Day 8: Agadir-Tan Tan

The morning in Agadir was slow due to the garage repair. We were lucky to find a bike shop right behind our hotel but waited a long time for the fix. The Aprilia has now a third sparkplug though by that time Red was sure that the bike would simply consume it and stop again. He was right.

We found had breakfast at a cremerie which didn't serve any cream we know apart from Moroccan Soup : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harira

We then parted, yet again late for Tan Tan. On the road, you would see the Argan trees and the acrobatic goats frolicking on top of them.



It was quite amusing to me to remember what was grown where considering that we were entering locations where crops were non existant. From Fez to Rabat there were oranges and artichokes, then pomegranate nearing the ocean. Around Oualidia were cauliflowers and cabbages then tomatoes after El-Jadida. The vallies towards Tan Tan showed signs of changes of our latitude. The argan trees flourished up until Bourzakane then you climbed up another valley and entered the valley of Guelmim which was a real beauty.Here were the first signs of the Sahara where the land was drying out. Roads was framed at a certain point by a dead tree each 25kms then by short bushes then just earth for a long time.

We left Guelmim at 5.30 pm with 120km still to go but this time with tools of survival eg. keys, a plastic tube and a metal brush. Just before we parted I noticed the low fuel supply on my SH50 but the indicator rose from half a tank to 3 quarters when I stopped. Only to have it lowered again after 5 kms of ride. It became dark at 6.30pm and I was nearing empty when we passed the first signs of civilization: the electric poles. I insisted we stopped for fuel even if by now with the tube we could easily transfer the fuel from one motorbike to the other as Red assured me seeing as the Aprilia burns less fuel.



I don't like to ride in the dark mainly because you don't see a thing and nothing is quite a sight to see. Apart from that, I don't fancy the humid cold of the desert night. But a ride becomes precious when in the dark due to its adventurous side and all the fatigue is paid for when you see on the horizon lights of your destination. I think we saw Tan Tan at 70kms away and it was a beautiful sight.



We arrived at the city gates welcomed by 2 giant white camel statues that freaked me out and welcomed by a police check, one of many long checks to come from then on. Red obviously made it crucial that we go back to the site to take pictures with the damn white camels....

Remember the fuel issue? At the pit stop it was only the SH50 that was filled with fuel and not the Aprilia. Upon our arrival Red was running on empty and I jumped at him for the risks he takes.

Hotel Sable D'or is decent and although our room had short bed sheets that I hate, was located on the internal side of the building where the only window was to the staircase for the terrace and was also humid as hell, at least the shower was hot and lots. Red place his smelly shoes as theft stop just in front of the window.

We only had time for a great (??) "something like" pizza in a strange place inside a "something like" commercial gallery (with all shops closed...if ever existed), always full of flies as usual.

Time to rest, tomorrow we gonna fight the desert dear folks!