167. HBTM

Agadir

For years now the weather app on my phone has been so accurate I had assumed that God also used the same app in order to distribute the weather. As posted two days ago we were prepping for inches of rain per day. When I added up the predicted hourly totals it equaled the 2014 Agadir Floods which killed over thirty local people! This morning I went to the top of the camp to ascertain whether we would be in danger of any water courses that might burst their banks. Happily we aren't and we all went for a swim in the pool before the deluge set in at midday, predicted to drop seven millimetres in the first hour and then continuing. As it happens, so far we have had virtually no rain. Maybe God is having the same wifi issues that we are experiencing causing syncing issues between his weather app and weather generating machine?

The day started with me bursting into the lounge startling Audrey who was fully engrossed, birthday card making. I got sent back to bed without recourse. For the next half hour we could hear suppressed whispering and instructions and I awaited my birthday fate. I did have the presence of mind to open a window and roof vent as, a week ago, four hot little bodies on top of the duvet, on top of me, had, by the time celebrations completed and Jacqueline consumed her birthday breakfast, left me a trifle sweaty, trapped in the bed.

 

Eventually the celebration party burst through the door and we were into birthday mode. Four hand made cards were opened, read with great ceremony and artistic merit appreciated, two gifts opened, Dunkirk DVD and a bar of white chocolate then it was onto the breakfast which was inspired by Healthy Living magazine - a wholemeal flat breads halved, pocketed and loaded with avocado, tomato and sardines and a cup of tea. This I consumed, watched closely.

The biggest struggle today was to not do jobs or work. There is, surprisingly, always plenty to be but today was not the day to do it.

Tonight we all watched my Dunkirk DVD then, for some unfathomable reason Notting Hill making for a very late night.

166. Monthly

Agadir

Audrey showing me various
hammock positions 

Roman demonstrated all the camp's
gym equipment for me

Yup, Fyfe doing dishes again

Static electricity hair

Sat up late last night watching Notting Hill with Jacqueline. First film I have watched in ages, amazed how much I had forgotten. Enjoyed but tired today and wish I hadn't. NZ Board meeting tonight, online from seven thirty. Spent much of the day loading various reports into my head. Perfect weather here today, hard to believe that there is torrential  rain coming, midday tomorrow. Even got a bit of sunbathing in today (reading reports was my excuse).

With two days inclement weather coming the children are sure to catch up on their homework? Today they were all roller blading / skateboarding the sealed lanes of the camp site.

165. A bit like a resort

Agadir

Spot the camels

First day ensconced. Tightly ensconced. Children delighted as there is a pool and it is over twenty. Went for an explore to check in at the top end and explore the beach at the foot of the camp. Lots of surfing schools operating with each class on a different coloured board. Our girls keen, boys not so much. As soon as we got to the beach we were propositioned by every trader at two minute intervals. Camel rides, pastries, horse rides, guided tour - all a bit much. That is the good thing about being within the camp, little hassle.

Spent much of the afternoon at the pool which was wonderful, had it to ourselves and it was warm, both the water and the breeze. Children self entertained, loved the water slides and made good use of the Christmas snorkels/masks.

Thundered with rain last night however, by luck, we happen to be on a well drained site. Today was the day for the pool as tomorrow the rain is going to be huge. The countryside is so bony here that the water will just run off so we might visit one of the many gorges to see the effect of such a downpour.

Yarning on the phone to Mary and Stuff discovered that they are finishing shortly in the Canary Islands so we may catch up with them in a couple of weeks, somewhere in lower Spain which would be great.

164. Berber country

Agadir

Well south now

Marrakech to Agadir

Starting to get down the world a bit and will get further south yet. In a couple of weeks we will be heading up and to the right. Arriving Agadir this afternoon it was twenty six degrees, not bad for mid winter though cooler for the next few days.

As we were breaking camp this morning we met a lovely German family, Niki & Jennifer, their eldest of three, Mackenzie a girl aged fifteen and two boys. Iris was delighted and we were strongly tempted to stay on but as we were already packed we did our best to coerce them into joining us here. I really hope they do join us as they are infinitely more interesting than we are but I won't let them know that prior!

Learnt today that Edward and stuff (Matthew and Claire) have had a failure of insurance for Morocco so won't be joining us here as planned. They are gutted but insurance is balking at their Transit based motorhome as they are targeted by thieves, through Europe. Matthew has encased the OBDII port in steel as the thieves can reprogram the ECU but that wasn't enough for the insurers. Very disappointing.

Wonderful trip on beautiful dual carriage motorways that make NZ look absolutely third world. 4G coverage all the way with electrified dual railways visible at times. Everything about Morocco is promising and I hope the country prospers.

Camping Imourane

The Atlas Mountains are spectacular and I would say very like the South Island's Main Divide but at over thirteen and a half thousand feet they dwarf our best.

