Morocco Overland Number III (Winter 2014-15)

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Morocco.
Winter 2014-2015

El Ouatia – Tarfaya ‘On the road again’…..

09:15hrs and time to move on again further South along the one and only road heading to the Western Sahara….

As we left El Ouatia and got onto the N1 road we passed this place and were not sure if it was a fish processing plant or a fuel depot for the ship in the port…



While a little further along the road was the factory that make the Concrete ‘Three Legged’ parts that are used in the construction of the Port Breakwater….



Then it was the ‘Open Road’ with this 3 wheeler and a couple of ‘Cliff Fishermen’ off for a day’s fishing on the cliffs with their rods on the left of the 3 wheeler sticking up over the top.…



After quite a few miles we pass this completely new development of Tourist resort by the mouth of a river….



With the building material silos….



I think you know when you are getting towards in this case the Dessert with the Sand Dunes starting to appear….



As we come to a large river mouth, with what appears to be an old fort on the far side….











As we got closer it turns out to be a very large building still use but identity not known…



As we get away from that river mouth we come to another one, which was even more dramatic….



The river is called ‘Oued Ma Fatma’…





We pull into a small ‘layby’ and find a house up on the top of the hill from which we are being watched, so we wave and the man waves back…..



While on the other side of the road is this small Camel statue…..













As we climb up the hill on the far side of the bridge we come onto the blown sand, but it’s OK as the M+S (Mud + Snow) Tyres work just as well on this stuff and the other!….





As we come over the top we see all these small white mounds of ‘something’ down on the beach, so stop to have a look.



Looking closely I see that they are ‘Salt Beds’ from seawater evaporation....



While further along is the Marine Shipping building with the Decca Radar scanners on the roof, one of which is rotating away watching shipping off shore…..



Next up is the town of Akhnfir….













While a bit further on the land side of the road are more and bigger Sand Dunes…..





Then we get into the part where it can cover the road with a good wind…..









OK, so back home we see Road Signs for Sheep & Cows, while in Australia you get Kangaroos, and over here you get Camels, but sadly there were none to be seen!.....



One of the Army Stations, while we think the Black item on the roof is for the ‘Hot Water’!.....



As the N1 is the main road going North to South then it is also being repaired and made a bit wider…..



While just past the Road Construction Vehicles is the ‘problem’ section….



Not much further along and we reach the outskirts of Tarfaya which is being re-furbished to provide a Ferry service to the Canary Islands…..





Up at the end of the main road are the Port entry gates and on the corner is the Hotel Casamar, on whose Car Park we are after a mis understanding about to spend the night as guests of the Hotel, which was really nice….



End of a nice day!

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Morocco.
Winter 2014-2015

Tarfaya, the first day here…

While the hospitality of the Casamar Hotel was really appreciated unfortunately the position right next to the entrance to the Port was not the best place to be for a quiet night…

So after a trip out of town on the Coast Road…..



To see the Ferry ship that was wrecked on the shore….





With a view up the coast to one of the fisherman’s huts…..



While on the way back into town we see some new construction and fill up with Diesel fuel at 20cents a litre less than the price we paid up North as the towns in the South receive a subsidy….







After filling up with the Diesel we head back through the centre of town around a few of the side streets…..





Then along the outer wall of the Port of which a section is missing….



As you get to the end of the wall, you can then see the old Port Administration Building used by the British a long time ago when they were here…..



With some more new construction on our right hand side.…



Then back along a few more side streets…..



With the ‘extended’ chimney of the local ‘Bakery’ where housewives bring their dough to be baked…..





As we are nearly back at the Hotel we spot the Lobster Pots on top of this small shop…..



We decide to offer our thanks to the Hotel Manager and head off to a campsite that we spotted a short distance outside of the town that has recently opened….



With this view directly across the N1 road to the sea….



While the inside of the campsite is really nice….







Outside along the N1 all the Power Cable Masts are in place but the cables are yet to be installed.
So as the owner is still waiting for mains electric to be installed, a Lister 3 Cylinder rather old Diesel Engine is used coupled up to a 440V AC Synchronous Alternator to provide some power to the campsite, but it is not run 24/7….

The Diesel Engine is also fitted with a rather large Land Rover Diesel Fuel Filter, which makes me wonder how clean the fuel is here as it is the same stuff as what I have just bought!



