Morocco Bound

[daygoboy]

Yes you are right, iam used to the way they approach you desperately trying to sell you something as have spent a lot of time in Thailand. I guess They are the same,dependant on earning from tourists that pass through. Tangier was fairly full on and we new it would be but otherwise is a great place to see once you can look past the pestering, I can understand people coming here and turning straight back. Must admit, the driving over here is pretty much the same as in Thailand, mad ba****rds!! I thought they were bad enough in Portugal till I’ve came here.

That's the thing, you as myself are basing opinion on experiences of actually
living or on at least many visits and times in a country. People fresh from Europe
driving vans worth more than a young unemployed Moroccan is likely to earn in
a lifetime, flashing a handful of Dirhams is going to attract them like flies, there
can be no disputing that, but it's not something you generally experience in European
cities, apart from beggary of course. And I would do likewise if I were standing in their
Firestones or babouches!
Many more cars in Maroc these days, but less poor old donkeys so a win of
a kind Ramadan is the time to really take care, so you're well clear there.
Many of the responses on the forums come from the male
perspective, it's a given that Maroc is very much a mans place. I do know of many
women having completely differing sets of opinions, Certainly my
missus does, hence why my last trip was 4 years ago

 

[Pauljenny]

Enjoy your adventures. Be very careful that you don't run out of gin
Your photos of Tangier are exactly the same as the ones that we took, when we were there... Have you hacked our phone ...?
Stay healthy, avoid cuts and bites.

 

[n brown]

How long since you’ve been there Nigel?
You give a kid a couple of dirhams nowadays he’ll look at you with a derisive sneer & hold his hand out for more.
I’m getting hardened to this now which is a shame as sometimes a few of these approaches can be genuine.
I was staying in the car park of the Leisure Centre in Agadir when a well dressed guy came up & gave us a kilo of tangerines saying “Welcome to Morocco”.
Further down the coast, we were on a deserted beach with only goats for company when a chap came by on a donkey & gave us a bunch of bananas, I expected a demand for payment, but no, the guy was glad of some unexpected company.
These examples were unusual, mostly the natives are all on the ponce, if you say NO, they think you mean yes. It can get very wearying, I will never go near Marrakesh again for this reason.

been too long , so when i say a couple of dirham , i mean whatever the going rate is

 

[daygoboy]

These examples were unusual, mostly the natives are all on the ponce, if you say NO, they think you mean yes. It can get very wearying, I will never go near Marrakesh again for this reason.

I presume you mean the Moroccans living off the tourist Dirham, because
most Moroccans in my experience want nothing much to do with the kafirs.
One way to get the touts and hustlers off your back is to convince them that
you know the place/town/city well or at least have been there before., memorising
a few roads and landmarks beforehand can work, even in Marrakesh.
I blame fecking Club 18-30 when they established themselves just off the
Jemaa el-Fnaa, plane loads of chalkies (to quote Trev) ruined the atmosphere
ever since, alack & alas.

 

[spigot]

I presume you mean the Moroccans living off the tourist Dirham, because
most Moroccans in my experience want nothing much to do with the kafirs.
One way to get the touts and hustlers off your back is to convince them that
you know the place/town/city well or at least have been there before., memorising
a few roads and landmarks beforehand can work, even in Marrakesh.
I blame fecking Club 18-30 when they established themselves just off the
Jemaa el-Fnaa, plane loads of chalkies (to quote Trev) ruined the atmosphere
ever since, alack & alas.

Yes, I am referring to the native Moroccans.
“Kaffir” is a derogatory term for black Africans but these guys are no trouble at all.
They set up their displays of dodgy sunglasses, snide bags & awful woodcarvings on tourist seafronts when the old bill are not looking but they don’t worry anybody.
If we leave the EU without a deal, a possible way round the 90 day limit is to spend 3 months in Morocco & then go back to Spain, as some have suggested.
But I don’t think I could stay that long, I love the country, the climate & the breathtaking scenery but it’s the bloody Arabs I can’t stand.

 

[Pauljenny]

Tick..tick tick ...
Steady, Mike, steady !

 

[Harleyboygaz3]

if you use the kenitra -sale coastal roads and then get to rabat. you cross a bridge . go abit further then turnround and come back almost to the bridge then turn left . follow the river and you can go past rabat on the coast its really nice just looking.
you cant quite stay on the old coast road all the way to mohammedia but have to turn left after rabat , but hug the coast where ever you can .
casablanca head for the port ,its signed then turn left just before the port . again follow the coast its amazing . specially when you get to the big works etc .
we stop around skirat way on the coast.,just north is great lovely beaches and usually ok for a nights stop. have a good one.

Thanks Alan,Just what we did in the end,was a beautiful drive down the coast all the way down to Mohamedia. We did take a wrong turn though in Rabat and ending up in the centre in a full on traffic jam, cars cutting up in front,behind and from all angles,tooting ,arms waving good lord it was good to get through it all!! From Rabat all the way down looked like you are in a different country, stunning coastline,I think they must be trying to make it a holiday destination maybe it’s certainly got the potential. Hoping for a bit of wilding soon as we are getting further south.

 

[Harleyboygaz3]

Enjoy your adventures. Be very careful that you don't run out of gin
Your photos of Tangier are exactly the same as the ones that we took, when we were there... Have you hacked our phone ...?
Stay healthy, avoid cuts and bites.

