outside in the sunshine drinking tea and chatting. We had a good laugh watching Phillip do his washing with a sink plunger.

Our batteries were around 65 amps down on fully charged and we were only charging at the rate of 4-5 amps so something had to be wrong as we have about 280 watts of solar power. Decided that after lunch we would test if one of the panels was working by placing a blanket over them in turn. Well it turned out that indeed one panel… the rotating panel made no difference to the charging rate. Well after some investigation by Terry it was deduced that the regulator that we had replaced was not giving any output. Therefore we are working on only half power. Might need to see if it can replaced her but I think that when we get back to the UK we will have a new MPPT regulator fitted that will charge both the leisure and engine batteries. That way we will not get a flat battery whilst the vehicle is stood outside of the flat at home.

Listened to the AFCB top of the table clash with Derby and I have to say it was good that we did not lose as it was a 2-2 draw. Now currently second in the table.

We had decided to move on tomorrow but it looks like another day here as there is a big souk on in town tomorrow. Lets hope it is as sunny as today.

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Day 39 - Tafraoute

The morning started cold and quite hazy and overcast. There was quite a lot of cloud. I made a decision that we really needed to get all of the solar panels back working to their fullest extent so the carpets strapped to the roof bars needed to be moved.

After breakfast the clouds started to get burned off and the temperatures climbed. Terry climbed onto the roof through the central skylight and released the mats. One mat was obscuring about 12 cells of the 180W panel and the other was stopping the other panel from rotating. Everything was now ready to go. I was getting 5amps going into the batteries. Success!!

Next I emptied out the garage, folded the mats and stored them under the false floor. There they will stay until we get home. At least I won’t have to concern myself about them again. Everything packed back in which included a crate full of Tina’s winter clothes. Why we bring the amount of clothes I really not sure. If we venture here again next year we will have to be a little more ruthless about the amount we carry.

We took a leisurely stroll down to the town and decided to have a meal. The place we had chosen already had Phillip and Mena sat eating their meal so we joined them. Chicken and chips together with freshly squeezed orange juice all round. It was accompanied with bread and sauces. All this for less than £4 per head. The food was very agreeable.

A wander around the market stalls for fresh vegetables and fruit and we set off back to the van. The temperature in the main square was reading 27°C. When we got back we were tired so we both had a siesta. Not something I normally do but felt better for the rest.

Sun has gone down and so has the temperatures. The panels have put back around 30-40 amps today and hopefully we will be fully charged tomorrow. However, Tina has a plan that might scupper this …. Washing day. Our washing machine takes a lot of power and water. But we will be able to get the panels into action early morning.

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Day 38 - Tafraoute

Another relaxing day of doing not alot. I was disappointed yesterday that the doughnut man was not in town like he was last year. I was looking forward to eating our doughnuts at the cafe opposite but it was nothing like last year.

The weather today was hazy but still warm as the wind had dropped. However there was not the sunshine like yesterday so our battery bank was not full as the sun went down. It looks like we might have to move the carpet so that the rotating solar panel can be deployed properly tomorrow. A job for tomorrow.

This evening we have decided to walk down to the town for some basic shopping essentials and maybe have a lunch.

Brenda had made an ‘appointment’ with Tina to have her her done at noon. Just before this Tina tidied Lyne’s haircut she had recently had done. The photo today is Tina cutting Brenda’s hair. Even whilst wild camping we must keep up appearances !!

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Day 37 - Tafraoute

Was it cold last night!!… when the sun went down so did the temperatures.

I awoke at 7:15am and decided to update this site. The van was freezing. We later found out that the kitchen window was left partially open over night. At around 8am I was so cold I decided to go back to bed… most unusual for me. In the UK I probably would have put the heating on but we need to conserve our gas as there are extremely limited opportunities for refilling our bottles. It was 9am when we both finally decided to leave our bed.