After getting set up, registered and some lunch, it was time for a stroll down to the beach…..











I only hope that we do not find anymore Jellyfish like the one below as we are off to a rocky part to see if we can find enough sea food to take back to the campsite, which the owner will cook for us for a New Year’s Eve Dinner Party as everyone on the campsite is invited!....



Let’s see what happens….
Meanwhile…..

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[ssicarman]

Happy New Year to the two of you.

Looks like you had a good Christmas. Wondering about the reaction you get from the locals about your goings on for Christmas.
Interesting country that you are going through at the moment.

Was the stay in the hotel a planned one or were you after the use of their parking lot only?

[XCovlov70]

Happy New Year to the two of you.

Looks like you had a good Christmas. Wondering about the reaction you get from the locals about your goings on for Christmas.
Interesting country that you are going through at the moment.

Was the stay in the hotel a planned one or were you after the use of their parking lot only?

Thank you, and also to you and yours!

It was an interesting Christmas as the reaction from the locals we understand was mixed as Santa went outside the campsite and into the town.
The majority of the Moroccan Ladies who had small children with them waved with big smiles while some of the men looked a bit dubious.

Your right the countryside is starting to get interesting and should be more so as we get further South and into the Dessert area....

The stay at the Hotel was planned via an email asking for a place in their 'Secure Parking' but when we got there we were offered a Room or Chamber in the Hotel, so we showed them the 'TinTent' and they offered us the parking lot which was OK as it was covered by a Security Camera and we understand 3 'Guardiens' which are 'Watchmen' so it was totally safe.

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Morocco.
Winter 2014-2015

Tarfaya…. New Years Eve.…

With the wind building up and the forecast not looking good for moving South we decided to go back into Tarfaya for a few food items…..

While the road in was like this with the blown sand…..







Even when we got into Tarfaya visibility was a bit restricted with all the dust and sand being blown about…..



While on the way back to the campsite it was no better but we were driving into the wind…



After a bit of lunch, the wind died down a bit and two strange vehicles came into the campsite…..







Power consists of 4 Pedals that go to the rear wheels via a 5 speed gear cluster, while there is also an electric motor driven from an onboard battery which needs to be re-charged overnight.
The ‘Twikes’ had come from Agadir by road using the ‘pedals/electric motor’ at speeds up to 53Mph!



As the wind continued to fall, we then decided to head off for a ‘Beach walk’ and ‘Rudolph’ wanted some help in getting his 5 meters long Berber scarf correct, so the campsite owner offered his assistance….



OK, now ready for the walk…..



Moving to a different part of the beach the rock formations were interesting in that they were curved in their shape .…



While a bit further along was this fresh water coming out from under the sand and into the sea…..



Then we spotted the…..



Mussels!

But with no bag to put them in we picked enough of the large ones to fill our hands, then took them back to the campsite, washed and cooked them and had a pleasant 30 minutes enjoying freshly cooked Mussels that were delicious on New Year’s Eve!



While we went over to the campsite reception for a New Year’s Eve dinner which was very nice and consisted of around 6 or 7 different courses by 01:30 we were struggling to stay awake, so offered our thanks and hit the sack, while the event continued till around 03:30 this morning, but sorry I got no pictures.

If the wind stays away then we are back on the road tomorrow, South again.….

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Morocco.
Winter 2014-2015

Tarfaya – Boujdour…..

As the ‘forecast’ high winds had not materialised this morning, even though we did not get much sleep being New Year’s Eve we decided to make a start on the rather long haul South and set off for Boujdour for the first leg of the 320 Mile haul to Dakhla….

It was only a short distance from Tarfaya as we entered a very large ‘Wind Farm’ with a large number of Siemens Wind Turbines on both sides of the road in lines of 18 Turbines lined up like soldiers on parade, while everyone was rotating.…



However the young Dromedaries did not seem in the least perturbed by the noise they made as the blades swung around….



While it looked like the Electricity Collection Station was still being built.…



First village was ‘Tan’….





With these strange shaped monuments on each side of the road….





As we continue further we spot this Dromedary scratching under his chin using the top of a road marker post!...



As we got a bit closer unfortunately he stopped and looked ready to jump in front of us!...



Next up was another small village while the Fuel Garage was not in use which was beginning to be a common sight along the road…..



If anyone fancies a Dromedary Ride, then follow the arrow on this sign…..



