Destination Algerian border only so back to Casa

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(kees)

Total disaster. Rocked on up to the Algerian Cosulate in Oudja (I mean why else would you come here?), first we said Hi, Salam - polite as possible: Can we get a visa for Algeria?- we were told that it is possible from Oudja. We knew that it was going to be a No but decided to come here anyway. They gave us a few moments, then asked where we were from, we responded politely again but then they said No sorry, you have to obtain it from your home country and then come back. Well no.

Plan B to ram our bikes through the border didn't look all that good. Neither did plan C to find our own wee crossing point through the desert. So that left plan C: organise a flight to a third country which meant going back to Casablanca (a unfortunate overnight bus ride) and avoid Algeria all together. Appartently the Tunisians and Algerians have pretty good relations so it's possible to cross to border through Tunisia, but stuff it. We'll probably have similar dramas trying to get into Libya. So Dan has booked a flight to Tunisia, and is carrying on to Italy to meet his mum and I've gone all out and booked a flight to Cairo. All the money that we'd saved by travelling to Morocco has all been blown in one go. Oh well.

So anyway, Fez (or Fes, if you prefer- I don't see the difference) was a pretty good place. Our final bike ride was a nasty hot head wind, but we were just counting down the k's in our final leg at pretty intense pace. Fes has one of the largest Medinas (old city) in the world; within its walls there are around 9,000 streets and allys, so there's just so much atmosphere and so many people all crammed in. So with it come masses of hustlers and everyone trying to get your attention. No suprises that we got lost a number of times.

Then we decided to pay the final frontier town, Oudja, a special wee visit. Oudja, a city on the fringes of Morrocco, wasn't really the tourist trap that I was after but the locals were all pretty friendly. The city's Medina must be about the messiest, smellist place that I've ever been to. It even had blood and guts to dodge, where we could only assume that animals are killed in there. The odd Camel head for sale wasn't too appertising either. Oudja's other famous landmark is the Algerian consulate. With the flag flying high and proud, it was clearly the place to be. Guess I've already explained what unfolded here.

So from Oudja we grabbed an overnight bus to Casablanca. The next day, after doing a bit of reading Dan realised that he reqiured a visa to go to Tunisia. Oh Damn, well he biked his way down the N11 motorway to the airport. I'm still wondering how he got on. I meanwhile hung round in Casa for a couple more days and on the way met some old-timer hippy travellers in the hotel, one French another Canadian, and then with a Senegalese guy, we went to Casa's dirty old beach. Next day I biked to Rabat, the capital city, stayed two nights and made some new mates at the hostel and quite enjoyed the place. It's situated on a hill and quite a bit quieter and peaceful than old Casa.

I just made my way back to Casa. The ride into the city greeted me with about 10k's of peak-hour industrial traffic. What a big smelly old mess it was. Pollution, fumes, the odd bit of sewage- just a lovely afternoon's cycling. Some of the trucks could really do with some new engines, I must have been passed by about 50 of them, along with all the cars. I've probably inhaled enough fumes for atleast the rest of the year.

Next it's my turn to bike down the N11 motorway to Mohammad V airport. Hopefully they'll alow me to take this bike on it.

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Comments

[Stephen]

tragedy
No! Our hairy pedaling Thelma and Louise have split up. And they didn't reach their destination. Say it isn't so! Or, like every great road movie, is this the scene before the climax when the unlikely couple split up and head their separate ways, mission uncompleted, before realising that they need each other, reunite, and kick some baddies' ass? Go on, guys you can do it. Turn back to the border and have a crack at option B.

[Jean Genie]

No such Algeria
Hey buddy - glad to hear you're still alive and well despite the harsh rejection at the border. Hmmm, perhaps those beards were too extreme even for the Algerians...?

[emu bin laden]

revenge?
I notice that, since you were denied access to Algeria there have been a couple of terror bombings there... explosive-packed bicycles, they reckon. Appearently, you're meant to forget the visa and bribe the border guards, slip a note into your passport, it comes back sans note and there's no need for a suicide charge on the border-crossing

[DestinationAlgeria]

revenge?
hey cheers, but you could have informed us earlier