Into The Desert
Merzouga - Here I Come
14th November | 2022
Another early morning - getting up at 6h30 and breakfast at 7h30. The breakfasts with their sort of fresh pancakes with cheese and honey are just njam, njam! And we managed to leave before the offroad group, just after 8am! The intention is to arrive all together at daylight in our bivouac in Merzouga. Let´s see, if "offroad" or "street" will be first in ;-)
The area we crossed was pretty vast and had some interesting hill formations, but other than that pretty boring and straightforward, but it took its time due to the villages, road construction, etc. Then one of the younger drivers really pulled my patience string! Already in the past days, he did what he wanted, overtaking me, stopping for a picture so everybody had to wait. Today was one time too many! I reminded him that I am his guide and in a way responsible for him, which he didn´t like at all as I am a woman, and on top extrangeira! Welcome to Machismo - in the 20th century!
Around lunchtime, Marco and Hassan found a lovely picnic spot in the mountains. Marco still had some bread, soft drinks, Portuguese cheese and choriço - what an amazing lunch! And it saved us plenty of time on that long day of riding!
Around the area of Aoufous Nuno suddenly shot off with his Harley without telling anything. I first thought he wanted to take a film or picture of us, but after some kilometres, it came to me that he probably wanted to make sure he gets through the dirt road to the hotel at daylight.
When we arrived just at the point to turn off the road onto the sandy dirt road, Teresa (Nuno's wife) just called me. The Harley Davidson is stranded in the sand, if we could call Marco to send someone to get them out? She sends the pinpoint of their location in our Whatsapp group chat. We managed to inform Marco, but he didn’t receive the full version as one of our group did the call for me as I didn´t have any more free calls.
We drove off on the indicated track, but after about 1km the route was all over the place! That doesn’t help, especially trying to find Nuno, keeping the group together on sandy dirt tracks, with one bike still 2-up and finding the correct direction of the hotel. When I discussed the direction with Paula (my wingwoman :-D ), we saw Nuno and his bike. So we all headed in that direction.
After he said which direction a Marroquin had said the hotel is, Paula headed off to the hotel. I didn’t like that as it was getting dark soon and I wanted the group to stay together! She ignored it completely and went on her way. Inshallah, she is on the right track!
After a while, Marco and Hassan came and arrived at the same time as the owner of the hotel. He at least had seen Paula, so she was on the right track, puh! One worry less! Marco complained that we were completely wrong and the entrance to the hotel was about another 5km off the street! Well, we can only do what the track says, not some information given late last night or early hours at breakfast. If all would have been well organised and the group would have stayed together, I would have maybe remembered any of it! My main focus was at that moment to keep the "herd" together as getting quickly dark!
It took us from the exit of the street to finally to the bivouac good 90mins. Arriving there finally saved with the remaining of the group I was pretty relieved but got bollocking straight away from Didier. Seriously! I do not need that! I had an 11 hours day of riding, hardly any sleep over the last nights, trying to keep that group together (mission impossible) and then that!
But it is getting better! Once down at the bivouac, there was no room for me. It took Didier a while to work that out: 10 tents for 22 people doesn’t really work out if already one client booked a single-room package. I was so tired, I went with the option to share the tent with Paul, one of the English offroad guys. The tent has a double bed and a single bed, so that was not a real problem for the moment!
When I wanted to get my bag, it turned out that my bag was still in the van at the hotel. Seriously?!? So I had to find the guy with the jeep and Marco with the key to drive me up to the hotel to get my bag. So finally while everybody was off to dinner, I had a shower. Oh yes, no privacy in the tent as the door that separates the bathroom from the bedroom is only a flimsy curtain! And the best is the drain - yeah, which drain! The tent was then nearly a swimming pool! Can it get any better today ;-)
The dinner was nice food and a good atmosphere. After the dinner, I sat together with Didier and Alexandre (Dakar rally racer) to discuss the programme for the rest day for the "street" group. After a long discussion between the boys, we finally agreed to take it easy. Meaning late breakfast and then taking the group in the jeeps to Merzouga to have a look around and see the famous High Dune.
I am planning then to catch the group for lunch later in the day. Like that, I could rest a bit and do a bit offroad :-D I reminded Didier, that he has to organise the camel ride as in the programme offered. I had the whole time the impression, he would be with the group on that day or at least instruct well Hassan.
Later on, already in bed, I asked myself, WHAT I AM DOING HERE? So I went to Didier, who was still around and made it pretty clear that I will have a room for myself tomorrow. He was a bit surprised, but after I told him to tell his wife that he is sharing the room with a woman, he understood pretty well (for once that Portuguese jealousy is working for me!). That night I slept very well - for the first time since I left home!
So much happening in a life of a guide in Morocco ;-)
What will come next? You will find out next week in the next blog! In the meantime, have a slowly brewed cafe.
Places | Cities:
Errachidia, Erfoud, Rissani, Merzouga.
Driven km | Trip:
Total | Steffi: 500 km
Maintenance | Breakdown:
./.
Health issues:
./.
Special thanks to:
To my guardian angel (Papa) to look after me on these roads here in Morocco.