Day 185 20th January
Ben Mansour
An easy day physically off the bike, but a tough one mentally with my lack of Arabic and only just enough French to get by.
I had brekkie with Kamal of bread, cheese and olives, then went with him for a walk to the bridge and along the river.
Brian and Kamal
We talked and then he went to mosque to pray.
When he got back we had couscous with chicken and veg for lunch with the family.
The souk at Ben Mansour
We went to the souk in a taxi and had coffee and watched footy. Kamal would not let me pay for anything. We got a lift back in a lorry and then he went off to see the family of a friend who had just been killed in a road accident, and left me to look after the shop with Yousan. A group of motorbikers had a puncture and were fixing it outside, when Yousan used my phone to ring Kamal because I thought there was going to be trouble between two groups outside and we closed up.
Yousan, Aman and I went to watch tv with papa and family. We had sardines, mackerel and a garlic sauce like hummus but hot. I cannot believe now that last night I had worried about people stealing from me. We chatted and looked at each other’s photos. Mine of footy and theirs of tractors.
Brian with Kamal’s family
Then Kamal returned and we watched music on TV and chatted more before once again he made my bed and persuaded me to stay an extra day. After Yousan had been crying earlier in the evening and threatened to cut his throat if I left, it wasn’t too difficult a decision!! So I will stay tomorrow night too!
Today Vernon posted this photo on Facebook of Ronda where I was 10 days ago in brilliant sunshine.
Ronda – they very rarely have snow but this is the current picture!