Day 31: Agadir - the dregs of Morocco
Soutpiel Safari
John & Jenny
Mon 6 Dec 2010 18:18
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Day 31: Sunday 5 December 2010. Camping Agadir. N30
26.441 W009 36.449 Distance driven 461 km
We had a wonderful drive today from Zagora - fabulous
scenery and little traffic until we hit the outskirts of Agadir. Northwards up
the Draa valley we followed the river, winding through huge palmeries with many
old mud ksars perched on hill tops above the river. Then, just south of
Agdz we stopped for a coffee before taking to a minor road which wound through
several mountain passes with stunning views of the High Atlas away to the north
and Jebel Toubkal, Morocco's highest peak (4167 m) capped in snow. The
route continued all day in sunshine until late afternoon as we approached the
outskirts of Agadir when it began to rain slightly. From 1600 onwards we
looked for somewhere either to camp or to stay, as by then we were beginning to
think of a hotel when the lightening began.
For mile after mile there was just nothing, then we got
into the evening traffic and it began to get dark. Moroccan motorists seem
very reluctant to put on their lights in the dusk so it was quite a hair-raising
drive especially going through villages with people all over the road, donkeys,
motor bikes, old men in wheelchairs, bicycles and old badly lit trucks weaving
all over the place. Our thoughts then turned to getting a sea front hotel
but before we found one we were at Camping Agadir, it was dark and the rain had
abated so we came in. What a surprise - about 200 wall-to-wall French and
German camper vans, all packed in together in a rough walled compound with
a few scruffy trees, and filthy, disgusting toilets. By that time we were
too tired to care so we put up the tent and went to the beach to find a
restaurant. of course, Agadir is Morocco's main tourist town focused on
cheap package holidays for Brits and other Europeans. The restaurants were
all tourist traps but we did mange to get a nice spaghetti in an Italian
restaurant but at far higher price than we had become accustomed to.
Anyone following this blog intending to come this way
would be well advised to avoid Camping Agadir! We'll be off at first light
and leave it to the Germans to fight over the filthy showers.
Before we left this morning I topped up the steering ATF
reservoir with some purportedly US manufactured ATF but without any recognisable
specification. When we arrived the level had not fallen so I don't think
we have a problem. perhaps the real problem was that i had not checked the
level for 3,000 km. I learned a new French phrase today - "la direction
assistance" meaning power steering (PAS). I did however, note that someone
(Mustapha or Nene Overland) had not replaced two bolts holding the top right
side of the radiator in place and it is moving around with the vibrations.
Must fix this soon.
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