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  1. #21
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    Overland to Morocco.
    Winter 2016-2017



    Stage 7 – Taghazoute to Sidi Ouassai

    Decided to get back on the road again this morning as I don’t see why you should be expected to pay top dollar for receiving less than 100% of what is advertised……

    Setting off on the N1 after negotiating the 1km of ‘dirt track’ from the campsite we came to a ‘new road’ that was not showing up on the GPS system, while it seems to go directly to Agadir, but as we wanted to get some really fresh Bananas we stuck with the ‘old road’…….



    While even the ‘old road’ has been modernised as the coast along here is undergoing a massive development with holiday apartments being built all along …….



    As we then came into the next village on the outskirts of Agadir….



    Just around the corner is the small shop that sells nothing but Bananas that are still attached to the stalk of the Banana Tree…..



    Then it was back on the road and not long before we are entering Agadir…..











    After a quick visit into the Marjane Supermarket for a few more groceries we get back on the N1 and start to go through some of the places that very soon with all the building that is going on, be consumed by an ever expanding Agadir….





    As this truck went around the traffic island in front of us I really had to back off quickly as the angle that it went over to, I thought it was going to roll onto it’s side!!!...







    Roadside trees being given a ‘Haircut’



    Then a little bit further along the N1 having gone through 2 Police ‘Traffic Checks’ we make a right hand turn towards Sidi Ouassai and the campsite…..





    As the road became more or less a ‘single track road’ as it passed through a few outlying houses…..











    As we start to climb up the road we can see to our left that this area is quite fertile……



    As we get over the top and follow the Camper down the other side. Just in front of that Camper in the next picture I spot a sign on the side of a house that says ‘Boulangerie Pattisserie’ and the door is open! …..



    So I pull over and go over to have a look, while the aroma of freshly baked bread is wafting around and making me feel decidedly hungry as it is past lunchtime!
    So after making the greeting of ‘Salam Alikum’ to which I get a beautiful smile from the young girl in the bakery, I then ask for ‘Jus Hobs’ (2 Hobs), so the young girl disappears and a couple of minutes later re-appears with the bread which has just been baked!

    It was that HOT that even though it was wrapped in clean white paper, I nearly dropped it taking it back to the car!
    But it stayed warm and was delicious for our late lunch which came as soon as we had checked in and got set up on the pitch in Camping Wassay!!!...



    After which I went and took a couple of pictures of the campsite…..









    As the sky became very dark!....



    Then not very long after the rain came back……

    Still the water in the showers was a lot better and HOTTER than standing outside with a bar of soap for a quick scrub down!....

    Let’s see what happens tomorrow……

    Good night……

  2. #22
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    Overland to Morocco.
    Winter 2016-2017



    Stage 7A – Our first day in Sidi Ouassai

    WOW! What a really peaceful and quite night last night, with possibly the best night’s sleep I’ve had since we set off on this trip…….

    After breakfast we ventured out to go for another of those delicious ‘Hobs’ from the little Boulanger that we called into as we arrived and here it is…..



    Having then got our ‘Hobs’ for the day, we set off back along the road to the campsite…….



    But then turned right just before the campsite as something caught my eye at the end of a road on our right, and it was this strange looking ‘oven’.….



    From the signs on the outside, it looks like it is used to cook Pizzas, but as this is ‘low season’ with very few visitors then the building alongside is closed…..



    So we then head off on the beach road …..



    Watching the rain showers move in further along the beach…..





    Going back along the road we pass by this Café/Restaurant/Hotel which is huge while it is open for business…..



    While as we continue along the road we see the places where all the rain has washed away the roadsides and left quite deep grooves in the soil at the side as the roads here have no built in drainage……



    The turning left we find the Hairdresser with some rather attractive prices for a haircut for both men and women, while they also offer ‘showers’!!!….



    While a little bit further up the road we find what look like several ‘dung beetles’ walking around……



    As we continue along the road and come out the other side we see yet another rain shower along the beach coming off the sea……



    As we then get back to the beach by the campsite……



    Getting closer I can see clumps of Muscles clinging to the rocks, but the tide was on its way in and with nothing to carry any that were collected I decided to return tomorrow with a plastic bucket or bag to get some……



    As the view along the beach starts to get a bit misty……



    Going back into the campsite at the front gate which is directly onto the beach we can see what was the restaurant that is now going through a complete refurbishment while they are hoping to have it open by 15th December 2016 …..



