We spent the first few days in Morocco with Linda going cold Turkey after steadily working her way through Gibraltars duty free Margheritas so didn’t actually get to do much. We didmanage to get out for a short ride along the lovely promenade seafront at Martil to much laughter and pointing at the tandem. But once Linda had mastered the shakes we moved on and headed south towards Fez.
Morocco is a building site, with construction everywhere, plenty of new roads being built and everywhere we passed on the coast new apartment blocks and hotels – even a Ritz Carlton going up. In the towns and along the coast the boulevards are beautifully manicured and lined with palm trees and lovely street lamps always maintained by dozens of women, just the way it should be….
It’s also cheap and getting cash from a cash machine and then trying to buy anything is like trying to buy a packet of Polos with a hundred pound note as you get 200 (£13.50) Dirham notes and then want 2 kilos of Oranges for 4 Dirhams, which is about 30p. Fuel 60p and hand wash Taffy £3. It’s very cheap.
The people are lovely too and the border crossing was a normal mixture of paperwork, confusion and mild bedlam combined with a lot of smiling, good natured Policemen and helpful Customs Officers who spoke English. They didn’t learn their trade in England I can tell you!
Our first night was at a small campsite which despite the Moroccans dislike of the French over, we are told, something political, was full of French people. We’re not sure what has happened between France and Morocco but on the way down people had said that the French weren’t going this year, which clearly they are, but I think the ones that haven’t gone are missing out.
Despite having good old faithful BlackBerry World Internet Service we wanted to get a SIM card here for our MiFi Internet thingy so we could use Linda’s tablet so ventured to the local equivalent of Tesco to try and get one. It was a ginormous store – bigger than Tesco in Norwich – and had a handful of customers and a couple of tills open. Cheddar – Check, McVities – Check, Salt and Vinegar Crisps – Check. All the essential food groups were present with the exception of the drinks isle.
The phone stall was manned by more staff than they had phones on display and all of them were laughing and giggling young ladies, especially once they found out we wern’t French, with one poor harassed looking male manager in charge. Poor Guy. He did a runner as soon as it was obvious we were English and left it to one of the girls who spoke some English to try to assist us. I was despatched to Taffy to get the MiFI thingy and the gaggle (is that the right name for a group of giggling girls?) spent the time passing my passport back and forth and constantly telling Linda that Jon was very very beautiful and how lucky she was!, And I hope she doesn’t forget it either!! That was me made up for the day!! I’m liking Morocco more and more!
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