Next up was the city of Laayune which has a large Army presence, and hopefully we can spend a bit of time having a look around on the way back up.…



City Gate….



Army Barracks Entrance which looked very impressive….



Heading to the bridge across the river….









As we get into the centre of the city we see this sign advising the motorist to be aware of ‘Donkeys & Carts’!.....







As we finally reach the City Gate on the South side…..



With the airport off to the left….



Pulling in for a Cappuccino in a place called Las Dunas, we meet the Manager in the Cafeteria who is from Paris, and suggests we go upstairs to see the view of the Dunes from which the place got its name!.....



While the Cappuccinos have a Minty flavour, strange but nice…...



As we pull out of the car park and head off down the road we travel through more Dunes....



In which the road requires occasional help in staying visible and clear of sand…..



Next up is a Port for which we did not see a Name Sign along the road, but as we approached the Town Gate we saw that it was set back from a traffic island so you did not pass through it but went around the traffic island and in our case in front of it, so turning left….



With houses on the outskirts…..



Then we come to the outside wall of the Port which has razor wire all the way along the top. A number of large ships were anchored up off shore in the sea while their cargo seemed to be sand….



Travelling further along we come to this Truck which looked like it had a tyre that had blown up causing it to go off the road while at the front of the Trucks lined up on our side was an Army Heavy Truck Recovery Vehicle….



Entering the ‘Province of Boujdour’…..



With this Porpoise pointing to a fishing port, while the junction was also a Police Check Point for all traffic, which I think was the fifth we had been through on the way to Boujdour…..



While just up ahead were the Town Gates of Boujdour….







Turning right we head off down towards the Port where hopefully we will find the campsite…..



Port Gates….



We find the campsite after another 2 right turns and are advised that they are expecting a ‘Rally’ of 54 Motorcycles, which as I put this update together have still to appear, so we check in and get set up.....



Getting out the Electric Hook Up Cable and opening the door to the campsite outlet box, the door falls off as the hinges are none existent! (Salt Sea Spray Corrosion).....



So as it is s bit windy, it comes in quite handy as a wind deflector for the BBQ as I cook a couple of Pork Steaks for our evening meal…..



Weather forecast is that the wind is set to increase with gusts of over 50Kmph so we are thinking of ‘chilling out’ here for a couple of days to let things calm down again while we have a look around the town which looks interesting…..

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Morocco.
Winter 2014-2015

Boujdour – Dakhla ‘On a windy day’…..

At 08:00 this morning in Boujdour this was the Sunrise…..



While in the middle of the next picture is the Boujdour ‘Lighthouse’ that still runs but is in the middle of the town!
We understand that taking a picture of it while stood alongside is frowned upon…..



While it looked like the winds had abated the ‘Red Sky in the Morning Shepherds Warning’ should have come to mind as we decided to set off for Dakhla and have a look at Boudjour on the way back up, so off we went.…





While just out of town we see another Dromedary having a neck scratch using the road marker pole…..



Then as we got alongside he was off….



Road sign to a Fishing Village…..



Passing a number of camouflaged tents and Army personnel along the road...



While the road travels fairly close to the coastline....



Up on the hills inland was this herd of Dromedaries and there were quite a few herds that we passed on our way to Dakhla…..



As the wind then got up and we ran into a Sandstorm, which was in parts quite scary especially as oncoming vehicles were not showing any lights and still travelling very fast on not good roads…..







The it cleared up for a bit..….



A few miles further and we ran into the second Sandstorm and also found this overturned Truck at the side of the road….



Halfway ‘Café’ between Boudjour & Dakhla…..





While further on again was a Fuel Garage with Café but no good coffee only instant or soft drinks & Moroccan Tea…..



While on the next hill range were some more.....



Another group were very close to the roadside as this Truck and cars went hammering through with nearly an accident as the animals tried to get out of the way…..







Now we start a bit of hill climbing….













While at the top of another hill was this building which looked like a Café but was not in business…..





As we run into Sandstorm number three….







As we pass this Refrigerated Truck that appeared to have a ‘problem’ as we passed and saw a large pool of liquid underneath…..



As the Sandstorm weakens a bit we pass this group of buildings that are occupied…..



Then we start on the rolling road leading to the lagoon….







As we pass a few Kite Surfers who are braving the wind and dust.....