    Around the back of the restaurant is this artificial well complete with the type of water bucket that we have seen in other southern parts of Morocco where the village water is drawn from a well……



    This water bucket like so many others we have seen is made from a Truck Tyre!…..



    If you look at the next picture closely I hope you can see the letters up near the top edge of the bucket……



    A little further back are the Berber Tents…..



    The swimming pool…..



    As the holiday apartments outside the campsite continue to expand……



    As we come to the end of a reasonable day……



    The Sun sinks once again over the horizon…..





    While the weather is supposed to be ‘improving’ tomorrow, I am not inclined to try holding my breath, especially when you look at what is happening currently in the rest of this planet of ours…..

    Good night……

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    Bella Coma BC Canada
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    beautiful pictures
    just wondering what the daily temperatures are?
    Hank

  4. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Da Tow'd View Post
    beautiful pictures
    just wondering what the daily temperatures are?
    Hank
    Hi Hank,

    Glad you are enjoying the pictures.

    Now don't get jealous when I tell you that we have around 23C or 74F daily.

    While another one of the Forum Members is a little hacked off as he is experiencing -20F and SNOW!

  5. #25
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    Overland to Morocco.
    Winter 2016-2017



    Stage 7B – Second and third day’s here in Sidi Ouassai

    Having been for a stroll down to the beach I noticed that there appeared to be a large number of Muscles growing on the rocks along the beach and as I quite like them I set off to have a better look…….

    Sadly I got the tide times wrong as the tide was incoming and not outgoing so decided to leave it till tomorrow…..



    Having said that, climbing around the rocks along the shoreline can be a little ‘tricky’ as they are very rough and sharp …….



    While the Muscles are quite small in size as you see the clumps clinging to the various rocks.….















    As we walk along the top of the rocks we see this large piece that has broken off but it looks like rock that has been given a coating of ‘sand’ but the rock does not crumble underfoot….



    While down on the beach is this small ‘cave’ in the rock formation which is not very deep inside……



    Muscle ‘hunting’ over we decide to head off into the small town of Massa , passing this cyclist who is cycling around Morocco!……



    As we then see these two ladies with heavily laden Donkeys bringing home the fodder for the animals that are kept at home…..







    Going across the bridge over the river there is this boy having a swim …..





    As this game of football is being played…..



    Then we come to the main road to going to Massa as we pass through a couple of small villages on the way……





    Bringing home the ‘firewood’……







    As we get into Massa we go into a Café for a coffee which is run by a man from the Berber folk here in Morocco and who speaks good English and has travelled to different countries from which he purchased the bicycle on the left in the next picture which came from Holland, that you pedal backwards to activate the braking system!…..

    The bike on the far right is from Italy and can be ‘split in two’ via the clamp in the middle of the frame, while the man thinks the bike in the middle came from Belgium…..

    As we ordered the 2 coffees even though they were ‘instant’ we were offered as a gesture of a really nice hospitality a small piece of cake each which was very tasty!
    You don’t get that sort of thing back home!!!…..







    As we then started to make our way back after getting 1Kg of those small but very tasty Bananas as we were running out, we see this group of boys also having a game of football in the middle of the main road!......



    Then the following day having looked up the Tide Times for the area I head off again to the beach on another ‘Muscle hunt’!......



    As we find a ‘Fisherman’s Hut’ nestling in the shoreline……





    As another fisherman goes off to the waters edge to try his luck……





    While as I keep an eye on the waves coming in I manage to get some Muscles from off the rocks, but they are not that big even though I try to select the biggest in the ones that are there……



    As the Sun makes it’s exit once again……





    Good night……

  6. #26
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    Aug 2010
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    Bella Coma BC Canada
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    -7C here so that 23C sounds quite nice
    cheers
    hank

  7. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Da Tow'd View Post
    -7C here so that 23C sounds quite nice
    cheers
    hank
    I understand from a friend back home that's what we left behind as the temperature dropped a few days after we left!

    So I think we were lucky this time as we normally experience ICE on the INSIDE of the front window of the 'TinTent' as we travel down through France, but this time it didn't happen, we got lots of rain instead!

  8. #28
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    Overland to Morocco.
    Winter 2016-2017



    Stage 7C – Fourth day here in Sidi Ouassai

    Set off for a stroll along the beach this morning which you can ‘stroll’ for a very long way as we see that Mother Nature promotes ‘life’ above the high water mark along the shoreline possibly based on the amount of humidity that occurs during the night…..



