Driving a Tacoma around the world

I hear ya! We installed Scheel Mann Vario X seats and the installer custom built the seat bases, a lower one for me (I’m 6’ 5”) and a higher one for my 5’ 6” wife. Heres a write up i did about these seats and installation. https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/driving-a-tacoma-around-the-world.585792/page-36

 

France - (Central and South)

After leaving the beautiful Italian alps we headed west to the Chamonix/Mt Blanc area of eastern France

First night in France - woke up to snow on the ground! Love the soft sound of it hitting the roof


Chamonix - classic mountain town. Someday we will return to ski. Mt Blanc in the background


We were losing our sun


And then it peeped out during our walk


After soul enriching mountain time, we were ready to dive into another city. Surprisingly, we really liked Lyon (maybe we got our energy back in the mountains?), it was gritty in places, but full of character. It seemed both old and possessed with a modern sensibility. Fascinating architecture yet down to earth at the same time.







Dawn’s favorite - the narrow cobbled street with cafes shot


View of Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière on the hill of Lyon. We made our way up there to explore (many steps) but skipped the fake Eiffel Tower, now owned by a TV station.





Famous Lyon Fresco building - paintings of famous Lyon residents


Walked up the hill to visit impressive Roman ruins


Nice river side wild camping spot

Heading south (warming up, no more snow!) we found ourselves fascinated with and entranced by the old stone hill top villages in France. People definitely had no feer of steepness - safety and easily defensible the priority over an easy building site.


First mountainside village - Moustiers-Sainte-Marie - repeatedly listed as the most beautiful village in France and we could see why


Climbing to the stone chapel above the village


River runs through the steep canyon in the middle of the village


Really appreciating being in a highly visited tourist village post season with no other tourists. It gave us the chance to soak up the scenery and it didn’t matter to us that most of the stores and cafes were closed.


Fascinating use of the local topography

Following the coast, we had to stop off in Monaco so that we could check off another country (36 at this point, including Liechtenstein which we had spent the night in earlier). It was a really difficult city to drive, would hated doing in a full-size pickup, luckily we found a spot to park and walked the famous gambling and shopping streets.


Beautiful sunset view of Monaco


Found a wild camping spot in the hills above the city (it had become a pattern, crazy switchback roads up above a glamorous city to find a remote camping spot, first Lake Como, now Monaco)


Then the next morning we were joined by 4 vans full of professional dog walkers. And dogs. All friendly, all good.

The next day we made our way to Nice.


We consoled ourselves with pastries on the beach boardwalk in Nice

Our next stop was Saint-Tropez. Just the name evoked glamour, charm, and high end fashion and food.


Saint-Tropez - another place where the town was shut down post season but somehow that made it more alluring for us


The town felt like it had seen it’s glory days but we appreciated its setting


Gordes - our next stone hilltop village - wow!


Camped on a hill above Gordes and the next morning we were desperately trying to diagnose an obnoxious squeak. This meant Dawn accelerating at full speed toward Andy while he stood in the middle of the road and listening. A little nerve wracking (for Dawn, not Andy) TBC, a full can of WD-40 later, we are still working on the squeak.

Our final historic and scenic village, Les Baux-de-Provence was another feast for the eyes.






Main pedestrian entrance to Les Baux-de-Provence



So many features to explore


Andy’s favorite is always the doors


Built into and around the hilltop rocks

Then our final stop! An incredible Roman aqueduct.


Catching the setting sun on Pont-du-Gard

Phew! Thank you for sticking with us on this crazy journey from Slovenia to Spain. It was a little haphazard. We are looking forward to providing some more fulsome country by country blogs and information when we get to Africa. Stay tuned and thank you for reading

 

The little country of Andorra


Central square of Andorra La Vella, Andorra’s capital


Wild camping spot at trailheads high above the capital

Wild camping was simple throughout the region, with a multitude of remote spots available. We felt that we had definitely found a theme though. Our best Park4Night spots often seemed to be up corkscrew winding roads taking us slowly and painstakingly away and above urban centers (this was true at Lake Como, Monaco and in Andorra).


