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Published: February 8th 2024
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It felt really good to finally get the trip under way proper. Shaking of the cobwebs that built up over Christmas, I pushed my loaded bicycle to my official start point.
There is a marker, a low pyramid of white rock, conveniently located just outside the old town and across the road from the port. KM 0, with a black outline of Africa on white stone, and a coat of arms of Morocco.
I have cycled the first part of the coast south from Tangier before, five years ago on my way to Marrakech. It was nice to recognise certain parts of the road, especially the petrol station where a very kind driver pulled up beside me outside the shop and handed me my passport! I had dropped it along the road, and somehow, he found it and found me. That was the first day of my trip. A disaster averted by human goodness.
I only cycled about 50km to Assilah on the first day. A gentle warm-up.
In a couple of places there were loads of little caterpillars with green spikes trying to cross the road. The wind rolled them over, and traffic blew them back
Serin
They're really common here. into the verge. Yet they just righted themselves and started again. Reminded me a little of cycle tourers. Ye just gotta keep going.
I got a reasonable start to my Morocco bird list too. No lifers, but it was nice to hear serins singing. On this trip I plan to try to get a reasonable ID shot of each species I see. It's not always possible. I post the bst of them online for myself as much as anyone else, so apologies for boring shots of common species. But as the song says, "All God's creatures got a place in the choir..."
I'll try to include landscape shots as well. Unbeievable as it may be, I know a couple of people who prefer them to bird photos.
Assilah is a beautiful seaside resort. It's obviously quiet in January, but still plenty of people enjoying a sunset walk.
Day two was a cycle from Assilah to Moulay Bousselham, mostly through rich agricultural land. Everything is currently lovely and green.
In the afternoon, when the workers were going home from the fields and the factories, it was constant waving and shouts
Caterpillar
In couple if places there were loads of these trying to cross the road. I doubt any made it. The wind kept rolling them over and the wake of vehicles blow them back into the verge. of "Bonjour" and "Ça va"
One pick-up truck passed me with at least a dozen workers on the flatbed. They gave me a round of applause as they passed by.. It was very funny. Half of them were standing, so it felt like I had just got a standing ovation.
I saw plenty of birds today. Top of the list has to be the stone curlew I found, looking half-asleep, on the wetland just outside Larrache. Apparrently they just sit around like that all day and feed at night. I've never seen them before, so that's a lifer.
Close second was the excellent and prolonged views of the black-winged kite. I failed to find any in La Janda earlier in the week. Today it found me. It landed on the lamp post almost right above me. Then, it teasingly flitted along a few lamps before heading off to the coast. It seemed unbothered by me standing almost directly below it.
Day three and another 85km clocked up. Slowly getting fitter again.
Another day of cycling through a working agricultural landscape. Acres of poly tunnel, banana trees being grown under cover, fields being ploughed and irrigated.
Lark
I can't tell the difference yet. I hit what I think was rush hour in one village this morning. It was wonderfully chaotic. Groups of farm labourers being collected in pick-up trucks, vehicles weaving their way past parked cars, cattle and potholes. At one point, I cycled between two cows which were wandering along hogging most of the road, and a large truck just behind me.
The birdlife today included white storks displayed on their nests and good views of some zitting cisticola. I hear them everywhere, but rarely get much of a view
The magpies are worth noting here because although quite similar to magpies in Ireland, they have some subtle differences. The most obvious is that Magreb magpies have a bright blue patch behind their eyes, like they're wearing a big blue stud ear ring.
The laughing dove is another lifer for me. I have to admit that it was only after checking the photograph I realised they weren't collared doves. They did fly off quickly, but I would have tried to find them again if I'd been more thorough. I must keep an eye out for them again.
When I arrived at the campsite in Kenitra, the first
raven of the trip landed in a tall tree by my pitch.
The countryside on Morocco is beautiful, but anyone who travels here is going to quickly notice that in some areas there is a lot of litter along the roadside and at the boundaries of villages.
However, to put it in perspective, fly tipping is relatively common at home. And thousands of hours of effort are expended annually in Ireland by local authorities and Tidy Town Committees in collecting waste other people chuck away.
It is also obvious here that some areas are much better at controlling waste than others.
I had a short walk around Kenitra this evening to buy food. It is a bustling market town. I love seeing so many people proudly running little businesses. Some on the footpath, some on stalls and others in small shops, all cheek by jowel.
The quality of the fruit is exceptional and very reasonably priced.
The last couple of days before I arrived in Casablance were largely through towns and suburbs, a much more urban landscape than the intensively farmed landscape further north.
Every day I see more interesting birds. I was
very happy to find a few more laughing doves. This time I recognised them straight away!
There was one little water filled oasis, just north of Casablanca. It was teeming with birdlife, glossy ibis, yellow wagtail, chiffchaff, and white wagtails.
The traffic in both Mohammedia and especially in Casablanca was chaotic, but most of the drivers are pretty good, and surprisingly, I didn't have any hairy moments. It helps that the main road is quite wide.
I think from Casablanca southwards, the scenery will get more scenic. I know there are a few beautiful spots ahead of me as I've been to them before.
Finally, as I commented on the amount of litter I noticed the other day, it is only fair to say that the roadsides from Kenitra to Mohammedia were spotless. They were a lot of litter pickers out and about.
For my evening stroll in Cassablanca i had a walk along the Corniche, the seaside promenade, as far as Hassan II Mosque. It was busy with families, fishermen and couples, young and old, enjoying the sea air.
Sadly, Rick's Cafe wasn't open when I passed. Just as well, I wasn't
Assilah
A really pretty seaside town even close to meeting the requirements of the dress code, smart casual as opposed to dusty travelling clothes.
Hassan II Mosque is said to be the second biggest in the world, holding up to 90,000 pilgrims. You can visit it, but like Rick's, it was closed.
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