With their ‘Cabin Accomodation’ on the edge of the lagoon.....



While the Wild Camping site is not far away with a large number of Motorhomes on it…….



As we travel down the side of the lagoon we see this one and only ‘TinTent’ with no wheels on sat on the top of the cliff…..



Finally arriving at Camping Touristique Dakhla….





As we recognise the two large Campers who were at the same campsite called Tizerzite just outside ‘Tiznit’ a few weeks ago……



Having checked in we are advised that Electric is only available between 19:00 and 23:00 each evening, and you have to find a socket to plug into that works as not all of them do!
While the WC’s leave a lot to be desired, it will be a case of using our own facilities as Hot Showers are also extra and have to be booked in advance.

Maybe if the dust settles down we will be able to go and have a look at Dakhla tomorrow as we are 5 miles out of the city, but the forecast is saying ‘Very Windy for the next 3 days’!….

Meanwhile as it is now after 19:00 the Power is running while Maroc Telecom is proving ‘difficult’ to get this update uploaded!
BAH HUMBUG!!!

[XCovlov70]

Overland to Morocco.
Winter 2014-2015

Dakhla…. ‘The second windy day’…..

For some reason the windy gusts last night did not slow down or stop, while on other nights the wind has dropped to nothing as the Sun dropped out of sight, but not this time….

During the ‘Power On’ time last night I ran a check on the voltage being supplied and found that surprise surprise we were getting no more than 182V.

No wonder the kettle took so darn long to boil to make a cup of coffee and a cup of tea…..
During the ‘Black out’ period tomorrow, I will install the Voltage Regulator that I bought in Agadir and see what happens, while the results will be posted later…

Meanwhile Sunrise today looked like this, with the Sun nothing more than a white dot in the sky thanks to the dust still in the air as the wind continues to blow hard…..



While opening the Gas Locker on the front of the ‘TinTent’ shows me the amount of sand we ‘collected’ as we passed through the sandstorms on our way here…..





As I then find the small amount that collected around the Gear Lever Gator, from each time we stopped at a Police Check and had to open the windows….



WOW! 13:30 hrs today and the wind has started dropping in intensity, so we decided to get some exercise so off we went on a short walk as the air is still affecting nose and throat making everything very dry…..

This is the small beach area at the right hand side of the campsite, which sadly has a large amount of garbage on it…..



The view looking the other way, while the dust in the air blocks out the view to the other side of the lagoon….



While the small jetty and seafront is literally falling apart…..



As we move around the coast line going North we can see the erosion taking place....



As a part of the campsite outer wall has disappeared down the cliff face due to the erosion...



While a bit further along in this small cove is this beached and wrecked small boat…..



As the wind had died down I decided to have a look under the bonnet (Hood) of ‘Flamenco Red’ to see what was there after passing through the sandstorms…..



For me what was there, it was not a pretty picture 'Boo Hoo'!
Pressure wash called for when we get back home I think.....

Having also set up this afternoon the Satellite TV and tuned it in rather easily at which point I nearly sat down in amazement as I never expected to be able to get a signal this far South on my 88cm Dish, especially on Astra 1, then hopefully if the wind stays as low as this or stops altogether which would be nice, we can head off into Dakhla city itself tomorrow for a bit of exploring as it is supposed to be rather nice….

[ssicarman]

I am surprised how coarse the sand appears to be. I would have thought that it would be a finer grained sand that would be blowing around. Hopefully the paint is taking the sandblasting OK.

Might be worth pulling the air filter and giving it a shake out to check for excessive sand.

[XCovlov70]

I am surprised how coarse the sand appears to be. I would have thought that it would be a finer grained sand that would be blowing around. Hopefully the paint is taking the sandblasting OK.

Might be worth pulling the air filter and giving it a shake out to check for excessive sand.

The campsite has been clouded in fine dust for the last 2 days, hence the much reduced visibility, while this dust gets everywhere!
Wipe the table in the 'TinTent' with a damp cloth and 5 minutes later the table top feels gritty again!

I am hoping that the polymer coating that was applied to all the paintwork just before we got 'Flamenco Red' is holding up to the grit that is flying around.

Later on today I went back out and opened up the air filter case.....

But sorry, you will just have to hang in there until you see the update & picture for tomorrow as I was shocked at what I found, but shaking the air filter gave me enough sand to build a small sand castle!