Chi's Travel Log - Marrakech, Morocco 09-02-2009

Portraits of some people I met on tour

adventure@chi11.co.uk

20090209 - Week11 - Marrakech, Morocco

Week11

20090209 Mon - Marrakech Camp Site

meditated and arose 7:30, felt cool this morning but maybe because I didn't put the screen covers on last night. Bright and sunny morning stood outside at 8am in the warm sun drinking my coffee soaking it up. Transferred my notes and pics from the telephone to the computer edited the notes then put them onto a usb peg so I could email from the internet cafe. Got the bikes out and had a little run round to view another camp site and a trip to the supermarket, got some supplies an atm machine then stopped off at a cafe for coffee before returning to the site. Made a couple of sandwiches and sat out on the sun loungers in the sun with a glass of wine for the rest off the afternoon just chatting and watching the world go by. At 5pm got the camp taxi to take us into town to the main square where 6 off us had dinner and a wander around the hustle and bustle it was very busy for a Monday night. stopped and had another coffee and popped into an internet cafe to check out my email while we waited for the taxi to collect us at 9pm. Had a night cap and retired at about 10pm.

20090210 Tue - Marrakech Camp Site meditated arose 8 breakfast, cleaned up washed the windows emptied the black water then went for a run on the Moto to find the local internet, it was about 5km away in a nearby village 4 Dirham's for an hour about 35p uploaded my pics but couldn't get my written info open on my memory stick, so just sent the pics will try the text again tomorrow. In the afternoon made a casserole and had an easy afternoon chilling out and chatting generally. Just been on the computer trying to set up a travel log web site may be easier to keep up with, its worth a try anyway. Just got used to using the phone but its too expensive from Morocco so never mind. The casserole was good plenty left for tomorrow, watched a movie with dinner then made a few notes and retired about 9pm. Finally got a map of Morocco today, like rocking horse shit, maybe I've been looking in the wrong places.

20090211 Wed - Marrakech Camp Site meditated and arose at 8 washed shaved and breakfast by 9 helped Kathleen and Norman to change the wheel on there motor home, it ended up being a job and a half could not believe how awkward it was to get the spare out, took me about 2 hours with all the messing about, its a good job they didn't have to do it at the road side they would have had no chance. Anyway they were well chuffed it was done, later Richard and I went into Marrakech centre on the moto's sent my email travel log at last and had a walk round the main square, bought a few bits then had an exploratory tour round the medina quite interesting and took some time to find our way out again. Turned out to be another glorious day even washed a load of smalls before visiting town and they were all dry when we returned. Been trying to set a web page up for the travel log so played about a little with that this evening. Trying to get all the information together and in the right format at the mo, well its 10pm now so going to retire.

20090212 Thu - Marrakech Camp Site meditated and arose about 7 a light breakfast then set about washing the van, it came up quite well then got all the carpets outs brushed and cleaned them best I could swept the van out and tried to remove a few marks from the carpets, they seemed to come out quite good so I decided to wash a small piece of carpet with flash then dried it outside in the hot sun. Had a run out on the bikes to Marjane the supermarket and got a load of veg for a chili and a few other bits. Chatted to Richard, Paul and David later and David offered to make Pad Thai for dinner but the chicken had to thaw, so we chatted and opened a bottle of gin and steady away sipped a few G & Ts the Pad Thai was lovely and we finished the bottle of gin then had a couple of mint teas in the site camp bar before retiring about 11pm.

20090213 Fri just realized its Fri. the 13th as I am writing my notes, well its been another fab day started by meditating then arising by 8 breakfast then washed the carpets for the motor home, bigger job than I anticipated also did the rest of my washing which consisted of 2 pair of jeans , 2 t-shirts, a jumper and a pair of socks. After that had second breakfast then chatted to Beverly a really nice guy travelling on his own in a 1954 Landover convertible specially adapted for his trip to South Africa. Beverly had a look at my electronics on the van started about 11am eventually found a glass fuse 230v 2amp which was hidden in the bottom of the electronics box under some transistors, so we got one of the Moroccans to go to town in search of a couple of fuses. In the meantime we had a couple of tins of strong bow and reset the generator to the correct voltage it was a 3 hand job so great to get that sorted. Had some stew which a made a few days ago and waited then the sun went down so we had a few glasses of port, we had finished the bottle by the time the fuses came and they were 8amp so we put one in and re-assembled the electronics so I had power in the van for the night until we can get a 2amp fuse. We got talking to this French guy called Geoff and all had a hand in re assembling the electronics while chatting and having a few beers. Eventually got into the van about 10:30pm my veg I had bought was sitting on the table which was to make a chili, but I had been side tracked and with the electric off all day no water to wash and prepare the food, so I set about making the chili finished about 11:30 and went to bed after a really great and industrious day.

20090214 Sat happy valentines - meditated and rose at 7:30 had a coffee and quassant then got stuck into the washing up and cleaning up after yesterdays events, put the carpets out in the sun again to ensure they get fully dried then washed all the floors with flash. Decided I would go hunting for some 2amp 230volt fuses, Richard had got 2 new leisure batteries yesterday so he new where a couple of auto parts shops were, I also said I would try and get a few exhaust rubbers for another couple, anyway got into town on the bike and managed to get the rubbers straight away just as the shop was closing for lunch, but got some vague instructions where to find an electronics shop, found the shop after about an hour but it was closed, so went for another mosey around, then decided to return to the camp but on the way passed the supermarket so called in for some tonic and lemons by this time the shop was supposed to be open so as I was half way I returned to find it still closed, I waited and double checked with the chap next door to find it would be another half hour. Anyway the guy arrived and I determined he didn't have them but he gave me good directions on how to get to the shop, five mins later I was their, I showed the guy what I wanted it was 30p for three, so off I went happy as Larry back to the site, told Beverly the story and set about installing the new fuse to find they were 1amp instead of 2amp shit, so I jumped on the bike and back to the shop el pronto and changed them no problem about 25km round trip, disconnected everything again and replaced the fuse everything back together again tested it but after all that still didn't work. Decided I will manage till I get home on solar power and engine recharging. By this time it was sundown time so got the Gin and tonics on the go and watched the sun go down with Beverly and Jeff, got the chili on and sat outside chatting, the chili was too hot for Jeff but Beverly and I had two full dishes each and really enjoyed it. Later Andrew and Fransware joined us for a few drinks. Put the bike away and table and chairs then retired about 11pm.

20090215 Sun - woke at 6 and wrote up my notes for an hour then meditated and arose at 7:30 light breakfast washed all the dishes from last night and cleaned up, washed and showered managed to knock the top of the oven extractor off the top of the van from a tree branch, when I was positioning the van to top up the water before we set off to Essaouira on the coast. had a nice run stopping for brunch and fuel then arriving about 1:30pm. Fixed the oven outlet then generally chilled out, had a walk over the dunes down on the beech and took a few pics, then made another pan full of grub for dinner, invited Paul, Richard and Beverly, Richard wasn't bothered so the three of us sided the lot with French bread and a few cold beers. Chatted for while then tidied up and wrote a few more notes just coming up to 9:30 so think I'll have an early one, going for a run into town tomorrow and a good look round. Its been another great week and very industrious. Take care everyone

adventure@chi11.co.uk