It soon warmed up on the sunny side of the van. I tried putting our solar panel up but since the last time we used it (we have been on electric more recently) I have had 2 of our 3 mats strapped to the roof bars. It transpires that the mat was now stopping the panel from rotating so I quickly lowered the panel for fear that I would burn out the motor. Luckily the batteries were fully charged by early afternoon otherwise I would need to find an alternative arrangement for storing the mat.

Around late morning we strolled slowly down to the town. We both bought some shoes. Mine were similar to those I bought last year and wore them constantly throughout the year…. they are so comfortable. Tina bought a similar pair but in a ladies style. £7 each pair …. what a bargain. We also bought an electric coffee grinder which cost around £10. It was fun trying to explain with very limited french what we wanter to buy.

We had some coffee at a cafe and paid the extortonate amount of 24 dirhams (around £1.80) for 4 cafe au lait. It just shows how we get ripped off in Europe.

The afternoon saw me trying to listen to the AFCB commentary but the internet speed was slow to stop consequently I missed at least two goals whilst waiting for the computer to catch up. It was frustrating.

As the sun went down the temperatures plummeted and it became bitter with the cold wind. Irrespective we love it here and will probably stay a few days longer. Lots of space, good company and the dogs have room to run around. If only it would get warmer at night but we can’t have everything.

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Day 36 - Tafraoute

We didn’t have to far to travel today so we had a leisurely start. We left the site at around 11am and drove the 6km into Tiznit where we filled with diesel. We have around 100km to drive to Tafraoute.

The scenery was stunning and the roads were just as bad as I remember them from last year. When a vehicle approached, especially and lorries or buses, we slowed right down and moved over thus ensuring that we did not have a repair bill for a replacement wing mirror unlike Ron who had hit someone a few days earlier.

Just before the town we were looking for the turn off for the painted rocks. After one aborted attempt to find the place we did eventually find it 7km before the town. It was as disappointing as last year.

We were soon driving through the town and onto our parking area finding Phillip & Mena who had arrived a few days earlier. We are now formed up on three sides of a rectangle with the sun hopefully with us most of the day. It was very pleasant sitting out with them but as the sun dropped in the sky it soon got quite chilly. Phillip said that this morning he had a few icicles on his van formed during the night. I think that we will have to wrap up tonight. Still the day time will make up for it.

The site here seems to have fewer vans than last year but the location is as stunning as ever. Hopefully we will keep the sun longer and it stays warm. Tomorrow we will have to go and explore the town and hopefully get some more fresh doughnuts if the guy still does them this year.

Sat with Phillip this evening and tried watching the Wales v England 6 Nations Rugby match but gave up with video and just had the audio. The internet speed meant that we were only able to see a minute or so before more buffering. At least we won on Welsh soil.

Phillip, who has been taking some stunning photos, is featured in my image for tonight.

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Day 35 - Tiznit

Today was a day of relaxation and recuperation. No chores today in fact very little happened other than deciding where we are going tomorrow.

After consulting the weather forecasts it was Tafraoute and then perhaps on to Tata which is the only place with decent weather in the next 10 days. It has got decidedly chilly her today… I even had to put a hoodie on to keep warm. Not want we have come to expect.

Leaving early (for us) at about 11pm tomorrow.

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Day 34 - Tiznit

Today we decided that we would catch up on everything…. first our sleep. We got up later than usual after the early start of yesterday. Leisurely breakfast and then our next chores. Washing.

I dragged out the machine from the depths of the garage and started to fill it with the hot water we had from the electric water heater on the van. We are no where near a tap so I had to walk 10 litres of water from the toilet block at a time. First to fill the machine and then for rinsing the clothes in the spinner. The van also needed toping up as we are likely to be here for three nights.

Whilst I had the machine out I took the opportunity to consolidate the crates to make some space for the spare winter clothes Tina had brought. I am sure that she has left nothing at home because it seems to be all here. The winter clothes alone filled one crate. I now have two of the crates originally filled with food from England filled with clothes and beer. We have equally made use of this space !!!

We also made use of the water and electric by having showers and Tina cut my beard and hair. The locals have been calling me Alibaba. Its the same name as last year… not sure how they were told…. ha ha. I shall have to have a word with this character.

