Ferry from Tarifa to Tangier then cycle to Souk El Arbaa Du Rharb (106.8 miles)
This morning was an emotional farewell as we (the lads) boarded the ferry to Tangier and parted ways with Char who has been a key member of the team since day one and we were sure to miss her for the rest of the journey.
We were sure that the notorious Moroccan hustlers would be ready and waiting for us on the other side of the Mediterranean. What we didn't expect was an attempted hustle from the Moroccan ferry staff before we had even left Spanish shores. They claimed we needed a previously unmentioned green form in order to board. Luckily, just as we reached for our wallets for the bribe, their manager came along and moved them on.
Even better news, the Tangier hustlers were still wiping sleep from their eyes as we sailed past; having clipped in to our bikes ten minutes before arrival. A cold (-ish) mornings cycle to Larache was a welcome start to the Moroccan leg of the journey. It's instantly obvious that Ramadan was in full swing as every second spot of shade was occupied by a mass of sleeping bodies. Whilst fresh off the boat and with Matty searching for lunch, Chris and Donnie quickly learned from a friendly hustler that eating and drinking in public is unacceptable. Due to the vast quantities of food and water that we need to keep us cycling this was to prove a test of sneaking biscuits and sly swigs of water.
Once Matty returned from the shops he declared that he had already dipped into team funds (5Dirham/30p) to pay for a translator in the shop. After navigating ourselves through the hair-raising traffic of Larache we stopped just out of town for lunch (out of sight, of course) and reflected on the mayhem that was our first morning in Africa. The towns and streets of Morocco are an assault on the senses with cars tooting for any type of manouver, markets stalls with strange fruits and people everywhere.
It was soon too get dark as we arrived in Souk El Arbaa and bought a melon from one of the seemingly thousands of roadside stalls. As all three of us were truly knanckered by this point we cycled just outside
Souk El Arbaa and camped in a small stretch of woods. After Matty and Chris' previous experiences with wild camping in Morocco we went as far into the woods as possible to avoid hassle fr>om any passers by, who have a knack of appearing out of thin air and demanding payment.
A great start with our first day in Morocco even if we were all feeling slightly dehydrated without the guidance of Fluid Master Char:
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