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We wake up earlyish, have a quick shower, and go for breakfast, this is the view over Chefchaouen First priority is to get our data card charged. Since the way we do this is to go to network shops and pay cash for it we have to wait at the Inwi shop in Chefchaouen for it to open. The dude probably enjoyed a sleep in that day, but he was extra quick after arriving, must have been almost 11 by the time we left to go and see the road that we had left on a taxi the previous year. I swear you can see how slippery this tarmac is Grass, the kind you smoke: A brief stop for some tea And some more pot Lots and lots of marijuana growing in that area. You can see that everything that is properly green after summer has been well watered and most of it is pot. Everything is very well organized, houses have nice windows and isolation, lots of people drive more or less fast pickups or SUVs, you can tell there is some kind of money but it's not like you're walking amongst drug lords, they're just farmers whose produce is not really legal and pays a little better than most. Baby donkey cuteness alert! And a brief stop for some lunch, after the place we were last stranded. After some time taking in the smells and sights of openness, we get back on it, choosing backroads to head to Fez, these roads are probably tarmac by now and soon enough, we're in Fez Fez used to be the capital of Morocco, it's a proper busy city with loads of traffic, but a lot more pleasant to get around on than chaotic Marrakesh, Casablanca or Rabat, it also gets proper hot in the summer here, maybe more so than any other major city in Morocco. We were having no excuses, having arrived at our destination swimming pool, I went straight in. We spent a good couple of hours at the swimming pool, maybe three, and were already thinking Rui wouldn't be joining us so went for a shower and to get dressed, when he texted he had just arrived. So: we left Chefchaouen later than he did, rode on cooler roads than he did, stopped way longer than he did, he rode like a maniac while I rode slowly, and yet we arrived more than two hours earlier than he did. Not surprisingly, he eagerly accepted when we invited him to tag along the next day. Not before going out to dinner and a walk around a very warm Fez The next day, I'd be riding with company for the first time and we'd go visit some monkeys!

Thanks, Pete, that brought a tear to my eye. It has taken me years to be able to go through these pictures myself, and it was brought on by the fact that it was 6 years ago on the 27th that we bought our first ferry to Morocco. Also, the end of September or early October were the weeks I had destined for this trip because of the weather and work. In a way I'm looking at what I should be doing anyway. It's not an easy thing to do but I'm posting this more for myself than for anyone else, and posting pictures without telling the story wouldn't make sense to me, so I'm telling it.

So, following 2015's trip in which my lovely blue and white R1150GS was brought home on a truck from Morocco, I decided I needed to change bikes. I won't lie and say part of me wished to do it again on the 1150, but later on I was proven right in my decision to change. The guy who bought that bike from the dealer eventually had a lot of issues with it, with a gearbox needing rebuilding and the diff also acting up. Both of these issues would have probable come up on the same trip I was doing according to his mileage. After our return in 2014 I had made up my mind in choosing between two bikes, a Super Tenere and an R1200GSA, I gave the Super Tenere a chance because I really felt it to be the better choice from a mechanical point of view, but we both felt so much more comfortable aboard the BMW that it wasn´t really a choice. The BMW is just the better bike for carrying two people over rough roads. On the 16th January 2016 I picked up my brand new R1200GSA, and turned my R1150GS in at the same time. See if you can't tell my mixed feelings handing her in from the picture, I did love that bike. I did enjoy the sound the new bike made on cold starts on cold days, I think that shows as well. Maria was with me, and this is as much her bike as it is mine, it was bought with two up touring in mind. Anyway, during 2016 we used it a little to break in and test her out in Portugal. Went to the Algarve in the summer, did what we did. We were both impressed at how easier it handled mostly when loaded, and when going over rough ground. A day or two before leaving for Morocco I fitted a pair of Heidenau K60 on it, and we were ready to go. On the 8th of October 2016, we leave our home near Lisbon heading straight to Tarifa, plan was to take advantage of the great weather and sleep somewhere south of Tangier that same day, no problem regarding doing the miles as we were leaving with plenty of time. As always, I fill up on our local petrol station at little past 09:30 and heading South Thing is, the weather was so good, and I felt worn out from the previous days of work stress. By the time we made it to the Algarve, only two and a half hours after leaving home, the weather is getting warm like and the sun is warming us. I decide to tempt Maria with a grilled fish lunch and a trip to the beach. She didn't take much convincing and the rest of the day was spent in this fashion: We had already been to Morocco, there was no stress or hurry to do anything, this trip was all about enjoying life and this is what we were doing, that was a great day. The next day we were on the road quite early, feeling fresh and eager. Crossing into Spain It's always windy near Tarifa, I think it must be kitesurfing capital or something, judging by the number of kites flying By 12:30 Portugues time we were already boarding the Ferry Doing this for the third time we had it all under control, as I was tending to the bike being secured properly, Maria went to get a front place in the immigration office, we were finished 10 minutes after the boat left, feeling like seasoned travelers amongst amateurs. Customs in Morocco were being fast and efficient, no worries, so I strike a pose ? As we exit the harbor into Tanger centre, everything looks cleaner than before, maybe it's just us but actually the entire place had been freshened up. Not the case with these buildings, though. We are remembered it's a Sunday because the cellphone shop is closed. So just get some money from an ATM and move on. Maria worked for BNP so we used one of their machines, cause we're cool people like that. Decided to head to Chefchaouen and try to sleep there, there's a hotel we had checked the day before with a nice rate on booking and we were just going to show up. Traffic was quite heavy for whatever reason and plenty of speed controls. Some bikers complain about cops in Morocco, but I've always found them to be very nice and professional. I've clearly been caught a little over the limit and let go just for being a foreigner, but I suppose if you really treat their country like a trackday they might feel like you deserve a squeeze. By the time we reach our hotel it's getting to be late afternoon, but still time to enjoy a drink or a swimming pool. Getting in we notice a group of bikes with eastern european plates, and one R1200GSA with a portuguese plate, carrying three full metal cases on the back. Checking in we were refused the rate we had seen on booking.com, so instead we just logged into their wifi, checked in via booking and 15 seconds later were given a room key and a smile. Go figure. Also while checking in we strike a conversation with Rui Piçarra, Rui was riding the portuguese bike upfront, and lives 20km away from my parents. We instantly hit it off and decide to join for dinner. After a swim, it quickly start getting colder (it is October after all) so we make haste in search of food. I enjoy my first BEER in Morocco before dinner! It's not shit, either. The reason I picked this hotel, the view: Being as he was, Rui shows up after we've eaten, and we start talking. He decided to come on this trip by himself a couple of days before, and is carrying a map printed on an A4 piece of paper , Not camping, he is packing all of his three metal cases for a little over a week by himself while me and Maria are packing two Vario sidecars in the smaller position for two weeks. Rui is packing four bottles of booze though We tell him where we would be sleeping the next day, if he shows up at our hotel in Fez we'd meet for dinner.