Thanks Paul, T’s rationed me to a bottle a day so me thinks I’m definitely going to run out by the end but luckily got 100+ cans of beer and 5 x 5lt kegs of Vinho tinto for back up. Hope you’re both well bejinho for Jenny.

 

[Harleyboygaz3]

Few piccys at Rabat.

 

[trevskoda]

been too long , so when i say a couple of dirham , i mean whatever the going rate is

Edward was on the throne then.

 

[spigot]

Thanks Paul, T’s rationed me to a bottle a day so me thinks I’m definitely going to run out by the end but luckily got 100+ cans of beer and 5 x 5lt kegs of Vinho tinto for back up. Hope you’re both well bejinho for Jenny.

If you run out by the time you get to Agadir, Uniprix sell the cheapest booze in Morocco (but it’s still not that cheap)!

 

[trevskoda]

I thought they were not allowed booze .

 

[vwalan]

morocco make some real nice beers that actually win prizes in europe . some of their wine is ok as well.
tunisia do real nice wines .
they arent allowed to pray if they have been drinking.
but wine and beer can be bought in many towns in morocco.
harleyboy ,its nice to hug the coast where ever you can.
i say catch ferry to ceuta then make a quick right turn as you enter morocco and work the coast past tangiers and all the way down.
mind i also like the med coast as well, lots good places to visit and enjoy.
stay off the main roads and motor ways ,meet the real locals.

 

[daygoboy]

Yes, I am referring to the native Moroccans.
“Kaffir” is a derogatory term for black Africans but these guys are no trouble at all.
They set up their displays of dodgy sunglasses, snide bags & awful woodcarvings on tourist seafronts when the old bill are not looking but they don’t worry anybody.
If we leave the EU without a deal, a possible way round the 90 day limit is to spend 3 months in Morocco & then go back to Spain, as some have suggested.
But I don’t think I could stay that long, I love the country, the climate & the breathtaking scenery but it’s the bloody Arabs I can’t stand.

No, "kafir" as in non believer, which is my persuasion don't know about you!
A lot of the Sub Saharan Africans living in Maroc are making desperate attempts across the straights, a lot of drownings far in excess of those crossing from Calais to the UK. Rarely gets reported here. I was wilding near Almerimar a few years ago and woke one morning to find 40-50 migrants sitting quietly in a big beached RIB just as the Guardia turned up to collect. Almerimar is quite a long way up the costa so possibly launched from a ship.
The Spanish coast west of Algeciras is military zoned 'No Entrada' wildcampers get decojoned, although it
is tempting, the wilding that is, not the decojoning! Would be very easy for the Spanish to falsify illegal migrant stats.
The Berbers have about much affection for Arabs as you appear to, they regard them as the eastern lot that
took the fertile land of them, and forced them to live in the mountains,

 

[Harleyboygaz3]

So, after a long walk heading into Mohammédia we eventually gave up and turned back as it was a too long a trek in. We did however get a couple of nice pics on the way back to camp.

 

[daygoboy]

Sidi Ifni is worth a visit ex Spanish colonial ruled with a European Art Deco Architecture
overlay, Spanish still spoken there by some. Personally preference for me
is to go inland, the loop to Tafroute is a good start or into Paradise Valley near
Tagazoute 20km north of Agidir. Although the hustlers can be a PIA (as already mentioned)
for 1st timers Marrakech can't be left out or Fez especially the souk. Another great
drive is the Draa valley, adobe towns and palm groves very different to the
north coastal towns.

 

[n brown]

in Fez camping ,a cat was stuck up a tree meowing piteously all night, so one english woman got very irate, and in the morning got hold of the campsite owner and demanded he do something to get the poor thing down . he went and got his car and drove to the tree, then, to the woman's horror , pulled out a shotgun , aimed ,and before she could stop him, fired both barrels !
of course , he'd aimed about 10 feet away , but it did the trick , the cat came down the tree like a shot ! like i said , laugh a minute !

 

[Harleyboygaz3]

Sidi Ifni is worth a visit ex Spanish colonial ruled with a European Art Deco Architecture
overlay, Spanish still spoken there by some. Personally preference for me
is to go inland, the loop to Tafroute is a good start or into Paradise Valley near
Tagazoute 20km north of Agidir. Although the hustlers can be a PIA (as already mentioned)
for 1st timers Marrakech can't be left out or Fez especially the souk. Another great
drive is the Draa valley, adobe towns and palm groves very different to the
north coastal towns.

Thanks, we have a plan to go to Sidi Ifni in fact all the coast down to Sidi. Tafraoute is also definitely on the list along with Ourazate,Marrakesh , Fes,Meknes and Chefchaoen .

 

[Harleyboygaz3]

We left Mohammédia this morning and have travelled the coastline down through Casablanca down to El Jadida where we parked up for a while and had a look round the ancient Portuguese walled village near the port. This was well worth the visit even had a look in the communal bakery and a walk round the perimeter walls.We then travelled further down through some stunning coastal scenery to where we are now at Oualidia which also looks a lovely spot. Currently in a large central car park where we just had dinner the guardian charged us 3euro for the night, nice bloke had a chat and a laugh he even had a beer with me!!

 

[Pauljenny]

Come home quick, you're missing the rain.