Morocco 4x4 overland tour ,days 3 to 6

Spain to Morocco and onwards

Well by now I had lost track of time, I didn't know what day it was, I kinda lost track.  We managed to meet up with Adam and Sid in their P38 (don't laugh) and also meet with Ken at the campsite http://www.campingvaldevaqueros.com prior to our crossing to Morocco.  I would say the camp site was great but we were not there long enough, well not long enough for more than a beer and a sleep before we were off again.

Oh and on the way to the campsite from Salamanca the 90 decided to act up with the turbo quitting on several occasions probably due to the speed it was travelling at.  We pulled over at the services to have a break and a look see at what was wrong.

Pointing really helps.

There was nothing obviously wrong with the 90, but we put the issue down to the speed James was motoring at, the 90 did not have standard gearing so it was revving quite high and we agreed this was probably the issue.  Anyway, we decided to go slower and push on but not before a few theories discussed around the 90's problem.

James explaining the size of the squirrel wrapped around the turbo waste gate

We got to Carlos the ticket seller later in the day and picked up out tickets with no issues, we even got a present of Cidre and Chocolate Cake from Aldi, these were given away to locals ASAP.  What they did do well at the travel agent was to give us our White and Yellow travel cards as well as open tickets all for 200 euro.

The ferry crossing to Tanger Med

The next morning we went to the ferry port for the crossing to Tanger Med it was good having Ken there who had done the trip before because he knew the route and also what to expect.

A lot has been written about this crossing on how complicated it is and also how many forms you have to fill in etc.  Also a lot has been written about the best way to bake fairy cakes as well.  Not that you can derive anything in common between the two other than they are both easy to do.

At the port you get in to queue with your ticket, that will get you onto the boat, they will give you plenty of room to park.  If you can get out of your car well done, it was not easy for us to do.

How do we get out?

We noticed a sign which seemed to infer only poodles could get onto the boat.

Only Poodles allowed to Morocco

Desert Dog has a weird reaction to this sign.

Dog with the horn, high on Coca

When you are on board you need to fill in a white entry form for Morocco (a yellow one on the way back).  When the boat leaves you will see someone with a laptop and a queue next to them, join the queue, when you get to the front give the chap your passport and card and it will get stamped.  If you have already entered Morocco before as we had you need to use the number already stamped in the passport.  If you don't have one they will stamp one in your passport.  That's it.

Getting off is a laugh, you get into a queue and then all mayhem happens, basically you will get out when you get out, don't get stressed or you will not be happy.  We got out in 30 minutes.

However, Sid had his passport recorded incorrectly on the boat and by magic became a Dutch woman, err, considering he was travelling with a man in a P38 converted to a camper with a double bed I assume this was an easy mistake.  However, this did mean it took them 2 hours to get out.

To get your insurance (if needed) and currency you can do this at the port, its dead easy, our insurance was about 90 euros for 30 days any driver.

Give me insurance little man

Pets can get through as well providing they have the correct documentation and are in the right place.

Desert dog humping the roof bars

When you get through the port you turn right and follow the signed for about 3km to the motorway south.  We got the A1 to Kenitra, we wild camped in a cork forest for our 1st night in Morocco.

Oh it is at this point it should be noted the 90 broke down, the return fuel pipe fell off and wrapped around the drive shaft, they were stuck for 20 minuted till they re-fitted it, we waited for them at the services till they got to us.

Camp setup

Mikes roof tent

Sid enjoying the local food, SPAM!

Planning the next leg of the trip, or the invasion of Basingstoke

The 1st night was fab, Rachel had never wild camped before and I'm not sure all the other chaps has as well.  We were not disturbed at all and went to lengths to ensure we left nothing behind when we left.

Mike had a bit of an issue, during the night he went off for a poo and got lost in the dark and nearly did not make it back.  The lesson here is to not go far away from camp in the woods unless you know your way back.

Kenitra to Erg Chebbi

One thing is for sure, we had done a lot of miles at this point in time, we had not broken any Land Rovers (bar the squirrel and fuel line on the 90) on the trip so far.  So the long drive to Erg Chebbi from Kenitra went without any undue issues.  We did get lunch along the way (Tagine) and also saw some monkeys in the high pine forests, the scenery was pleasant, it really was a nice drive.