After lunch, we got on our way again, there was a long way to go if we were to sleep where we intended. We were to go through the Gorge du Todra, then to Errachidia and north to where we were to sleep. Maria was back on Rui's bike Good luck passing here when the rains come! After our most touristy stop, Maria's back on with me, and we're off to Errachidia And just like that, we're out of the canyons and onto open space As you can tell by the light, the sun is setting, so we got out of our own way and made a little progress We can smell the desert air by now, but first, a little detour and find our beds for the night. It was obvious we weren't going to make it before nightfall, so we stopped to enjoy the sunset. Sunsets here are amazing, and it was a special moment It was pretty dark when we made it to our accommodation, but we were well received. First a nice shower, then some kind of hot meal I can't remember much about, and plenty of tea. I would have paid good money for a proper bottle of wine

Carrying on, we were starting to arrive at the gorges (canyons) so the land was getting big, the skies were huge that day, and it was amazing, I hope the pictures show half of what it felt like We stop on this hairpin to enjoy the views: Maria rode with Rui for a while, trying to get a few pictures of my bike on the road. I hoped she didn't enjoy leaning against the top case too much otherwise I'd have to get one too After an amazing morning, we stopped for lunch. The air was crisp and clean, perfect temperature, and we ate somewhere with a view Coca Cola attrats flies, deal with it!

We had planned on a big day today, going through Imilchil coming from the north via mountain roads, which we never did before, go towards the desert, visit what appeared on the map as "legionare's tunel", that same valley which we didn't know either, and sleep there. We were up for a memorable riding day After a nice night's sleep, we woke up to a cold crisp morning, and feeling quite eager to get going, packed the bike and went for breakfast. We waited for almost an hour for bread, but then realized that they were waiting for the baker's van to arrive with fresh baguettes. It turned out to be simple but tasty, so we left happy. I might even return to this hotel if searching for a most Moroccan experience After the previous day's dirt roads, Rui had mentioned he had his fair share of eating my dust, so we planned on what looked like pretty good mountain roads, with numbers that made them look important enough to be tarmac. So far we were riding mountain roads of almost European quality, but then came construction work That lasted about 20 or 30km, and it got a little too soft for Maria's confort so she held on instead of taking pictures. At last: Some great roads ahead Starting to climb up to Imilchil, via a very cool mountain pass This was the definition of my kind of road, not offroad, not fast, but not really tarmac either, with great views As we go over the mountain, the road and the views both open up Arriving at Imilchil, we stopped for a tea I was a little cold up here in the mountains, I had come with my summer jacket and a fleece underneath, this was already October so I should have been better prepared. Back on the road

He'll be fucking landed when he gets a Colour TV Fred!

Its not Britain just Yen lol

The worst part is Losenuts™ is faster and ps.... does much better on michelin tyres ment for mopeds then the tyres i used to make this vid. Experience is a cruel mistress.

I can't imagine how hard it must be for you Pedro.......it takes a lot of strength to do it. In your place I honestly don't think I could. I've felt very sad going through the reports.......especially with any pics or vids that has Maria in them. That's why I drew attention to these threads........because they go way beyond any ride or tour report that I've ever known. I want people to see them - not to generate traffic or anything like that - but it's taken a superhuman effort for you to do this, and I don't want it ignored because people are just skimming through the site.

