Day 217 21st February
62 miles (M’cissi to Merzouga) Average speed 9.8 mph Top speed 20 mph
What a tough last 15 miles into the wind in the middle of a Renault 4L rally!
The day started early at 7am to watch the sunrise and have a rather odd brekkie of Coke, bread, cheese and tangerines.
It was very cold and I’d set the alarm for 8 to remind me to take my washing off the line – no repeat of leaving my towel behind today! I spoke to a French couple on the road for 3 months from Toulouse and then went back to Cafe Merzouga for coffee. Then I realised that I’d left behind the two stones I’d found in the desert so I went back down the track to retrieve them and came back for my coffee and magdalenas. I set off into the wind and the first hour wasn’t too bad; I was happy to be enjoying the scenery despite the headwind. The road was long and straight until I got to some big climbs.
There were no villages or anywhere to stop for food or a drink and I’d miscalculated the mileage slightly, which annoyed me more than it should, but meant an extra 5 miles and with a lack of food or a sugar boost I was getting fractious. I eventually stopped at the side of the road to eat some bread and cheese and immediately felt a little better. It was now only 6 miles to Rissani and apart from the wind it was going OK. I knew that soon I’d have to turn right and head south straight into the increasing wind. I had a decision to make so I stopped for a coffee and some wifi at Merzouga hotel. The roadworks outside made it easy not to stay there so I carried on to a guest house on the edge of town and decided to judge from there about the wind. Unfortunately that guest house was closed so I made a brave move to push on, it was only 3pm so I should be OK for the 20 miles left to Merzouga. Or so I thought. The wind gradually picked up as I was heading south and it was getting tough. Then I met the Renault 4L trophy rally for vintage Renault 4 cars and with 1500 cars turning out of the desert and into the main road things were going to get interesting.
I stopped to chat to a guy who had broken down and got the lowdown on the race which lasts for ten days. Then it was into the fray with many of the rough sounding cars going at varying speed past me, some tooting and some a little close for comfort.
I now had to try and keep as straight as possible and avoid potholes while battling head on against the wind and the broken down cars on the side of the road. I was now running out of daylight too. I refuelled with all the cars in the garage but I didn’t need to queue for my Mars bar and Coke. I got chatting to Charles who was in the red car, who said that it would be OK to camp with them, but having heard the music later I’m glad I didn’t.
I finally made it into town but my long shadow had been replaced by street lights and the first guy I met tried to take me to a campsite but I really felt the need for a bed. The second guy offered me a lovely hotel on the other side of the big dune but when I asked how far 2km seemed too much, but by now I was desperate so I followed him on his moto, but within a few yards of dirt track I called him back to say it was too difficult with all the weight. I was about to give up when he took me on a better road, but before long that became thick sand.
Now extremely tired after 60 miles mostly into the wind and after a km of pushing through sand in the dark I gave up. He came and pushed my bike through the dunes but wasn’t very gentle so I had to grab it back and push it myself. We could see the hotel but there was no way to it. He then took me by pillion to see the hotel and negotiate with the owner, but I didn’t like leaving the bike in the dark 300 metres back . He wanted 200 dirham but I got him down to 109 and then we went back for the bike. My guide then took me to the main road which we could have done from the start and led me around the block back to where we were only a minute earlier.
To say I was livid would be an understatement, but I was so tired that when we finally arrived I just collapsed in a heap. Dinner would be an hour and I tried to have a shower but the taps were the wrong way round so had to ask them to sort it out. In the end dinner was delicious and a rather large tagine made everything seem much better. The doors were locked at 9.30 but that was OK as I needed my bed.
Kasbah Tradition 100 dir