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...

This poll will close at the end of the 01st October, get your vote in!

So, after a surprising election, we've gotten a tie. Here are our two finalists, so cast your vote: @Grasshopper's Ride's Royal Enfield Himalayan @Tym's Tomos

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

Maybe a second vote between both bikes?

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

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 ...

There's still time for someone to cast a final vote. Voting is a duty!

Some do, others closer to big cities ride R1200RT. I think some ride Transalps, but I might be mistaken.

I, for one, could have done without it

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!

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.

You're welcome, Pete. But there are two more trips, with better riding, more fun, better pictures, and no mechanical drama

I only speak the truth Pete

How do you know if your bikes uses oil, Pete? You don’t

Pete would have gone through a tin og autoglym by now.

Why do you assume he knows the difference?

Looks purposeful, I like it.

It also didn't ruin my holidays, and simply turned them into the kind of holiday I probably wouldn't have had. I enjoy those memories.

An electrical plug not being connected by a mechanic can happen on any brand. It did put me off that dealer's workshop. And to be honest, I am inept, shouldn't have jumped to the conclusion and instead should have tried a lot more. That's the lesson learned there regarding bikes.