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Departure from Marrakech southward to The Gambia
Day 5, Tuesday morning, a quarter to six
We would have liked to sleep a bit longer but we have to make 800 kilometers
up to Layoune, to the area of the Western Sahara. An ambitious idea
After 20 kilometers we start first discussions about the direction to go
The decision is to take a short cut using a minor road
At sunrise we are passing the snow covered peaks of High Atlas mountains
The road is deserted, we take the deep water wholes with full speed
Anyhow the water Plenty of it is coming down today
Still it is raining cats and dogs and a dashing wind is blowing
People tell us that this is the first rain here for more than 8 years
Northern Africa in March - and we are facing weather conditions like
London in autumn
Cleaning the windows keeps warm a new hair style not really
Its very fresh today after shaving my head last night
But putting on a cap in drizzle that should be okay.
I have to put on my pullover Its rather cold
Its too cold for being in Africa.
Although, our plans for today are focused on summer temperatures
We would like to make it until Layoune today, perhaps even more
It depends how we get through.
When we get far enough, we will try to camp somewhere on the beach
In Tiznit we buy 80 litres of water and coke to survive in the desert
We want to stay at the beach over night.
To cook our meals we have to bunker enough water
Sleeping on the beach in this cold weather. How should that work?
That is what is troubling us a little bit also
But 200 kilometers from here it should get warmer
But he is wrong The rain doesn’t stop.
After 5 hours of driving we only have made 300 kilometers
facing the worst scenario: we are freezing - in Africa
Matthias, this is Norway – or where we are?
Its badly cold Nobody expected this
We hope night will not going to be that cold.
What a night? Where?
This we do not know yet Either we will sleep in Layoune
or we ll go further on and sleep at the beach somewhere
It depends We try to get as far as possible
From noon on police again and again is stopping our convoy
Every half an hour they check our passports and papers
We are getting closer to the Western Sahara.
We still have to go for more than 1000 kilometers to reach the desert
and there is even more rain Are we going to see
flowers blooming in the desert?
After 11 hours and 600 km of driving we vote to stop driving for today
Enough is enough.
We are at the ocean now – why?
We misplanned totally. We planned to go from Marrakech
to Western Sahara in two days. But that’s nearly impossible
Not in such a big convoy Passing the mountains slowed us down
Now we are going to have two stopovers in the Western Sahara
and will enter Mauretania one day later
Baywatch swimmer Rene is taking a bath in the icy ocean
Eleven degrees – at most – or three millimeters…
Taking a walk on the beach instead of camping
The decision how to continue tomorrow will be taken later - after sundown