I might have ingested some of those pool water during the day, and felt a little nauseous as well from some lip balm Maria made me wear on account of my dry and cracked lips, the result of said events was that I slept like crap and felt like throwing up throughout the night. We were supposed to sleep in Zagora that day, but I really didn't feel able to get on the bike. Rui was an EMT and had come prepared with some magic stuff, a quick injection, some light breakfast, and an hour later I'm on the bike feeling great. To this day I don't know what it was he gave me. Off we go And just like that, 400km later we're having cold water in Mhamid, no sandstorm drama this time Back in Zagora, for some reason we have no foots of that hotel and evening, it was quite nice sitting outside under some thick trees. Only picture I have is of the concierge's assistant Before heading off to Ouarzazate, in the morning we visited the friendly mechanics and put a sticker on my new bike. Off we go back north, our destination was Marrakesh but first we would sleep somewhere as we were going through the Gorges du Dades and that means a lot of mountain roads, not fast going like here. Stopping to take in the views, we were approached by this guy whose name I was unfortunate enough to forget trying to sell dates (the fruit). We bought some but then he invited us for some tea. His dad did maintenance on cell or tv signal towers there, and he spent a lot of time up there selling dates to tourists. He was pationate about football, and new more about the portuguese league than I did We said our farewells, and got going. Judging by our current location, I wanted us to sleep at the rock hotel built on top of the Gorge du Dades, so we covered ground to get there still with daytime enough to enjoy the place. A brief stop in Oarzazate for something to eat and Rui dropped his bike taking it off the center stand, to receive a few laughs by people sitting in the restaurant. Had we not lightened his gin and vodka load it would have been even harder to pick up Roads were pretty great getting there, although not as dark as on these pictures. Up there would be our accommodations for the night These switchbacks are nothing special as a road, but the place itself is worthy of a good 10 minute stare. We explored the area a little bit, just trying to be good hosts to Rui as he hadn't been here before. And back to our rooms for the night Our meal didn't get on camera, however it was simple and delicious. As the evening was getting cold, a hot meal does wonders for you. There was not much in the way of entertainment, no internet, and 15 minutes after we made it to our rooms the generator was off and we were in complete darkness. The drone of a couple of trucks negotiating the hairpins made us feel sorry for those poor guys driving old-fashioned trucks with no assisted steering and little in the way of lights on that road, but after two or three trucks traffic stopped completely and we slept soundly. Bed was hard but comfy, with heavy whoolen covers. We woke up rejuvenated.

The group's goals for the day were to do a little motorcycling in the morning, a little lunch, some relaxation by the swimming pool, and watch the sunset on top of a dune. Good goals! Sunrise was pretty great Some light exploring to be done There's an offroad route from Merzouga to Mhamid, and I'd really like to make that route on my bike. Rui was adamant we couldn't do it, and to be honest I didn't really feel very happy about some of the soft sand sections that were bound to appear. Regardless, I went to scout for a few kms. In Portuguese, you see Rui jokingly complaining that they are suffering from the heat while I'm ok cause I've been riding for hours (I had been gone for 5 minutes) Eventually I'll try and do that route, the Vario cases might not be the smartest idea, though, and the GS is not the smartest tool for the soft parts either. As per plan, lunch was had, something about waking up early and riding bikes makes me hungry Then, onto the hotel via a souvenir shop for Rui to get something for his kids and wife. I took the chance and discreetly got something symbolic for Maria as well. I then proceeded to refresh myself and indulge in an afternoon of cold drinks and cold swimming pool. When we were up on the dunes waiting for the sunset, I did something I regret not doing sooner, which was to surprise Maria with a proposal, she said yes. This was most likely the happiest day of my life. Right before sunset the wind picked up and it seemed like a sand storm was forming, but eventually it didn't, just kicked enough dust into the air to make it not very nice to be on top of a dune. We retired to the hotel's shelter and had a delicious vegetable tajine for dinner. The greatest day!

Next day we wake up in a great mood, had a nice day of riding and relaxing, packed and went for breakfast. I had my favourite Moroccan breakfast, (several helpings of) freshly made Msemmen with honey to get me going with plenty of sweet calories We check out, pack the bike (put sidecase on) and wait for Rui , after 20 minutes he shows up, and we're ready to go. Maria is quite enjoying me being annoyed for waiting. And we're off from Fez on a very short ride to Azrou. Azrou, to visit some furry friends of mine, is a very interesting place because if you were to not notice that most people are not light skinned you could think you were in Germany or Austria, just look at the streets and houses. It's a winter resort so they probably got inspiration from similar places in Europe. Rui wasn't too comfortable with the monkeys, but I enjoy them quite a bit. And I was very happy to meet my friend from two years ago, he's a cool dude: And we're off again, through the cedar forrest, with a brief stop by the half dried lake on our way to some route Maria had in store for us And off we go again, there was a detour to a small road (small on the map) that would prove to be very nice to ride. A lot of people outside of towns still use donkeys to bring their daily water home, this is what you see a lot of kids do in the morning After the dirt road, we stop to figure out where we were and were to go next. Spirits were high after this ride, it got a little hot at times and very dusty, but there you go. We head for a cheap hotel with a promising swimming pool via a road going near a body of water. Pretty views as the sun was going down Eventually we arrived at the hotel, it looked nice outside but was the definition of run down, the back looked like Beirute in the 90s, and there were lots of rooms with open doors and broken windows, staff was very nice and friendly but clueless. Beds were clean and the bathrooms as well so all is good. Morocco has a lot of places like this, big hotels built in another era that were left without maintenance for ages, and then left to a very small staff team that is unable to keep up so they just keep the ball rolling any way they can, with lots of shortcuts. We were in good spirits, though. 50 meters in front of the hotel there was a fuel station with a cafe. For some reason, some fuel stations have these huge grand buildings for a cafe, mostly empty, here is the perfect example Rui enjoyed following us along so much that he asked if we could travel together for a few days, so we now had a new travel companion, one that unbeknown to him would be present in something really major in my life ...

