El Jadida

Still feel a loose piece of muscle on the back of the calf when I am peddling hard.  Nice ride down the coast.  In the evening watched the storks landing in the tree next to the hotel.

Done with another delivery

El Jadida

8/31/12

103 Kilometers, 6:04 Moving Time, Max Speed 43.4 k, Moving Average 17.0 k, 

 Stop Time 3:48 Overall Average Speed 10.5 k,   Start 12:00 end 20:00 Accent 292 meters.

A few clouds

Love & Kisses

Steve

Casablanca Du

On my third try I was able to mail a package.  If I had known how big a box I would be required to put the envelope in I would have put more things in the box.  Explored a little of Casablanca and avoided going to Rick's place.  Leg is feeling good going up the four stories to the room.  

(No Pics)

Casablanc

8/30/12

Rest day

Sunny

Love & Kisses

Steve

Casablanca

Leaving Rabat we see a sign that should keep the Barbary Lion from following us.  We tried to stay off the main road as much as possible.  And riding near the coast gave a sea breeze which was nice.  More storks I think they are following us. 

Casablanca

8/29/12

97.0 Kilometers, 5:21 Moving Time, Max Speed 42.2 k, Moving Average 18,3 k, 

 Stop Time 1:42 Overall Average Speed 13.8 k,   Start 12:00 end 20:00 Accent 205 meters.

Sunny

Love & Kisses

Steve

Do we get to continue

Off in the morning touring the town on the bike.  Looked over the Kasbah near the sea and had again no desire to swim at the public beach.   I saw on car accident. The cars are not allowed to move until the police arrive.  Notice they are bot on the other side of the center line.  In the afternoon we go to find out if we get a visa.  There is a bit of a line as everyone else is also waiting for their visas.  Then Cindy is sent to a separate line for woman.  I give here my receipt for my passport.  Two minutes latter she has our passports.  We have visas to Mauritania multi entry and for 90 days.  Now there is just 2000k part of which is in the Sahara to ride to start crossing the Mauritania section of the Sahara.   The visa starts in three days. 

Rabat

8/28/12

24.2 Kilometers, 1:52 Moving Time, Max Speed 32.9 k, Moving Average 13.9 k, 

 Stop Time 0:55 Overall Average Speed 8.3 k,   Start 8:30 end 10:00 Accent 147 meters.

Sunny

Love & Kisses

Steve

Embassay wait

We are up early to get a visa from Mauritania Embassy with letters in French telling that we would love to visit their country.  We make at around nine which is opening time at the office in the embassy wall.  We get visa applications and franticly fill them out while waiting in line, with me looking over Cindy’s shoulder to figure out what to put in each box.  Cindy’s does have a bit more French than me.  I need to get on to lesson 3 in beginning French on tape.  They won’t let us put Oct 1 as the entry date, but insist on Sept 1.  That means 2000k in three days that will be interesting to get there in time.  Seventy dollars later and two pictures they have everything for the application. Now we must wait till tomorrow afternoon to see if we can go on.  

(no pics)

Rabat

8/27/12

10.8 Kilometers, 0:38 Moving Time, Max Speed 32.9 k, Moving Average 16.8 k, 

 Stop Time 0:48 Overall Average Speed 7.7 k,   Start 8:30 end 10:00 Accent 72 meters.

Sunny

Love & Kisses

Steve

Rabat

More highway with lots of traffic.  The view from the road was of homes and countryside that have little beauty.  Zip through Sales and across the bridge into Rabat.  Then we cross the bridge to Rabat.  Finding our way in Rabat was easy and found the hotel we wanted quickly.  There was no answer at the hotel, but we found another easily as we were in the cheap hotel zone.   We ended the day overlooking the Atlantic once again.  It has been a while since we were close to the sea.  The air is cooler and the dead of Rabat have the best view of the sea.

Rabat

8/26/12

31.8 Kilometers, 2:09 Moving Time, Max Speed 31.2 k, Moving Average 18.4 k, 

 Stop Time 0:46 Overall Average Speed 13.5 k,   Start 11:30 end 15:00 Accent 72 meters.

Sunny

Love & Kisses

Steve

Kenitra

Riding today was on the highway which had a little shoulder. In one town I past a moped and the leg is feeling better. Okay the moped could have used a complete rebuild of the engine that I passed, but I left him eating 2 cycle oil. Found some rare shade for lunch with the smell of something dead in the air. The diesel was the pleasant smell of the day over the competing rotting garbage, something dead or shit smell that seemed to appear all to frequently along the road. The last 10 k kept smelling mint from the fields, which was a welcome smell over the diesel. Arrived in Kenitra at 15:00 with no guide book suggestions it was a little tricky finding a hotel.

Kenitra

8/25/12

81.5 Kilometers, 4:02 Moving Time, Max Speed 32.1 k, Moving Average 18.7 k, 

 Stop Time 1:29 Overall Average Speed 13.7 k,   Start 10:30 end 15:00 Accent 81 meters.

Sunny and hot

Love & Kisses

Steve

Wednesday is shopping

Tea Time

Woke to an aching foot and ankle took an hour of stretching to get the pain to go away.  Morning is started breakfast of eggs, olives, bread, and cheese.  Forks were not provided so it is right hand eating again.  The ride out of town was down and into easy rolling hills.  I find that my helmet is on my head for the first time this trip.  I would not say Moroccan drivers are bad, just overly aggressive in their need to pass.  We get many friendly toots of the horn from passing cars and trucks.  Waving hand and giving thumbs up with some yelling encouragement.  Wish I new what they were yelling.

One easy pass to cross and then more rolling hills.  Glad we bought lunch as food opportunities were few. 

Lots of the hay stacks are covered in a mud layer.

We watched a bus drive onto some tracks then stop.  As we passed the bus a flare was lit to warn the train.  I did not want to stick around to see what happened as I only saw the drive exit the bus.

Souk el Arba Du Rhare (Wednesday is market day)

8/24/12

53.5 Kilometers, 3:12 Moving Time, Max Speed 47.5 k, Moving Average 16.7 k, 

 Stop Time 2:42 Overall Average Speed 10.2 k,   Start 12:30 end 18:00 Accent 285 meters.

Sunny

Love & Kisses

Steve