Day 211 15th February
43miles (Foum Zguid to Bourbia) Average speed 9 mph Top speed 19 mph
Up at 8 to see Georges, who went to buy morning bread but the shop was not yet open, so we had biscuits dipped in honey and tea. We got the bike out of the car and all the rattling hadn’t shaken the sand out of the gear shift, so after a shower I went to the garage to use an air compressor to clear the sand. This operation required three hands and when I used two of them to hold the brake and the nozzle, my foot was the only way to operate the lever, but the guy sitting down watching over his garage didn’t like this and was shouting a lot. I didn’t realise it was at me because he had been barking out orders to everyone since I got there. Before long though he sent someone over to take the hose out and remove the whole thing.
So I went off to find a mechanic in town. Hussein was very meticulous as he flushed out the sand with a magic liquid and re-greased all moving parts. It wasn’t perfect but at least I could change gear now!! It may take lots of gear changes for the grease to make its way in, but for just 20 dirham it was a bargain for 30 minutes work. Back at the campsite I packed up and had a boiled egg sarnie for lunch, said goodbye to Georges and he paid for my camping as I had no change. That means I owe him a beer when I return to el Palmer where he lives.
I set off and heading north was great, as I crossed the bridge a girl said Bonjour and as I followed the river it was a lovely ride. Then as soon as I turned right I hit the wind between the two mountain ranges as I passed through. At first it was not too bad, but as time went on it got stronger and I was down to 7 and 8 mph. It was a long road with nothing but the mountains to look at but as they were on either side it was tricky to watch the bumps in the road at the same time. It became tougher as the afternoon went on but there were camels along the route to cheer me up. I’ve started talking to them now, so I think I am going a bit crazy. There was a lovely mother and suckling baby right on the side of the road.
It seemed that any time there was a slight bend in the road the wind would change too and keep straight into me. I came to the end of the valley and turned left. There were mountains on either side, but closer now as I went through the canyon and it became more of a funnel for the wind to channel into. I stopped to take stock after the bend and saw that it was also uphill for the next ten or so miles. There was only one village to head for and I was running out of daylight and energy. I only had two tins of sardines and a boiled egg with two potatoes. I was relying on there being a shop in the village but the map only showed a mechanic!! There was a nomad with camels on the side of the road who asked to borrow my pump and offered me to stay at his house, but I wanted to push in to the village to get food. I finally arrived at the village as the sun set and soon realised that there wasn’t even anywhere to get water, so I asked in a building and was given water by Dris and his young worker whose name I don’t remember.
Then when I asked if it was OK to camp he invited me in and offered me to sleep inside. It was a derelict hospital which had just started to be refurbished, well the walls and floors had been re-plastered. In one room there were a few rather large beetles, and in the room I stored the bike in, a dead pigeon. So I was quite relieved when Dris offered for me to sleep between them. He made me tea while I changed and the boy made a chicken tagine on the gas stove. They had no electric but a guy, who I think owned the building, turned up with a portable torch light – I was honoured. The food was delicious and we had oranges for dessert. We chatted as much as my French would allow and I sussed that he had three kids and lived in Rachira? We were in bed by 8.30 and I was in need of the sleep. Although it was tough sleeping in a blanket on the floor I would have felt bad getting out my mattress and they seemed happy enough on the floor. In the morning, when I woke, Dris asked if I’d been bothered by the insects he pointed out on the floor but thankfully my sleeping bag protected me. Once again I was amazed by such generosity.
Hospital building site with Dris and the boy