So, let me provide you with a little background to this trip. The previous year me and Maria had gotten back home with a bike that was leaking oil onto the clutch, still completely rideable though. The bike was ridden straight to the dealership where I had bought it, I left it there for a couple of weeks while they looked it over and had parts ordered. Output shaft had started leaking and contaminated the dry clutch. They were super nice about it and I completely understood that there was no rush in finishing it overnight. The dude who did it was happy to work on an older bike as they are probably Portugal's biggest BMW Motorrad dealer and he gets swamped with new bikes. They replaced the seals, clutch, and a few gearbox seals as well, I only paid for an oil change and was quite happy with it all. Until... A week after bringing the bike home I get on it to go to Lisbon and meet Maria for lunch on a cold friday morning. It was so cold that I stopped for coffee and to tighten my scarf 15 minutes into the ride before the motorway, to find out it was gushing fuel. Fuel lines were all loose. That was fixed by my mechanic, and rode it off. Then, before this 2015 trip I had the usual maintenance done, diff bearing and seals, throttle bodies balanced, etc, and it was running great when we took it to the Algarve in the summer, here arriving at Sagres and looking hella cool! This brings us to the first of October 2015, a happy couple leaving home on an sunny saturday morning after sleeping late. Fuel up and go, and go have a drink in the Algarve. Most clouds we saw that day I enjoyed starting it easy, as I usually do Next day, we're off to Spain We miss our boat and are forced to wait for a couple of hours in Tarifa, we tried to make the best of it with some calamari I strike a pose, this impressed the harbor people so much they let us by in an instant. Back in Tangier! The previous year I learned that most of the places we stayed in had a great swimming pool, and this year I made it a point to bring some shorts, so we got a hotel right in Tangier, and as soon as we noticed they had an inside swimming pool we made use of it. It's great to go for a dip after a day's riding. One size fits all robe was a little big: Came back to our room and what I thought was a wooden sculpture turned out to be a real life @Grasshopper's Ride Sunset in Tangier made going out to dinner even more special If you've got a sweet tooth, you´ll love this place, this is the Cappuccino in Tangier We had a nice dinner of some sandwiches, and turned in to watch some TV in bed, and rest. The plan was to visit a few of the places we didn't go on the previous year, including the Cannabis region, and Marrakesh. In the morning, as I get to the bike and load it, as soon as I turn the key I notice the fuel pump doesn't prime and as such it doesn't start even though the engine spins. I take the seat off and go for a wiggle on the fuses, one of them clicks and apparently it solved it because the bike started right away on the first try. This makes me feel proper manly by being capable of fixing shit. We ride off, into the hills and away from posh cafes. Passing Chefchaouen where we stop for a tea: And we turn away from the main road into smaller ones, this improves the quality of riding. Thing is, you have to be careful on these roads, diesel spills, slippery tarmac, potholes, gravel, fast taxis, no lane control, fast trucks, no lanes, donkeys, etc We're glad to be out and enjoying it, and this time it feels way less intimidating. Thing is, sometimes I think I can feel the bike having a hiccup, but that is usually through a patch of dirt or a pothole, and I assume I am imagining things. I can a be a bit hypochondriac when it comes to bikes and cars, so force myself to carry on. I do stop at a couple of mechanic shops to buy some fuses but all they want to sell to me is hashish Not long after lunchtime, we're happily riding along and as we go though a very slight bump the engine simply dies. It makes no fuss, like if I just switch the ignition off. We come to a stop and I start taking the seat off : First, mess with the fuses, it does nothing. Then, change fuses around, it does nothing. Change relays around, it does nothing. Look at the sidestand switch, it looks ok but I bypass it anyway. It does nothing. So I call my friendly mechanic, he's an expert bmw dude and he tells me that if indeed all that I checked is ok then it could be the fuel pump. In the meantime, we are handling this with coolness, we've got a battery pack for the phone, it's early and light out, it's an adventure. Couple of people stop by and offer assistance, this is good because it means we're not exactly in the middle of nowhere. Getting back to it... This is Aboukassim, and he's a star: Aboukassim lives in Casablanca and is here visiting his family for a celebration. He rode a Yamaha R6 at the time, and this is him showing us films of him blasting past traffic on his R6 in Casablanca? He doesn't know how to help, and we appreciate his effort, he tells us he'll be back in a while... In the meantime, I'm scrounging some electrical wire off a tractor parked nearby, to make a live connection between the battery and the fuel pump. I do it and it does nothing except some tractor loosing use of it's turn signals. above you'll see me calling Allianz's roadside assistance in Portugal. They "oh wow" when I told them where I was ? In the meantime, Aboukassim came back with a couple of his cousins, and food. They set a table right there in the middle of road with fresh hot tea and some sort of bread cooked while stuffed with vegetables inside. Good stuff but I didn´t really have an appetite. I should have eaten, though They left eventually, promising to check on us later. Allianz had already arranged for a fixer in Fez to get a taxi and a truck and pick up up. I understand it takes longer for a truck than for a bike to do the distance over bad roads, but it takes even longer if you get lost ... which is what happened Every time the fixer called he'd talk to Maria because she was a lot better at french than me, but it didn't really help because he didn't know french. He kept asking where we were and saying he was on his way so we waited had some tasty cashews and waited and waited and waited

If you haven't checked out @Pedro's 3 Morocco Ride Reports then you're really missing something. They are being posted chronologically and they're telling a story......not just of riding motorcycles, but of life itself. It's taken Pedro a lot of time to do these.......and given the circumstances it can't be easy for him. So I would really encourage you guys to take a look at these........and I'm not joking when I say that these are the best I've ever seen. I'm not talking about photo or video quality.....it goes much deeper than that. So take the time to check these out in their chronological order!

