2 FEB – Leaving Marrakesh behind I headed west towards the coast, heading for Safi as there was an old Portuguese castle on the sea-front I wanted to see. After a relatively short ride of 100 miles I got to Safi – but the castle was closed for renovation. There was another castle high on the hill next to the old fortifications but there was no manned car park nearby so not wanting to leave my bike unattended for a few hours with all the luggage loaded I decided to press on and head north to Al Jadida. Now I’m sure the bike and it’s luggage would have been perfectly fine, as we’re in Morocco, but I really didn’t want to press my luck.
Just outside Safi on a high promenade overlooking the rolling azure sea I stopped for a coffee and a croissant at a roadside café, and while I was sat on the sea-wall admiring the view a Yamaha Fazer 900 roared up with two Moroccans, a man and his wife onboard. Using Google Translate we chatted for about 30 mins about life in general and they invited me back to their house, but I had to turn him down as I was heading north, so then he insisted they ride with me for a while. His wife even wanted to have a go on the back of my bike but it was too much hassle to transfer my bag and straps so I had to say no. For the life of me I can’t remember their names, but whoever you were, I wish you a long and happy life together. They were so happy and friendly.
Roaring up the road north, we parted ways about 5km later with lots of handshakes and smiles. I followed the coast road north, and although I could have gone further inland and caught the toll-road, I decided to follow the coast road to see the beautiful coastal scenery, with the deep blue sea to the left of me, with jagged rocks and sporadic greenery.
There are no campsites near El Jadida, and as the surrounding lands are mostly agricultural the options for wild camping are very limited so I booked into a hotel about 10 miles south of El Jadida. The Hotel Al Kasbah was excellent, costing me 42eu for two nights. It also included breakfast, which was a delight and certainly filled me up. And besides the super hot shower, the bed was warm and comfortable – which meant that for two nights I managed to sleep right through without being woken by the cold, or dogs, or donkeys, or chickens or donkeys making noises through the night…
After a sumptuous breakfast I went into El Jadida as I wanted to see the Portuguese Fortress and the Cistern which lies below. When they were building the fort around 1550 they constructed an underground Cistern which collected and stored water for the fortress.
It supports the building above it using stone pillars and ornamental arches but unfortunately it was closed for refurbishment. I ended up walking around the fort and then around the huge market in the streets opposite the citadel, which was an incredibly big, busy and thriving market and you could literally buy anything from a bra to a twin-tub washing machine. There was also a mouth-watering choice of fruit or vegetables, so besides a big bag of nuts, I also bought apples, oranges and more oranges…
4 FEB – This next morning, and after another sumptuous breakfast, I loaded up the bike and headed north again, taking a leisurely ride into Casablanca. My first stop was at the Hassan II Mosque – which is utterly breath-taking in its magnificence. There is a car park underneath, which means you can go upstairs and walk around the mosque. It only cost about 50pence to park, and I had no worries about leaving my fully loaded bike. The pillars, the arches, the tiles and the ornate brickwork are truly awesome and I was so glad I came to see it. I really cant find the words to describe its splendour. Its magnificent. I met a Moroccan guy outside the Mosque on a Tenere 1000 and we had a great chat, as he spoke great English. I wish you well and safe riding, my friend.
After that I had a ride around the city, saw Rick’s Café, and then headed north again towards the city of Mohammedia – which is half-way between Casablanca and Rabat. Now as much as you imagine Casablanca having a mystique about it, the reality is that it’s just a large, modern and thriving city. That being so, there are still things about the city which are truly Morocco, which includes the finishing touches to buildings and a plethora of palm trees, as well as the people, who are so friendly and helpful.
I arrived at Mohammedia in the late afternoon and easily found the campsite – the Camping Mimosa. It’s a huge campsite, with lots of cover through the ground is a bit stony. With the exception of one other tent, its all campervans and motorhomes. As you stop at the barrier the caretaker comes out to take your registration and gives you a form to fill-in. The fee is 80dms (£6.30) a night for me, the bike and a tent, and it has lots of shade as well as the usual facilities – like HOT showers plus a washing machine…! It’s a big site but there are only four toilets and two showers for the whole camp – so you have to plan your visit. There’s fresh water, and in the afternoon a man comes around selling fresh fish and shellfish and just a few minutes up the road there is a friendly and busy shop, grocers and pizzeria. The camp looks as though they started to make it into a resort, but somewhere along things have stopped and what seems like it would have been the restaurant is derelict and unfinished. There is wi-fi, but you have to sit near one of the transmitters to get a good signal, which isn’t too bad as there’s lots of picnic benches near the transmitters.
I’m staying here for a few days as I want to visit Rabat, the capital of Morocco. There is a train station nearby which means getting into Rabat for a walk around will be so much easier as I can leave the bike at the campsite. So, Rabat here I come…
