March 15, 2023
Day 28: Ksar Takhyamt to Errachidia
Happy Birthday Patrick!
Today is Patrick’s birthday. "At least this place is nicer than above a pig sty," Patrick says remembering his 41st Birthday celebrated in Baotay China in 2007. Rachel realizes Patrick is now the age she was when we did this tour. It's always fun to be on the road on one's birthday and to later think back of where the day is celebrated over the years including home. "Travel East, Travel West, after all Home is best." (Rachel's mother favorite saying.) As much as we like travelling, we also like being home.
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After a nice breakfast leaving our hotel this morning, we first are on a quiet secondary road through the palmeria and several small villages for about 6km before re-joining the main road. We have the big climb ahead of us.
“I’m not enjoying this,” Rachel says as we take a break at a café at the Junction road N10 meets N13. After many days cycling on long desert highways, the traffic now is increasing and still no shoulder. While still mostly respectful, there are a few drivers who are not.
There is no shoulder and the climb up is unnerving to Rachel, especially when an oncoming truck lines up with a bus passing Rachel uphill. There’s a big drainage culver to the side, so no safety leeway to the edge. Our “Let’s Get There” mantra in Rachel’s head is the Barb-ism “Let’s Go Let’s Go”. Patrick rides up to the summit, Rachel walks the last third where the grade becomes steeper.
Then we are in the wind on the little bit of downhill until the road turns and the wind becomes a cross wind. We are gradually regaining the altitude.
“I’m not enjoying this,” Rachel says as we take a break at a café at the Junction road N10 meets N13. After many days cycling on long desert highways, the traffic now is increasing and still no shoulder. While still mostly respectful, there are a few drivers who are not.
The café is at a police check point. While we sit down and one of the gendarmes comes over and asks for our passports and information where we had come from today and where going. We’ve gone through many of these checkpoints and this is the first time they’ve shown any interest in us.
“Look, a bike lane,” Patrick says a few km down the road after the break. From here until Errachidia we have a bike lane making the ride much more at ease. We start seeing more military presence; then on the outskirts of Errachidia, there is a large military complex that goes on for about 3km.
Also along the side of the road are tall gray metal posts, we finally figured out were bus stops. Something new in a country where people wait at the side of the road and wave down a ride.
When we reach the town center, it’s just like in the “old” days when arriving to a town. We don’t have a hotel reservation. Instead we look at Googlemaps (not a Lonely Planet) for hotels. The first one is too expensive; the next one has a reasonable price but the room a bit small and potentially noisy. The last hotel checked is the same price as the previous hotel and a much nicer room.
The hotel is next to the bus station, but our room is on the opposite side. We check in, ask for towels and one more pillow.
The room is pretty nice with a balcony that opens on a quiet street. The bathroom is a bit rough with paint peeling off the walls and ceiling, but the water is warm and they even provide slippers to use. Patrick goes to the Orange Telephone shop just across the street to get more data so we will have a hotspot for WiFi when it’s not available otherwise. Rachel does the little bit of laundry and Patrick hangs it on the roof of the hotel. It’s dry in no time.
We relax in our room until it was time for dinner. Lots of activity building in the streets. Tomorrow will be a tunnel and Rachel's headlight is dimming, so we found batteries and shopped for water and bananas.
We are thinking of Scott and Rachael Anderson as our rendezvous with them in Sicily is becoming closer to happening. They are on their way to Sicily today.
Today's ride: 43 km (27 miles)
Total: 1,047 km (650 miles)
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Happy birthday, Patrick! So old!
1 year ago
1 year ago