Cos I just got a Whatsapp message from Rafa.......the dealer in Granada! "Buenas tardes Pete, había un hueco hoy en ITV y ya se la hemos pasado. Mañana se la llevan a taller para revisión. La tendré lista el lunes día 5" He's saying that they had a free space in the ITV (MOT) Centre today so the Beemer got it's 2 year ITV certificate. It was originally scheduled for Monday! Tomorrow it's going into the workshop for a full service, and it'll be ready to be collected Monday morning! That worked out well with me getting my 2019 tax rebate today, because that'll cover the difference between the two. I think my pulse has quickened a bit!

In the morning me and Maria were back on our own and moving at our own pace. This means that although not in a hurry we ended up doing things in less time, like a well oiled machine. One packs this while the other brushes his teeth, then one grabs this while the other does that, I go for the cases while she goes for the helmets, etc We have breakfast, pack the bike and leave and wave at Rui's bike. I can't lie and say there wasn't a lump in my throat as we left it there. Morning traffic in Marrakech isn't as bad just because the heat hadn't arrived yet, we just moved along with traffic heading out of the city onto the coast. As we move further away from touristy and "cosmopolitan" Marrakech: Lanes? Were were going we don't need lanes! The dial... Morocco is known for it's Argan trees, and with Argan trees come the famous goats that climb trees to eat the organ fruit, some moroccans being the clever dudes that they are, see this as a way to squeeze a couple of coins off tourists, and force goats up a tree and keep them there for tourists to snap pictures with them, while asking for a fee. This is the result, just a sad spectacle, the real thing doesn't compare to this, this is demeaning to the goats and to a proud people. A few kms further on we see the same thing but non orchestrated, but that still doesn't compare to what we saw the year after on the mountains. At the end of the morning we reached the coast at Essaouira The Portuguese had been here before, a long time ago We interrupt our walk for some lunch in a great little restaurant We had orange with cinnamon as starter and fish soup, it was tasty as it should in a fishing town. If you've never tried slicing an orange (a proper orange) and just sprinkling it with a healthy (more than this) amount of cinnamon, do it. It's exotic, very healthy, and will make you look like a chef. After our lunch we just sat inside sipping a little coffee and looking at life going about it's business outside, before carrying on with our walk back to the bike. And thus started our ride back north I don't think any of us enjoyed this part of the ride very much. We were coated with muckyness from the ocean, salty and moist, wasn't very pleasant at all. Eventually we found a place to stay, quite cheaply to be honest, with breakfast included and a swimming pool. Couldn't be any better so we stopped quite looking forward to have a swim and relax. This was is October 2016, yearlier that year Portugal had won the Euro football championship with a goal scored on the last minute, against FRANCE, and they had been pretty sore loosers. We had been getting compliments throughout this trip because football is very big in Morocco and there are few things a Moroccan likes more than to embarrass France. As soon as we presented our passports the reception guy came to hugg me and we were instantly treated like long lost relatives of his Our room's view: Our rooms view within seconds, before Maria could even find her bikini The downside to being treated as football allies against France was that in order to indulge us, the hotel staff simply went on youtube and put on portuguese folk music on a loop. We were tortured by that shit wherever we went, swimming pool, lobby, restaurant, and whenever we told them to turn it off all we got in return were big smiles, a thumbs up and an exclamation of "viva Portugal" They later confessed that Portugal beating France was celebrated on the streets with gunfire to the sky and fireworks, we should have been in Morocco that evening!

After a great night's sleep, we woke up rejuvenated and happy. After a nice breakfast with some proper dark coffee, I took the bike out to the street with a smile. We were off to Marrakesh via part of the High Atlas. It looked promising of great roads and views, we weren't disappointed, but first a stop by the local post office so that Rui could send his daughter's school class a postcard from a small forgotten village in Morocco written in berber. Took him long enough, weather actually changed from morning crispness to hot while he was inside , and we're finally going again! After a while we reach the mountains. Road porn? We were passed by two road bikes going way faster than I wanted to, Rui couldn't hold back any more and went in pursuit About an hour or so of pretty boring riding later, and we're entering the outskirts of Marrakesh A door into Marrakesh We rode around Marrakesh's wall, and visited the reservoir. This reservoir was built in the 12th century to water the Menara gardens and olive trees, it's impressive that it brings it's water from the high Atlas, way in the distance. We were all pretty hot and sweaty now, and negotiated past Marrakech's traffic to get to our hotel and freshen up. And refresh we did Reaction to whatever joke I just finished as always, Rui turned up just in time, just in time for us to go out After a nice shower and some clean clothes, we were eager to go out for dinner in a city where we had spent a few days the year previous, and show it off to our new friend. Rui was going to part ways with us on the next morning, he was supposed to be at work in three or four days, and still someone to visit before being home, so time was ticking for him. Me and Maria were to ride from Marrakech to the coast, and then follow the coast up to see Casablanca and then a stop at our favourite luxury hotel in Tangier before heading home. On our way to Jemaa el-Fna square (look it up) we came accross @Tym's paradise You want to taste something truly great? try one of these orange juices: They're squeezed from cold oranges and a full glass costs pennies, the orange flavor in these is nothing like you can taste in the UK. Jemaa el-Fna is busy, lots of people, lots of food stall, lots of coal grilling, lots of smells and then there's Marrakech's Medina, which branches out from the square. Good thing they don't serve alcohol there because it's easy enough to get lost sober. We found a 1st floor balcony to have some dinner while looking at the bustling square below: Walking back to the hotel after dinner and a few drinks (of coca cola ) we were happy but also sad to be ending ou trip together. In the morning Rui would be getting on the motorway and go at Mach5 on his way to Portugal, at least that was his plan but you know how things went with him We made plans to see each other often.

