Oujda | Clune Gap Years

21st October 2024

The first stop was Grottes of the Pigeons. No pigeons, but the car park(€0.30) money collector’s chickens. They were allowed inside. We weren’t. Peered through the fence and could see that there was a vertical excavation section. They’ve found evidence of human life from 100,000 years ago!!! Findings show that the cave was used as a workshop, for cooking, a necropolis etc. A major find is the oldest trepanned skull ever found- (medical procedure, drilling a hole – I googled that!).

We attempted to get to the grottes des Chameux but the whole road was closed under repair. Probably land slip. So we continued along the Zegzel gorge. It didn’t live up to its hype. Problem is, yet again, spoilt by gorgeous Greek gorges.

*We had our picnic just by the interesting section*

With the road closed on our end, I reckoned there had to be a way to join it part way along. The other option was to drive into Berkane … with no guidebook mention. The lure of ice cream almost swayed the decision, but I held out for the mountains. Anyone who knows me, will find ice cream loosing out, unbelievable.

So we took a non motorhome road with fabulous views, as well as steep twists. J wouldn’t look down! Back to the apt in Oujda.

21st October 2024 – Driving day

To be honest the only thing comment worthy was that the scenery was of 2 halves. The first half was a massive expanse of flat dessert. Not sand as such but dirt and small stones. Very few habitations. I commented to J that I wondered what they did for water. Outside one house, I spotted a tractor hooked up to a water tank. Don’t know what the other properties did for water. A few herds / flocks of goats / sheep, although who know what they grazed on as no scrub. A tough area to live.

The second half had a hilly national park to our left. We could’ve diverted to walk to a waterfall, but it would have added 1.5 hours in driving time to our journey. We saw crops and green things. Truly a drive of 2 halves.

We bypassed Fez to a campsite North of Meknes. Mostly motorway on our 5 hr drive and €11.90. Our destination was where Brian and Zoa were already encamped. Arriving before us is proving useful, as Brian scopes toilets, showers etc. We arrive and are greeted as long-lost friends by the owner, as Brian has pre-announced our arrival.

*This is the green half. It’s all relative.*

19th October 2024 – a 3 meal out day!

We were packed and under an hour to leave the apartment. J didn’t have breakfast! So we knew we would have to stop for coffee and a bun.

We drive back over the mountain to the N coast. We even saw some roadside monkeys!

*I’d driven this road 3 times now, so delighted J drove,* *and i could enjoy the views*.

*A massive market. Carpets laid out with mostly second hand* *tools and clothes*

*Dacia Sandero is the car of choice (this isn’t a Sandero btw)*, *even the taxis* *are* *mostly* *blue Sanderos*. *Reckon* *car ownership must* *be low* *given* *the number* *of people* *who are walking* *in the middle* *of nowhere*

Breakfast stop was El Jebha. A very pretty fishing village. Tempting to try the fresh prawns and sardines being loaded into the ice cabinets … but no. We’ve a good few hours to go and plan a fish supper.

Cala Iris was our planned picnic stop. Super pretty looking down on it. But I’d an urgent need! We found a barely open hotel / restaurant. The smiley lady got an English speaker on the phone. He was 20 mins away and would come and open the kitchen. We didn’t feel we could just ask for mint tea, so ordered soup. Our Heinz tomato going cold in it’s flask. Nice facilities!!!

We’d booked an apt in Al Hoceima … sticking out to sea. J nanny napped and I took Corrie for a walk, past a huge new apt block area, to a viewpoint.

*Every town has* ***huge*** *new 5 storey* *developments. I spotted plaster falling off new* *walls,* so *don’t* *rate the* *quality.*

Supper was my promised fish. Sadly, deep fried so dry. 🫠 Been spoilt by Greek bbq skills.

20th October 2024 – All about birds

A walk on the beach at Al Hoceima. A massive Mercure on the beach to satisfy the package holiday makers flying into the local international airport. Beach full of chairs, so we sat, drinking our coffee (own tin beakers) and contemplating the early stillness. Al Hoceima really did feel more European … not for us.

*Us alone on the beach and the seagulls*

We followed the coast road east. A lot of very long ascents and then long descents. Pleased not to have been in the motorhome. The coastline really is similar to that of Greece.

We stopped briefly to find the Nador bird park closed. So stopped for the now tepid soup planned for yesterday, just outside on the edge of another new 5 storey housing development. Only thing of interest here is the large lagoon with houses on the narrow boundary.

Onto the Moulouya Estuary. A huge flat expanse after all the hills, twists and bends we’ve driven along. A bird sanctuary. Might be the wrong time of year. Might have been impatient. But we did see flamingo … from a distance.

Onto Oujda. A city of 572,00. An apt booked for 2 nights.

*Washing machine a bonus, so it was used*

Shame the shower didn’t work. Gave the host the opportunity to fix it, but no hot water. They knew it too, as they had supplied a large bucket to fill with hot water and pour over oneself. Pursued this through Airbnb and got a 50% refund.

Clune Gap Years

A journal and reflections of our motorhome travels

Tag Archives: Oujda

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