Morocco Off-road Adventure: Day 9 from Ait-Ben-Haddou to Marrakesh
Editor Danny Hermans registered for the Morocco Adventure 2023 to finally experience that “Dakar feeling”. He has plenty of motorcycle experience as an ex-motocross rider, but ten days on an enduro with stages of an average of 270 km every day is a completely different story. Follow his adventures on an enduro motorcycle through the south of Morocco for 10 days.
From Ait-Ben-Haddou to Marrakesh
The last day started with an outdoor breakfast and therefore we could also enjoy a very beautiful sunrise over Ait-Ben-Haddou. My smartphone indicates that the sun will rise at 7:31 am, so I prepare myself to take some photos.
Today the motorcyclists will cross the Atlas Mountains again to arrive back at our starting point of ten days ago: Marrakesh. Along the way we come across strips of freshly laid asphalt, the Moroccans are investing heavily in new roads, knowing that tourism can bring a lot of money into the public coffers. To achieve this, roads must be constructed that can easily take tourists to the most beautiful places in the country.
With clenched buttocks
The new asphalt has a yellow solid center line, but its meaning is strange to many. Every now and then I have to swerve with the motorcycle because an oncoming car takes a turn well over the line while overtaking the car in front. The asphalt winds through the Atlas so that we slow down a lot, but that is not always a good idea. A dangerous strip is rarely indicated and so we suddenly drive into a blind bend where we seamlessly switch to tarmac covered with loose stones.
I put the bike in the bend with my butt clenched and hope everything turns out fine. I hardly dare to use the brakes, the ravine next to the road is too deep to end the ten-day motorcycle trip here with a slide. That just turned out okay. The motorcyclists look at each other in disbelief and continue their way carefully.
Check off emergency stop
Today more obstacles come my way. In the villages I have to anchor twice for stray dogs. And at a local Sunday market, in addition to fruit and vegetables, livestock are also traded. A cow became stressed by the engines, which were moving at a walking pace, and panicked and ran in front of me. I check off emergency stop number three with only two hours left on the bike. Along the way I learn that there are also some breakdowns today, but they are resolved with the necessary skill.
Today there is opportunity for some more coffee breaks. These are accompanied by the usual nonsense between bikers. Someone shows me a picture of a donkey and a motocross rider and asks me the difference between the two. With a grin on my face I receive “the helmet” as a solution. In addition to the coffee house, there is the local butcher who displays his wares at the edge of the road.
Dusty faces
Along the way someone stopped to save a turtle from certain death. The beast tried to cross the road, but given their low average speed it was more of a suicide mission. Around noon we stop for a last Berber omelette and are promptly given seven kittens for company. They beg for a piece of food until we leave the table.
That morning it was suggested that no major medical problems had arisen during the journey through Morocco, but during this last stage someone slipped and broke his wrist. Because we were in the earthquake area, the unfortunate motorcyclist was cared for in a temporary military field hospital.
Upon arrival at our hotel, which was the same as on day one, the last ride of this fantastic journey through Morocco was celebrated with a big burn-out and the necessary beer. Dusty faces eat a last snack at the truck.
The white pot
The next morning it was time to pack. It is great to see how the truck was loaded with engines with combined efforts and a sophisticated plan. That went very quickly and just a few hours later the truck was able to drive to customs to complete the formalities for the crossing to Europe. We still have a few hours free to chill at the pool. Then we take a bus to Marrakesh airport.
A Belgian friend fell prey to a salmonella infection at the last minute and saw the white pot more than he would like that day. He receives a dose of ORS from a doctor who accompanied him to help him retain fluid. ORS is a mixture of salts and grape sugar to dissolve in water. It is used against dehydration in diarrhea or vomiting. This way we get him on the plane later that day in a reasonable condition.
This brings the curtain down on a fantastic motorcycle adventure. It felt like a privilege to travel through an incredibly beautiful North African country with an enduro motorcycle. Morocco is a fantastically beautiful country and has a lot of potential to attract even more tourists. A disadvantage, however, is that off-road routes are being paved at a rapid pace. If you would like to ride beautiful gravel paths in this country, I would advise you not to wait for years.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone who made this trip possible. Thanks also to the motorcyclists who helped me with footage, because a broken GoPro meant I could collect less footage. You were an extremely nice bunch, I felt very welcome with everyone. There are no concrete plans yet, but a new adventure of such magnitude is on my wish list. I'm already making sure there's extra space under the Christmas tree this year.
Missed the previous article about this adventure? This is the link: https://nl.motocrossmag.be/index.php/2023/11/marokko-off-road-adventure-dag-8-van-boumaine-dades-naar-ait-ben-haddou
Participated in our Morocco Adventure Project:
- BhrParts
- Smets Screen PrintingSticker set GasGas
- Galfer Performance BrakesRemmen
- Dam RacingParts
- Dapa DesignClothes
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