It's got a center stand and everything, so you can clean and lube that chain after every ride or every 117km, whatever comes closer, perfect!

Because I now have a decent internet connection I am able to go through picture threads easily on this particular forum, something to do with the way the pics load here wasn't dial up speed friendly, so I have been following these brilliant write ups. I even feel I have recognised one or two places, especially the washed out road section, but of course it is a big country and I know that is unlikely.

Wow! Even romance as well! You've set the standard for ride reports now @Pedro

Well, it's just how the camera sees me

We slept like babies, on a room on the rooftop of the kasbah, a net for mosquitoes on the window, woke up to birds getting busy and singing at dawn We lingered around a little before breakfast Breakfast was to my liking I'll return, for sure: But the road is calling: There's a gas refinery in Errachidia and plenty of army around, for simple security I assume. We aren't that far away from Algeria. You get used to big views I think I put some poor quality fuel the day before on the bike, so as soon as I got an Afriquia station I fueled up, usually Afriquia stuff works well. We've come to Errachidia to buy Rui a sim card, for data and international calls. Administration done, time for some coffee And we're off to the Sahara! Scenery is really changing now We were headed to Merzouga and the golden dunes again, to stay at our favourite place. We were to spend two nights there, taking in the desert, a plan was forming in my head... stay tuned And finally arriving at out oasis, very hot and tired but with some time to kill before sunset. Inside one of Rui´s metal cases were a couple of aluminium flasks with some nice gin and vodka. We quickly ordered a few cold tonics and relaxed a little Tomorrow would be an extraordinary day...

Might be the stuffing coming out of the saddle.

Love the monkey shots Pedro!

Has she forgotten her knickers, my eyes are not as good as they used to be

She's very professional about it.

My PAc tried to make me do that during my last physical, dint go well.

I dont normally name my bikes Butt, since this one is Slovenian has nice curves and is very tempermental ive named her Melania.

At least the woman just said that she didn’t know. The other tried to bluff his way out and had to backpedal later on Twitter. Ive had to reword this several times so that I don’t breach the politics rule! ?

At the top of a really nice place, on top of a really nice bike.

Incredible market shots Pedro!

@Grasshopper's Ride........I'm not sure if I mentioned that Tym..........

Trouble is my user review is i think this slovenian hunk of chit should be nailed to a wall and called Art circa the Cold War Commie Euro Crap era.. I cant believe these things were ever used to go anywhere. Id rather ride a goat.

Dial Up? That was redundant 20 years ago Yen! Just how backward is Britain now?

A considerably lighter one at that!

.......about how to get on a bike if you're a bit short or have bad hips? I believe this pic demonstrates the correct technique better than I ever could. And for some reason this method seems to stick in your mind.

Finally a bicycle i wouldn't mind getting stuck behind

I, for one, could have done without it

Cant have a moped win, what would the guys at Advrider have to say, ugh, we would never live this down. ...

A few days after we arrived, the bike arrived as well. I went to help unload it from the trailer to my mechanic's shop, and I was quite angry to see that what was wrong with it was that the fuel pump plug hadn't been completely plugged, meaning the clicky thing that hold the plug didn't click, this had been fitted a year previous by the dealership that fixed it upon the last return from Morocco, and it just took a year to loosen enough to not make contact, but not enough that it fell off either. I was so annoyed at that. We tested the electrical wire that I stole off the tractor to make it run straight from the battery, and it was broken inside, making no contact even though it looked fine.

So we took to the swimming pool, which was pretty nice. We ended up staying almost a week there, never really being able to stray a long way from the hotel because I kept waiting for people to arrive with documents. We talked to the BMW dealer in Casablanca, who told us they only carry parts for the 1200 which is when they started with bikes, and as such any other part could take a few weeks to clear customs coming from Europe. I wasn't at all confident that I could fix it, so we sent it home. In the meantime, we changed plans and decided to make the best of it. We spent a few days in Fez, and then arranged to catch a flight from Marrakesh instead of Fez, to give us a chance to go there as well and get to see the place. A few days later, got on a train and went to Marrakesh And enjoyed Marrakesh as well We ended up having a great time as well to be continued...

And now you'll know why Aboukassim is a star, because there were a truck and a taxi going up and down the road on the other side of the village his family lives in, and he got on their car and told them where we were. Eventually they arrived And after a lot of missed comunication we load the bike, onto a tilted metal sheet covered in oil, and used to metal cable on the tow hook to old it down, there was nothing else to use. The yellow rope is just there to make them feel better, in case the engine protection bars fall off Complete with "D" sticker from it's origin We had the taxi ride from hell, the taxi itself wasn't too bad. There were to shocks left so it was pretty smooth, but we must have driven in first and second gear for two or three hours, I kept picturing the bike falling off so told them to stay behind. On second thought that wasn't very clever. Eventually we made it to Fez, and all was going ok up until they decide to load the bike onto a different truck, which I do. They then proceed to ask me for the bike papers, which I deny. Thing is, I didn't really care about them stealing the bike because if they stole it Allianz would have to pay for it dearly. What I couldn't do was let go of the papers until my passport had been "disconnected" from the bike. To prevent illegal imports I can't get into the country with a vehicle and then leave without, I would be in burocratic deep shit. A long argument ensued, between the tow truck guy, the second tow truck guy, the recovery company employee, the fixer, and myself. This carried on for a while with one of them trying to act tough, until Maria shouted at him. He clearly wasn't used to being shouted by a woman, so he was a little out of his depth. Eventually we left the bike to be taken to the depot, and went to the hotel, not to get there until we searched the whole of Fez for it, driven by a taxi driver that didn't understand roundabout or traffic lights. It would have been great fun had we been in the correct state of mind.

