Run to The Hills

Well it seems like an age ago since i last wrote in Rabat.
So much has happened, I have met so many different people, in many many places and there has even been some exciting drama to keep the reader entertained.



Agrandir le plan

I am currently close to Tafraoute in a stunning valley in the Anti Atlas mountains and enchanted by the glorious natural beauty of the place and dramatic scenery that just blows me away on every corner or over each new high mountain pass. The hills are arid rocky pinky red coloured formations while in the valley, where surely sometimes a river flows, there are dates palms and argon trees from which they harvest their cherished Argon oils.

It's great to be riding in these more remote places and this time of year there are very few tourists about. However even when you think you are absolutrly alone miles from any where there will allways be shepherd about like the dude above looking after his flocks even on the highest peeks he'll be there to greet you.

So i.m jumping ahead, what has happened on the road since Rabat...... , ohps, I can't find the question mark key on this arabic stylee keyboard.
Well the first few days were pleasent enough cycling through farmland south from Rabat through Rommani, Oud Zem and passed Beni-Mellal. Here I found myself on some busy roads with loads of trucks and busses so the cycling was not much fun some of the time and the weather was pretty dull as well. Just passed Beni-Mellal on the main road to Marrakesh a car pulled out in front of me and sent me flying over the bonnet into some kind of ninja role on the tarmac and I landed on my feat only slightly bruized but well shaken. Yes capoeira saved my life! The bike also was miraculously unharmed but my guitar took the brunt of the collision with the road and saddly was this time beyond repair. Now at this stage I would ensure all my family members that i'm absolutely fine and there is nothing to worry about!
The guy driving the car was totaly unhelpful and seemed unconcerned as to my well being but instaed only how he was going to weasel out of the situation, but the police were great.

Yes, thats the guy above......ggrrrrrrrhhhhhh.....

In the end i had to let go of any idea of getting any compensation out of him and set off just very glad to be alive. This was deffinitly a low point on the road and came just when i was already a bit fed up with everything anyway. But funny how things work out, for just after the accident i set off to look for a room for the night but the hotel in the nearby town was way to expensive; and then came along Hamid. As if he really was a manifestatioin of my guartdian angel, he invited me to stay with his family out in the sticks. So just a few hours later here i was in the bosom of a Morroan family being completely spoilt with endless tea, biscuits, tajhines and couscous and here they are, Hamid with his lovely Ma and Pa.

I ended up staying for three days taking it easy and relaxing into the rural life of a village in the olive grooves in the shadow of the Atlas mountains that loomed way above us. It was hard to leave but the calling of the mountains was ever present, however the weather turned and the rain fell forcing me to rest up and be spoilt for a little while longer. The family didn't want me to go at all and the thought of me on my own in the snowy mountains worried them as if i was their own son.When i finally did make my move Hamid's mother had tears in her eyes and the love of a family home touched me deeply but i felt revitalised ready for the road once again.

I made a slight detour to go into Marakesh to se if i could find a new guitar to keep me company upon the road. As you may know Marakesh is a fairly bonkers Morrocan city with its fair share of hassle so i didn't stick around to long. I ended up buying a guitar from a dude who had photos of himself with Jimi Page back in the day so i also felt happy that my trusted guitar found a good resting place in Marakesh as he took it as part payment.

 

And so to the mountains i did peddle. It had been raining for the last  four days in Marrakesh but up in the mountains it had been snowing heavily and so on the clear blue sky morning that i left town the fantastic snow capped peaks could be seen even from the city. I took it nice and easy and spent 3 days cycling up the hills towards the pass of Tizi-n-Test which at 2100 meters was the highest point of the my whole journey south and beyond. there was also another day of rains that slowed things down but the day I crossed over the pass was wonderful mix of spectacular sunshine and snow storms on the pass its self.

Crossing the Atlas felt like a significant moment in the journey. As is often the case the southern side of the mountain range was very different and much dryer than the north and from here on through the Anti Atlas and towards the great Sahara desert its just going to get dryer and dryer. For thats where i'm heading next; to the coast and then south to the desert.

This part of Morroco is home to the Berber people who are the original inhabitants of this region befor the Arabs moved in to the more northern parts of the country. They are the indiginous and are very keen to point out how they are different from their Arab neighbours. Having got further south the general vibe has become much more friendly and laid back and the Berber music has a great rootsy Afro feel well worth checking out. 

Here's a couple folk i met along the way keeping me entertained.

Much Love to ya all and see ya for the next exciting instalment of my bycicle wonders.

Ed