    ‘The Beach’ on a nice day as the tide is going out …….



    One of the 5 small Fishing Boats not far off shore.….



    The very end of Sidi Ouassai……



    In the middle of the next picture in the centre of that Rock, it was shaped like a ‘seat’ so I tried that famous move of King Canute of stopping the Sea in it’s tracks, sadly like him, for me, it didn’t work, as it came back in and bit me as I ended up with both wet feet and shorts!!!....



    The beach looking the other way……







    Now you see the Fishing Boat…….



    Now it’s nearly disappeared thanks to the swell on the sea, BUT it hasn’t sunk, as that wave across the picture was about to ‘roll over’!......



    As it then did (The wave that is)……



    As the wave then rolling onto the beach produces the ‘undercurrent’ as it rolls back out, and it was quite strong and looked like two forces colliding!……





    As we came off the beach we spot this nicely decorated property……



    After a nice afternoon of being totally lazy and enjoying the sunshine it was time for Mother Nature to start closing off the flowers and their displays in the plants on the campsite as the day came to a close……





    While the Sunset looked like an ‘Eruption’ as it went down tonight, or maybe that was the ‘Steam’ rising as it hit the water!......



    As the Sunset continued……









    As the Moon grows…..



    Good night……

  9. #29
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    Overland to Morocco.
    Winter 2016-2017



    Stage 7D – Fifth & Sixth day here in Sidi Ouassai

    After breakfast and another nice stroll along the beach we needed a few bits and pieces so we set off again to the town of Massa, and it wasn’t long before we are in the main road through the town …..





    As we set off to look for the items we wanted we spot this Bread & Cake shop with the wood fired ‘Oven’ outside that is shaped like half an Egg and made from Mud & Straw, similar to the walls of houses and the walls separating fields in the Southern part of Morocco as the Mud when mixed with the Straw makes it very strong and resilient.

    While some of the raw ingredients for making the Bread & Cakes were in sacks next to the 'Oven' as the baked Cakes and Biscuits were behind the window in the shop, the aroma from the fresh bread really made your mouth water!.….



    So it was one large ‘Hob’ and a box of mixed biscuits which were very nice but surprisingly not as sweet as we expected, so the sugar used when making them must have been reduced……



    A bit further along the road we pass a shop that carries out alterations in clothes and outside was this well past it’s use by date sewing machine that looked like it was not being used for spares as there were two others inside the shop still in use......



    Finally have a nice coffee and then head back to the campsite for a lazy afternoon and to watch the Sunset……







    The next day was another stroll on the beach after breakfast with a couple of jobs on the ‘TinTent’ and ‘Flamenco Red’ then we sat down for a coffee and one of those biscuits we bought in Massa yesterday and watched this Ant pick up a large crumb and start to carry it back to the nest…….



    When the Ant came to the plastic mat we had on the ground in front of the ‘TinTent’ it really struggled to get the crumb up over the edge and made several attempts before it finally succeeded, but it wasn’t giving up and tried a few places along the edge of the mat before it found one small part low enough to lift and push the crumb over!......



    After moving on a couple of inches it seemed to stop for around 30 seconds taking a ‘breather’ after the struggle of getting the crumb onto the mat, before it then once again set off with its prize back to the nest……



    A little bit later on the electronics engineer arrived on site to start the new installation of 4 Wi-Fi Connection Points that should provide Wi-Fi access across the whole of the campsite, but we will have to wait 48 hours for the installation to be completed and the system activated for use……



    With the nice warm sunshine and a temperature of 24C today it made it another relaxing afternoon as the day slipped away and Sunset once again took over…..









    Good night……

  10. #30
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    Overland to Morocco.
    Winter 2016-2017



    Stage 7E – Seventh day here in Sidi Ouassai

    With another very relaxing day under our belts, the only interesting part of today was the Sunset, and so all the pictures in this batch are from just that, so if anyone is bored or upset with so many pictures then ‘Sorry’, but I was in ‘Seventh Heaven’ and totally mesmerised watching it happen…..









    Going down.......



    Going a bit further......



    Nearly made it!......



    Just a bit more!......



    GONE!......



    Also looking behind me to see the clouds taking on the gold and then red of the light from the setting Sun......













    I then tried one of the other settings on this camera moving from a ‘Normal Scene’ picture……



    To a ‘Sunset’ picture......













    With one final shot before it all went black!......



    Good night……

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