Next morning, getting out we had a nice surprise waiting for us. Having looked at the sad state the bike was in, the auberge owner took upon himself to clean it. Armed with a chamois and a small amount of water, some moroccan skill, and I had a shiny bike again. "Such a pretty bike shouldn't be that dirty" is what he told Maria. We were on our way for some mountains again Riding this great mountain road, we stop for a little water, and I notice fluid flowing on the suspension leg. The left suspension sealant had given up and we had a wet fork. I wasn't too happy with this. This bike supposedly didn't have many miles but it was getting on with age, and had originally been registered in Hong Kong, it's true mileage was a mystery. "They say a plug goes in here, by hell it´s going here regardless if there is wiring behind it or not!" Next morning I borrow a small towel from the hotel and wrap it around the suspension fork, just to prevent oil from being thrown at me and at the brakes Rabat was on our sights, we had gotten out of the mountains, slept in a hotel not worth a mention, and started to arrive at Rabat by lunch time. Rabat was a shock, two nights before we had been to the poorest place we had seen, and now we entered Rabat through an avenue populated by mansions, some of them embassies, and one of the royal palaces. Here is one of royal palaces side entries Took us a few minutes to ride around that to get to the main avenue, we did try to pop into the main entrance and say hello but we were declined. They weren't happy when Maria went for her camera either, so no photos of that Settled into our hotel in the city centre, in a not so posh area near the medina, and went for a walk. Rabat has got a massive cemetery by the sea, from afar you think it's a crowd but as you get closer you realize it's headstones. Well, still a crowd if you think about it. Taxis make you feel like you're in the eighties, and as the end of the afternoon arrives the center starts to come alive, and the Medina wakes up We find a nice place to eat, it turned out to not be that nice but we could see people moving about outside and gave us some rest from a tyresome day. An early night in, and we slept well. In the morning, our poor hotel looked even more disheveled than the previous day, we waited forever for some breakfast, ended up having a stale croissant and some tea. It was a disgrace as pastry is usually as good in Morocco as anywhere you can imagine, a Moroccan patisserie leaves nothing to be desired to a Parisien one, except coffee here is better. We left Rabat and headed north to Tangier, for our last night in Morocco. Traffic was horrible leaving Rabat so we took the motorway. Not sure where, but around Asirah or Larache, we stopped for lunch, a nice fish soup I thought we had. This area looks almost 100% European, except for the minarets. We continue north and enter Tangier through the posh side, very expensive homes with huge properties, everything very well trimmed, and I decide to splurge and stay in a luxury hotel. The place was so nice I just couldn't say no. We walked into the marble floored lobby, leaving dust where we stepped, and enquired as to occupancy. The rude lady replied with a price I just said ok to shut her up and later did the calculations in my mind The place was amazing, and we lounged all afternoon: No pictures of the dinner that night, although it was amazing, in a balcony overlooking the ocean. I have since been there and have taken better pictures so you'll see those on the next reports. Next morning we were in no rush so rode to Tangier center, and stopped in a cafe for breakfast Boarding the ferry was uneventful, but during the trip this random lady thrust a baby on my arms and went to the bathroom. 15 minutes later I was starting to worry she wouldn't come back Spain received us with a pork sandwich and nice weather. Two days earlier, Maria had chipped a tooth chewing on some hard bread, and this is why we don't have many pictures of the last couple of days. We stayed in the Algarve to try and make her feel better, but eventually had to ride to Lisbon with a badly broken tooth and severe pain, through a rain storm in a motorcycle helmet. She cried with pain and it was a tough ending to an amazing trip that I'll never forget. I really liked reliving this entire thing, and will post three more reports of our other Morocco trips in the upcoming days.