Parked up after the long climb up the hills

A Moroccan monkey

 
We refuelled at the massive price of 70p a liter along the way :-) We went along the Dra valley as well, that was quite pretty.  Also we generally took in the sights.  It was at this point I started to notice Mike and Jerry's eating habits.  Every time we stopped a table came out and they ate a three course meal. Also at 5 minute comfort breaks the wine came out for a quick tipple.

Pretty

Typical loaded Moroccan lorry

Erg Chebbi

A lot has been said about Erg Chebbi being the mecca for 4x4, I now think of it just as a play ground.  I wonder how many 4x4 trips only get this far play about and then go home and call it an overland trip.  We had full intentions of not being there for too long though and were due to push on the next day.

For one day we fell foul of the absolute brilliance of Erg Chebbi, a place for playing around.  During our day there we went a little mad.  Drove alongside some mad Spanish people who were on a rally and meet a nice English couple, obviously mad as well, who were with a group of older landy owners, barking mad and then filled up again at a mad busy service station.

If you want to go play, go to Erg Chebbi.  However, I would not consider this as an overland venue, this is the place where the beggars and commercialisation is just to much.  But it really makes you smile a lot.  I think we all felt we had made it to where our little adventure began.  Yay go us.

We made it yay!

The P38 was so please it made it to the desert it immediately refused to move.

Hello you there

Get me out, I'm stuck

If you jack the really high they will be able to get out

Yup they are stuck under there

There was a lot of walking about to be done.

Now in the clip above you will see a local Arab, I am not kidding you that these guys pop up everywhere, I seriously wonder where they come from.  This chap arrived on a little 50cc scooter bounding across the dunes, so much for 4x4's.

After pulling a few fuses the P38 just drove out of the sand pit, electronics eh!  After this mod was done it worked really well the rest of the trip, except for the engine cooling.  I would not say the P38 was as capable as a 90 or the 110, nor is Larry, but we all went the same places and the P38 did it in style.  We only saw two others the rest of the trip, the owners were also mad.

When we got to Erg Chebbi we spent some time practising in the sand for the long trips ahead.  Looking back now what we thought was driving through sand really was nothing, but it did give us some practise.  Larry got stuck as well, but I was not driving.  Rachel tried her 1st off road driving and buried Larry in sand.

Larry's 1st getting stuck

Rachel celebrating her driving achievement

We really did not know how to drive on sand at this time so everyone for some practise, it was really really needed.

Erg Chebbi to Zagora FAIL!

After a nights camping at Camping Karla (quite a nice campsite) we decided to tackle the route from Erg Chebbi to Zagora.  The route was a lot tougher than expected.  It resulted in a lot of getting stuck and also our first major breakdown, the 90 lost its rear diff and then broke a front drive shaft after it had been converted to a 2 wheel drive 90.

I would like to say if you are considering a trip like ours get a really good gps system, our maps and gps's were not up to it and more than once this caused issues.  Also if you are looking at google earth for a route remember the dunes look smaller from above.

Our navigation issues left us on day 1 doing about 5 miles in over 8 hours because we just went the wrong way once and ended up in dodo with a poorly 90.  At the end of the day we ended up with one broken car and a return trip to the camp site.

Action photo of Ken, hope someone got me

I got well and truly stuck and was the 1st to be rescued by the P38's winch and sand mats came to the rescue.

Removing the drive shafts to get a 90 into 2 wheel drive

Traditional English pose when watching work was employed

Rachel tried her hardest to be sympathetic to James who was lying under the 90 pulling parts off with Andy.

Om nom nom, James mum makes great cakes

James and I practicing our Zombie walks whilst Andy works on the 90

Eventually when we got out heading back to Camping Karla for the night.  James and Andy took the 90 to a local garage to re-build the rear diff just so the could get to Zegora for a more thorough re-build, at this point Adam and Sid decided to go with them the next day leaving Ken, Mike, Jerry, Rachel and I to travel overland to meet them the following day.  We knew we would have to stay somewhere over night en route.

I think at this point we all wondered what we had got ourselves into, this was not the last time on the trip we really pushed our off road experience a bit.

More to follow.