22-23 May 2023, beyond Bni Quolla, 75.2km
Motel Rif R658 [DH350]
I dread cycling past a school that has recently freed its pent-up students. While most kidz just want to engage via a smile and yelled greeting, some are either dangerously stupid or disturbingly aggressive. Yesterday a group of boyz tried to force me to a halt by standing across my lane, and a lone girl shortly thereafter stood before me, arms spread wide. A little later another girl tried to stop me by yanking forcefully at my arm. A boy also grabbed Charl's arm. What they don't realise, I suppose, is that we are moving at 15 or 20kph, a speed that is likely to result in an injury if disrupted. And then there's the aggressive begging and occasional stone throwing... We don't let this bad behaviour ruin our day, but while it is playing out, it's unpleasant.
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We were on the road for 10 hours, cycling a little over 75 hilly km on the narrow unkempt N13, around 35km further than hoped or planned.
Admittedly our planning was half-baked. Despite Google Maps being silent on the matter of accommodation in Jorf el Melha, we hoped to find a bed in this sizeable town. No such luck. So on we came to the Motel Rif, planned for the following night (tonight). As we are feeling the effects of yesterday's ride, we are spending two nights here... It is only 70km to Chefchaouen, but with over 1200m elevation gain, so the next couple of days, our last two riding days in Morocco, are going to be tough.
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Again we cycled through lovely scenery, hilly but less closed in, the vistas easy on the eye. Miles of yellow wheat (could be rye?) and oats; after lunch at Ain Defali (barbecued meat from the local butchery), red hills and eucalyptus on occasion lining the road.
It was a day for ice cream breaks; for getting wet and cold in a sudden brief downpour and sweaty-hot on the long climbs; for being grateful to owners calling off their barking dogs; for meeting two French cyclists at the tail end of a six month trip that began in Cape Town and was interrupted by the war in Sudan; for a switch to Spanish, with greetings of ola amigo (and this morning instead of cafe au lait, we were served cafe con leche). A tiring day, but in the end manageable, definitely evidence of our growing fitness.
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Speaking of dogs... The call to prayer from the mosque across the road from the Motel Rif, sets all the local pooches howling.