The sun comes out late around these parts : ) ... 8am and still dark ?!?
This is our first official day on the road ... cloudy and wet but no rain ... and, yes, that old well-known feeling of anticipation, wonder and excitement is here in full force. Nice.
What is out there? What will we see? What will the universe want us to experience? What events will unfold? ... eyes are wide open, mind is full on, body is ready!
After a nice French breakfast and a cappuccino we headed out. The road to the Port of Algeciras was uneventful ... beautiful scenery, rolling hills, green everywhere, agriculture, wind turbines ... all made more dramatic because it was all wet.
Rain is everywhere around us ... except where we are ... it seems that we are chasing it or it is chasing us, but it is never on us ... but the roads are slippery ... a very enjoyable ride with a little sliding drama : )
It is amazing to think about the historical events and the peoples that have lived in this whole area of Andalusia ... the Moors, the Romans, Christopher Columbus, even the Spanish Civil War. It feels dense, meaningful, consequential.
After a nice view of Gibraltar (the Rock) as we were coming down the coastal mountain range, we made it to the Ferry in Algeciras ... bought our tickets, boarded and secured our bikes, chilled in the lounge, had a bite and ... took a nap : ). This ferry is so big that 18-wheelers can actually make a u-turn inside the boat!
After landing in Tangier, we headed to Customs to get the import permits for the motorcycles (Immigration was done on the boat) ... we met a big Danish group on Defenders and Range Rovers that were also heading to Dakar.
The road to Chefchaouen was beautiful ... twisty, up and down mountains, through cities and villages ... a good introduction to driving in Africa ... a rooster in the middle of the road, missing road sections, wet and slippery ... and fresh air in a foreign land ... on a motorcycle! As good as it gets.
Our luck finally ran out about 5 minutes from Checfchaouen and the rain finally hit us. We had a good run and we almost made it all day dry.
Chefchaouen is also known as the Blue City after its blue-washed Medina originally painted by jewish settlers. Now, a lot of the houses in the ancient narrow allies, up and down the mountain, are also painted blue.
I was here 25 years ago and it has definitely changed ... bigger, more tourists, more commercial ... but also managed to keep its charm ... its central plaza is the same ... so many memories being recalled from somewhere in my head ... very cool.
Our hotel is 3 or 4 traditional houses put together and redone ... rooftop, terrace, 15 great rooms, stairs everywhere .... a great place to stop for the night.
After a short walk through town and a nice moroccan dinner, we called it a day. Tomorrow we head to Fes ... hopefully, the rain is gone!
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