A good month in Morocco and we continue to be amazed. Amazed by the beauty of nature, the friendliness of the people, the number of campers you see here etc. etc. We are also amazed by many other things about which more in this blog.
River Draa
Take the Draa River, for example. This forms the border between Morocco and Algeria for a large part. This river has been dry for years. But nothing is what it seems! The river still flows underground. Water is pumped up in several places to irrigate the dry land. The problem, however, is that the water is extremely salty and therefore has to be desalinated first.
SIM card
When we entered Morocco, there were large billboards just across the border with the following Inwi advertisement (mobile phone provider): one month unlimited internet for €50. A great offer! But nothing is what it seems... We used the card to our full satisfaction and now that the month was over we needed a new SIM card. You can top up your credit on every street corner, but you can't buy an unlimited SIM card anywhere. In some cities there are real Inwi shops. And if the SIM cards aren't sold out there, the computer isn't broken and the employee understands what you mean, you can buy the same card here. And what a surprise... We now only have to pay 200 dirham (€20).
Access road
Most roads here are well maintained, despite all the damage from the floods of last year. Of course, there are still parts that are not paved and they are also challenging. But regularly you drive into a city and the two-lane road suddenly becomes four times as wide and has sidewalks with neat street lighting along the sides. We now know that these 'access roads' to the center are paid for by King Mohamed VI. The roads within the city have to be paid for by the residents themselves. This often gives a stark contrast. So upon arrival you think what a rich city, but nothing is what it seems...
Arabic
Morocco is of course an Arabic country so we were a bit nervous beforehand. Can we find our way and make clear what we want? But nothing is what it seems... From 1912 to 1956 a large part of Morocco was a colony of France. Many Moroccans speak good French in addition to Arabic. The road signs to the larger cities are also all indicated in two languages. And did you think it was special to go all the way here with your camper? Nothing is what it seems... Morocco is a real camper holiday country. You see a lot of French, German and Dutch campers driving around.
Everyone who comes here gets sick
We hear from many people that they get a little sick within a few days of arriving. We didn't have any problems. Maybe that's because we only use bottled water (5L) that we bought. We even fill our camper water tank with it. Maybe it's a shame that we also use that water for washing up, but it's so easy. We also don't eat out very often and when we do, we check very carefully whether the meat is really cooked properly. That's not superfluous, because the first time we ate out, we were served partly raw chicken.
Cold in February
When you look at the thermometer, it shows 12 degrees at the time of writing this blog. Quite chilly you could say. But nothing is what it seems in Morocco. I am sitting outside in a t-shirt and shorts and I am already nice and warm. As soon as the sun shines it is immediately warm here, which is also what the thermometer indicates. When the sun has set it also immediately becomes quite chilly. Sitting outside in the evening is not an option. How warm must it feel here when it is above 40 degrees?
"As long as you judge another, you do not see the other but mainly yourself."
Sahara
As soon as you drive into the tourist village of Merzouga, you see the dunes looming before you. There is no other place in Morocco where you can drive your own camper straight into the desert sand, which is of course not recommended. However, we found M'Hamid more interesting. After all, the Sahara is not just made up of sand. In fact, 75% of the largest sand desert does not consist of sand at all. From M'Hamid it was a two-hour drive through the rocky desert to the first sand dunes. But once you are there, they also stretch as far as the eye can see. If you take the trouble to climb the highest dune in Merzouga, you can see the outer edges of the dunes. By the way, you should set aside an afternoon for this. With every step up, you slide back down at least 1/3. It is a tough undertaking.
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Frame of reference
We often think we know how things are. Our opinions are of course formed by our own experiences. Our upbringing, our culture, our school days and our life experiences. Someone else can have a completely different history and therefore also have formed different opinions. Despite the fact that I am very aware of this, I still find it difficult to always and everywhere look at things with an open mind and without judgement. A nice challenge for me: nothing is what it seems!
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