So, leaving the golden dunes of Merzouga, we planned on sleeping on Mhamid. It's only around 400km but the trip would be what I longed for when dreaming of visiting the desert. After a hearty breakfast of Msemmen and lowering my heart beat on colesterol alone, we made way, it was a hot day and you felt it from early on. The rain drops that had fallen two nights before, along with the desert sand, left the bike a mess. Here I'm collecting an acacia thorn, the desert toothpick, and proceeding to stab myself in the finger. Halfway through the morning and we stopped for some tea. One of my favourite things is to sit at a cafe having a tea or coffee, and just allowing the street scene to unfold around you. Carrying on, further on the ride I stop for urination purposes, and take the chance to look at some desert trees. I read before, never park under an Acacia. If you look at the thorns on the pictures before you'll see why. Camels actually put whole branches in the mouths and suck out the leaves. On this stop my spirits drop as we notice an oil leak on the bike. Probably coming from between the engine and gearbox. We were in the middle of nowhere, so decided to press on to Zagora and figure out what to do there. On the way there we stop to check the oil level and Maria documented the occasion with a video. Oil wasn't dropping noticeably, and I realized I didn't have a tool to open the oil filler hole even though I had a full liter of oil in my luggage. That was smart planning! Anyway, on to Zagora! This was a hard road, lots of washboard, had to surf them at 120 for the bike to be livable, it felt like I was breaking it apart. The alternative would be to ride at 30kmh, which was not doable. We make it to Zagora, and stop to take our pictures next to the famous Tombouctou sign Zagora, being a big town and a gateway to the desert, is used to having offroad enthusiasts passing by. A few mechanic shops are here, some of them are used to renting out their facilities to desert racing teams that use this as a base for testing programs. We came accross Mohammed, who received us with a smile and tea. As soon as we walked in his shop Maria noticed the pictures on the wall, and realized she and Mohammed had several friends in common from when she was involved with Baja racing teams and Dakar Rally mechanics. We spent a good while there, just laughing with them. Mohammed was a cool enough dude that i allowed him to put a sticker on my bike Next door, you could have your teeth fixed as well We came away with the oil leak still leaking, but now equipped with a tool to take the filler plug off. So now we had a way of replenishing the oil level if it lowered. I was still unsure if it was engine oil or gearbox oil that was coming out, but since it was on such low quantity we decided to ride on to Mhamid and sleep where we had planned. The ride there would be quite hard but amazing, but not before having a light snack of a little bit of crappy pizza, not worth a picture. From Zagora South, were entering properly dry areas, here water is not a commodity but a luxury. Temperatures we slightly above 40ºC, and the wind was very high, those 100 or 120km felt like 300. Eventually the winds turned into a sand storm and we struggled to keep upright, the road was well visible so we continued. As the wind increased the temperature felt higher as well, which was very weird because you couldn't see the sun and it was almost as dark as night. We felt like we were on Mars but this was an amazing ride that made us appreciate how cool it was to be doing this trip. We got to our hotel exhausted and parked the bike inside the compound next to our room We were asked to be our showers short as there was a severe lack of water in the area. Apparently during most of the year people here only have water pressure on tap for a few hours per day. We went for a walk, and got a few unfriendly looks, presumably because Maria was wearing shorts. Our host took us on a small drive to the dunes in his Land Rover, to whatch the sunset before dinner. We talked a little about the desert and the people there, their way of life and difficulties. Also, we talked how much better life there could be with just minor adjustments like water management. A week after we left there were rain floods and some of those people drowned. Next day we start to head back north and starting our way back home. We still had a lot to see but I hated how the trip started to move back to reality instead of heading towards adventure. Every pore of the road was saturated with fine sand, made for an amazing sight. Stopping for a little water, the bike was a sad state That day, unbeknown to us, Muslims were in celebration. We thought it was weird when we first started noticing slaughtered lambs outside people's homes and made for a little uneasiness, only to be explained at night on our next hotel. Brief stop for lunch, I think in Ouarzazate Ouarzazate is a major city in the area, it is mostly known for its ties with Hollywood, it's got cinema studios and is a base for whenever you need a western setting, or generic middle eastern or desert film location. It's also a little without character and didn't appeal. We moved on. That evening we stayed at a small family owned auberge, we shared a few travel stories and they did as well having travelled all over Morocco in a Fiat Uno. We were served delicious tea upon arrival and Maria made friends with the little girl Owner's runaround moped, it's seen things and been places: Dinner was enjoyed on the rooftop, she's not very impressed with my photography skills A nice night's sleep was had

You know your camels, those ones pictured had sweet toes.

Remember, its not who votes, its who counts the votes.

After a hard evening of riding on very dark roads, getting lost with oncoming rally trucks blasting by at very high speeds with full blinding rally lights on, the shower and warm food, and sleep, felt like heaven. Sleeping in a hotel made of mud and powered by the distance hum of a generator, it means that when they turn the generator off you get an amazing night's sleep. In the morning, Maria's plan was to see the desert sunrise so sleep better be good because I wasn't going to sleep in Good news is that the dunes are right on our back door. I discovered desert sand for the first time. Having never been, I was amazed at how fine it is, and at how it doesn't stick to your skin. Instead, it absorbs all moisture out of it and almost cleans it. I've loved this place ever since. Sand was proper cold, and he had our cardio by climbing a couple of dunes, if you're not born doing that is pretty exhausting stuff. With an apetite, I enjoyed some nice msemmen for breakfast. It's a kind of hardish crepe or pancake, not really healthy but very tasty, usually eaten with honey, butter or jam. I have it with honey usually, although it's good when still warm with proper butter. The rest of the day was spent exploring the area around, we needed a rest so took the chance to ride the bike a little with no luggage, get it stuck a little too So during the morning we goofed off in the sand and took "adventuring" pictures I had my first close encounter with camel herds, and again, was surprised at how fast they actually cover distance when appearing to walk calmly. Can't be in the desert without the Clint Eastwood snarl It had rained the previous night, so we found the water droplet marks on the sand, seemed every single drop made it's own impact. On some you could actually see a speck of green starting to appear Desert @Tym showed up, to try and sell some rocks and to show me that my 1150 motorcycle is not the best tool for riding efficiently here. The heat was starting to grow, and we hit the village center for some lunch, in Morocco you can't go wrong with some omelette and olives. Usually, away from cities you'll see the chickens pecking away around the cafes and restaurants, so you know the eggs and chicken meat is great. Maria, going for the cool adventurer look. In the afternoon, we snoozed a little, and just hang out at the hotel drinking water. My hotel room ceiling: That evening we climbed the highest dune close to the hotel to go and see the sunset, but our plans were foiled by a sandstorm, which was an event of it's own. It starts with a refreshing breeze: And you start to see fast moving weather in the distance: And soon enough you're enjoying it from the comfort of a shelter, with your nose and ears full of sand. I grew to love that place, and with time we went back but that is for other reports. On the next day we woke up at dawn and tried to have the bike packed before breakfast while it was still cool. I love having a relaxed breakfast and then just getting my jacket and helmet on and ride off, no faffing about with luggage. Allows you to not be all sweaty and yucky when riding off, and makes for much more of an enjoyable exit. You look cooler as well, for all the adventure amateurs that might be around. This is also one of the reasons we never carried more than our side cases, simplicity is coolness.