Day 182 17th January
45miles (Larache to Moulay Boussenham) Average speed 10.3mph Top speed 26 mph
Campsite 70 dir
Today started very early. At 4am I was awake listening to the early morning lorries thundering past my campsite on the main road in and out of town. This noise was accompanied by the cacophony of wild dogs barking and cockerels crowing. At 6am the call to prayer of the local mosque joined in and soon after that the security staff and everyone Arabic in the campsite had something to chat about after their prayers.
Minaret
Still with an hour and a half before sunrise!
I read my book and vowed to buy some batteries for my radio (Now I am missing my iPad for the first time) I got up at 7 and tried to light the stove but it needs charging. Man in blue came to tell me I needed change from last night’s coffee, but made me coffee and cake instead. I headed into town and overtook a JCB, 3 bikes and a taxi, a moped,and a tarmac machine in the first 11 minutes on the main road!
I went for a walk around the medina, but soon realised that at 9am the place was only just waking up, so I could actually cycle through the streets and see the shops and stalls setting up and all the sights at the start of the day without many people about and hassle free.
Street sellers in the medina – Larache
I cycled around the market and saw many strange items for sale, most of which would not make a car boot sale back home. Lots of second and third hand shoes and clothes and many characters selling them. I rode around many back streets and saw a couple of guys arguing about a secondhand jumper!
Market – early in the morning
Moroccan KFC?
Then back to the campsite for omelette, olives and bread. I packed up and was on the road by 11.30. It was very busy on the main road with lots of lorries and varying road conditions. Kept on until I turned off right for the P4214. Through a small town and then into farmland for the rest of the journey. I turned right instead of left at a busy crossroads when a boy distracted me by trying to talk to me, which meant I ended up going through a diversion for roadworks, which took me off-road through a dusty at times and wet at others dirt track. I realised my mistake and went back the same way.
Rural road
The route then became very rural with many farmer workers wearing traditional clothing and using hand tools. I paused for a rest in a brick shelter before a bit of a climb and then a long downhill towards Moulay Boussenham.
Brick shelter where I paused in the shade for a while
Just before the right turn I needed to take I stopped at a shop for an energy drink and strawberry biscuits, served by a guy who couldn’t speak, so my language barrier was no problem and he understood my pointing perfectly. Then I missed the next right as it wasn’t signposted, but went back and followed the poorest road yet with some of the poorest people.
Dirt road
The road was only wide enough for one bike tyre at times and often was a dusty track, but the people were busy and there were kids playing everywhere. I then took the next right into Moulay and tried a path to a room/restaurant but it was too stony and sandy so I turned back, then into the town and onwards to find the campsite beside the lagoon.
Campsite 70 dir