20 March 2020
Second pic is Carrefour supermarket, not nearly as nice as yesterday's supermarket. From today, Morocco has instituted a 6pm curfew. This will not really impact us as we go out to shop for food only, but we were glad our landlady thought to let us know. We have drawn as much cash as we currently have avaliable, and have drastically cut our daily budget just in case our tenants stop paying rent, our monthly income source. Have just heard of a Chinese cyclist badly beaten in Ghana. Horrible. Hope you are all coping with Covid-19 difficulties.

21 March 2020
This restaurant in Taroudant was scheduled to close 6pm the next day - unbeknownst to us. Note the face-covering on the cook - not a Covid-19 mask, her normal modest face veil. Our daily supermarket strategy in Agadir: buy something fresh for dinner (tonight roast chicken with avo, tom and pear salad) and buy a couple of store cupboard meals in case we can't go out as regularly as we can now. Although everyone on today's run was friendly, one man at the supermarket took our photos both inside and out (don't know why), and a woman in our complex tried to initiate a conversation with Charl that included the word "corona". We have today written to some freight companies to ask if there is any way they could transport us home by plane or ship. A cyclist in Angola was chased from a bar, though the patrons did toss him a couple of beers and some food.

24 March 2020
Pix: Supermarket well-stocked and dinner in the making. Wish I had a smaller pot for the rice! Another woman from our complex called out something about "virus" as soon as she saw us yesterday, otherwise everyone remains friendly and rational. We have signed up for Netflix and may never want to leave the house again! We are both suffering from itchy skin, probably a side effect of months of malaria tabs, which we finally stopped taking in Mauritania. A cream recommended has not helped. The chemist across the road has suggested something else which we will start tonight. Stay healthy - we are thinking of you all.

4 April 2020
Hello from Morocco. The DA is working to get over 2000 stranded South Africans home, 34 of whom are in Morocco. There is talk of SAA being used to take Europeans stranded in SA to Europe. Our group have proposed that SAA collect us on the way home. Extraordinary the bureaucratic hurdles being placed in our path. We have been told that only those with valid return tickets will be assisted. Most tickets have been cancelled by the airlines and some, like us, had not yet booked tickets. Then yesterday the embassy informed us that those with dual citizenship who entered Morocco on their other passport will not be helped even if citizens of and resident in SA. Ludicrous in times of dire need. On another note... Charl and I, both increasingly ITCHY, saw a dermatologist yesterday. We are not itchy because of our malaria tabs as assumed, but because we have SCABIES. The thought of microscopic mites mating, laying eggs, and going through four life phases under my skin is pretty gross. Take care out there.

7 April 2020
From today wearing a mask in public is mandatory in Morocco. Glad we bought ours a couple of weeks ago. We also got a letter from the residence "chef" (boss) giving us permission to travel to the supermarket. We have been asked before for the letter, but just waved on when we showed our passports. Hope you are all well and coping with lockdown. The economy falling apart while we watch Netflix…

10 April 2020
So... We've just been told that SAA, due to "technical difficulties", will NOT be evacuating the 34 Saffers stuck in Morocco. They will, however, be repatriating the 30-odd stuck in Egypt next week Wednesday at a cost of R7000 each. The embassy here has gotten approval for a charter flight to collect us here and fly us to Cairo. We are just waiting to hear the cost, which is likely to be prohibitive so the group, or many in the group, may decide against it. Will keep you posted. Pic is milk fridge - confusing trying to work out which is common or garden milk suitable for muesli.

13 April 2020
Happy Easter to those who celebrate it. No Easter eggs for sale at our supermarket - not much call for them in a Muslim country. Did though substitute with Snickers and cappuccino biscuits. We will not be coming home on the SAA evacuation flight from Egypt as we cannot get to Cairo. The Morocco government gave permission for a plane to collect the 34 Saffers stuck here and take them to Cairo. Private charter quoted $80,000; Egypt Air quoted $47,000. Half the group immediately pulled out, making the price prohibitive for the remaining few. We are still trying to ascertain why SAA cannot fly to Morocco. What I don't get is why they are arranging separate flights to eg Egypt and Ghana, collecting small groups. Why not hop from place to place collecting as many stranded Saffers as possible? Otherwise we wait... Take care out there.

15 April 2020
A flurry of activity this morning. A whatsapp on our Morocco group said there MIGHT be a repatriation flight home from Casablanca on Friday. We went straight out to the police to ask about transport options as inter-city travel is banned. We were sent on to a gvt dept in charge of granting travel permission. This they will do only once our embassy has given permission. No problem with either of these, provided there is a flight*. There we met a couple trying to get on a flight to Sweden tomorrow, also seeking permission to travel to Casablanca. They told us Avis is still operating, so that would be one way to travel. *By the time we got home, however, the Friday flight seemed to be off. Last Wednesday's Cairo flight was cancelled, despite the Egypt group having paid SAA. So... Unless there is a miracle, we are likely to be here until well into May. We're very lucky compared to others stuck elsewhere in Africa. Travellers are being advised in some places not to show their faces at all. Scary.