Tina and I had a siesta in the afternoon after the exertions of the morning.

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Day 33 - Tiznit

Well we were up bright and early because the rumours about closing the wild camping at Taghazout were evidently true. Vans were leaving during the evening last night and early this morning. Some of our band of FUNsters left around 6am. I was up then but it was still dark.

We left the site around 8am and made our way to Mustafa at the garage where we had to exchange the borrowed quilt for our newly laundered duvet. It cost about £1.50. I also asked him to strap our extra mats on to the roof bars of the van. The remaining matt was folded and put in the van garage and therefore we have nothing now on the towbar….  much better.

Once completed we made our way to meet Terry & Brenda at the Marjane supermarket where we bought some basic essentials. We met them in the shop and were soon on our way again south towards Tiznit.

Our destination was a campsite we stayed at last year called Camping Tazerzite which is just 6km south of the town. Surprisingly the site was only about 50% full. However throughout the afternoon there has been a steady stream of vans arriving.. mainly french.

The forum discussion has mixed opinions as to whether the wild camping will start again. I have to say I feel that as there is now a fence around the site (new for 2015) it is most likely that the development of the site will start…. No more Wild Camping.

The weather today was hot on the way down but not quite so warm once we got here. A couple of days chilling is now called for. Catch up with laundry perhaps and clean the van of the sand before we venture east to Tafraout. I learnt that the Almond Blossom Festival was on 6 - 7th March. This means we will miss it once again as we need to be crossing back into Spain around that time if we are to get back for Baylee’s christening.

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Day 32 - Taghazout

Today has been a little hazy yet still warm and sunny.

We said goodbye to our friends Ron & Jeanette and Brian & Ann. It was quite emotional as we had enjoyed their company and sad to see them depart. Totally understand the need to go but all the same we will miss them.

Before they had departed Colin & Sandra were bringing over the Kayaks and mat so as to take their place. The french still not able to get a decent view of the sea due to us english..

We also had Peter and Sue visit again and chatted about the technology they needed if they were to continue to wild camp. The conclusion seemed to be a new Laptop and a MIFI as a minimum.

The rest of the day was taken up with chatting, drinking tea and generally enjoying being out in the warmth. However as the sun started to go down we were informed that the whole coastline at Taghazout was being cleared of Motorhomes so we all needed to be gone by 9am tomorrow.n No reason stated but we believe that the King is opening a new golf course in a few days not far from us. Panic set in with the French a number have already packed up and gone. A mass exodus is expected tomorrow. Lets hope that it will reopen in a short while.

We had already made the decision that we would move on Thursday so our plans have just been moved up a little. In the morning we will be off to collect our newly laundered duvet , do some shopping and then on to Tiznit. If the campsite is full we may go straight to Tafraoute. Lets see where we get to….

The featured image is of the band that jammed with our FUNsters yesterday.

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Day 31 - Taghazout

Not sure where the day went today...

We had been created so well on our return last night and the same again this morning. Set to and set up camp again. Silver screens on, Mat outside door, washing line erected chairs out of the garage and life is all well again.

This morning Peter and Susan came and visited. They had heard that we could explain the technology they needed and fix one or two things. They had moved to France and needed their Amazon & Paypal accounts reflecting their new address. Still working on a solution for Paypal.

At 2pm the other FUNsters arrived and we all had a social gathering. Beer / wine o’clock was in full swing initially music playing from a phone followed by Suggy (Graham) on guitar and then Dabhand (Simon) completed the evening with his performance with guitar. Jeannette and others provided some nibbles. The highlight was when a local dance group came by and joined in with us and ‘jammed’. I think they enjoyed it just as much as us. The gathering was due to Ron & Jeanette and Brian & Ann leaving us in the morning on their way back up the country to the port. It has been so lovely sharing some special moments with them all. One in particular involved Ann and her cassette loo…..

Great times, lovely people and warm weather … what a great combination. Lets hope we meet again soon.

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