Arrived on dusk at the campsite and got a welcome from the guard who cheerfully took our passports as the office was closed. He waved us through and said park anywhere. We turned the corner into tiny lanes no wider than the Giantavan with every site taken. Unable to turn into the narrow crossroads I ended up reversing all the way back through parked cars and concerned Frenchmen. One of them stopped me while I was reversing in the mirrors and helpfully informed me You need a smaller car. OK, no problem, give me a minute and I will push the button on the dash labeled Turn Disco into 106. The Disco already has a Peugeot motor (another story) so it won't be a problem. Eventually found a park and also discovered that the six of us can manhandle (one woman, a boy and four kids) the Giantavan onto a site. Actually, it was all done with remarkably little fuss.

I am delighted to be here as Agadir was one of the first destinations I focused on when first thinking about the trip.

163. Getting aligned

Marrakech

We were going to head south to Agadir today but yesterday I noticed that the Disco was scrubbing off the outside edge of the front tyres indicating that, probably due to potholes, the wheel geometry was now toe-in.

Cool

Fyfe and I headed into Marrakech to a bigger tyre shop and pleased that it could be done now on their laser machine for DH140 (€13). Fyfe and I settled comfortably into the adjoining cafe for coffee / Coke respectively and a pizza each* Shortly after the technician called me over as the tie rod ends were stuffed and they did not know where to get Disco parts. I too could move the wheel and hear movement.

Back to camp and onto Rimmer's site, checked with tech support** and ordered new assemblies for delivery to our next site in Agadir. While I was on the computer at one in the afternoon, sister Stephanie in NZ popped up on WhatsApp as they were standing guard on the shop across the road in the village as it had been ram raided for cigarettes. Ended up yarning for about an hour which was lovely. Ian also had a look and agreed on the parts.

While we were out Iris and Roman had taken it upon themselves to help the neighbours pack up as they too are traveling south tomorrow. I was pleased that the neighbours were grateful as I wasn't sure who was doing who the favour.

After the children were in bed talked to another neighbour for about an hour, a mine of information on where to go and stay, south of the Atlas mountains.

*don't tell the rest of the crew

** colleague, Mark Luney

162. Having a Souk

Marrakech  

Laundry meant that we did not get back into the city as promptly as we might have. Wether at home or travelling I think that laundry volumes overwhelm us all.

Visited the Koutoubia Mosque or at least parked next to it and had a cursory look at the outside while walking past. As non-believers are not allowed inside mosques so there is little to see.

Ended up in the souks behind the market which I find not to be relaxing as being constantly approached to look/eat/shop/hold/smell/try/buy/follow a bit tedious. I don't feel inclined to buy anything as I do not need anything.

This gun on the left still had many operational bits to play with and had a hundred potential guillotines to chop off small fingers. The barrel could be swung to change elevation and many sliding parts working.

I am sure that there are many great things to get here but unfortunately I can't see the wood for the trees.

Had an excellent catch up on the phone with BigWal whose Dad has just died. Regards to your family Walter.

161. Office jock

Marrakech

Home (Giantavan) day today as I had a lot work to catch up on so the slackers (kids) mooched around watching movies, playing games as I was well distracted. Nice to be sitting by a pool, basking in the sun while I did it for some of the time. Twenty two degree days with light breeze and blue skies - impressive for mid winter. Online meeting tonight with NZ.

160. ⵓⵔⵜⵉ ⵎⴰⵊⵓⵔⵉⵍ

Majorelle Gardens

The queue, in the shade

The Majorelle Gardens are the famous Moroccan home of Yves Saint Laurent. We were glad to get there after many attempts but, on reflection, we are spoiled by the UK's National Trust's incredible standard of presentation and attention to detail in keeping each place as it would have been (at its best). The Majorelle Gardens are beautiful but maintained in an industrial manner with no detail or intimacy. You did not get the feeling that the gardens had ever been the private gardens of such an amazing or charismatic person as YSL. To be fair there were displays of his art and things around the always present venue shop but the garden didn't give the feeling of a place of refuge. On looking at photos from the time there was a lot of undergrowth and small plants, lawns and clearings.

We had quite a queue to get in, possibly our first on this trip, but it did mean that the gardens were not crowded, once in. One has to stick to the red concrete paths which curve around in motorway fashion, I would be pretty sure that they are not original.

Spot Roman

Roman did a stint behind the counter at the shop.

My new Moroccan cook book

159. Another lap

Marrakech 

Jacqueline's odometer clicked over another digit today with the result that I was woken early by a persistent hiss of "Daddy get up". Excited children were gearing up to treat Mummy, inspired by Fancy Nancy. I suspect Jacqueline was already bracing herself for the treats ahead.

1. Breakfast in bed. This consisted of organising Daddy to cook bacon and eggs then assembling all upon a plate before parading though to force feed it all to the lucky birthday girl
2. Beauty treatment. Yesterday's trip to the supermarket had been significantly complicated by the need to assemble all the necessary provisions required by a fancy establishment. This included pedicure; facial and foot massage.

For the breakfast I stayed and mostly cleaned up as Spas need reliable staff. When it came to the beauty treatment I slipped away and happily sat by the pool and yarned to Jennifer on the phone.

The children fetched me when they were done and excitedly dragged me back to admire Jacqueline's transformation.

This afternoon was drinks with our lovely neighbours, David and Jan-Maree who had gone to some effort for Jacqueline's birthday.