Ran into a group of the biggest vultures we had ever seen

After leaving Andorra with our 38th country sticker and two cases of duty free alcohol in preparation for a family Christmas (yup, we’re a bit behind in our writeups) in Morocco, we made our way into the mountains of Spain. Our first stop was the picturesque village of Benasque in the heart of the Pyrenees.

Northeastern Spain


Pyranees day hike outside of Benasque, Spain







Learning the Spanish rhythms - everything closed in the afternoon, time for a rest


Another high camping spot, sleeting rain, no problem with our warm duvet.

Continuing in the Pyrenees, our next destination was re-visiting a place which held enormous romantic magic for us. Thirty-four years ago, with stars in our eyes we embarked on our first trip together (before we were married). We stopped briefly in a town called Torla and said to each other that some day we would come back and actuallty spend some time there.

The time had come and we were nervous. Sometimes you should leave those enchanted places of the past in the past. We were not sure it would be the same gorgeous stone village with a mountainous backdrop that we remembered. Luckily, Torla held up to the test of time and we spent a welcome rest evening in a cozy hotel with an excellent chef. Our first meal out in weeks was well worth it (even though we had to wait until 8pm after our hike, because, Spanish dining schedule . . )


Torla, Spain


Once again, glad we are not in a full size, squeezing down the streets of Torla


View from our hotel room


Beautiful mountain hike in the nearby national park


And then squeezing our way back out of town. Another 8” wider we would have been forced to back out of town. (Thinking of you F150!)


Approaching Valle de Hecho

Feeling like we were racing against winter, we continued our exploration of the Pyrenees, heading to Valles de Hecho and Anso for more spectacular views and hiking.


Trailhead at Valle de Hecho

As it continued to get colder, we eventually made our way down in elevation, back to exploring history and architecture. We stopped off at Olite to see the “fairytale” castle. Impressive from a distance, we quickly realized it was more restored than original so after walking around the town and the castle, we declined to pay the entrance fee.


View of Olite Castle coming into town


Taking the “free exterior self guided walking tour”

Then for a more urban experience, we stopped off in Pamplona. A city with a blend of contemporary architecture and a historic feel, we couldn’t help but imagine the bulls running down the old cobbled streets.


Pamplona, one of the streets the bulls run down


Citadel of Pamplona, military fortress built in the 16th and 17th centuries, now a huge city park

There is something about the mystery of an island with an access path that only appears at low tide that always pulls us in. Lekeitio ‘s offshore island was equally enthralling as Holy Island in England or Parque Nacional Marino Ballena in Costa Rica.


Low tide path rises out of the ocean providing a walking path to Lekeitio’s offshore preserve

We found Spain and Portugal to be particularly fun grocery shopping places. It helped that excellent wine is $2 a bottle, bread is always fresh and cheap and meats, cheeses and vegetables flavorful with a dizzying array of varieties.


The olive oil aisle in a Spanish supermarket

We spent a pleasant afternoon wandering Bilbao, the capital of the Basque region. Although it is an industrial port city covered in skyscrapers, we still found a few architectural gems




Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao


And then back to the mountains! We meandered our way visiting scenic villages, hiking the Cares trail, visiting an epic cathedral in Burgos and then landed in Madrid.


Found this awesome wild camping area outside of Bilbao


Beautiful village of Santillana del Mar


Santillana del Mar


We liked this little guy hiding in his hole watching the people go by


Gorgeous hiking trail, our favorite in Spain, “The Cares” along a scenic river gorge


Dawn is the tiny blue spot





Burgos Cathedral


Internet has really deteriorated after Christmas. Secret note, we’re actually in the country of Mauritania where there’s been little cell service until now, even with having three different cell plans.

 

Central & Southwestern Spain

In Madrid we found our favorite city solution, a campground at the end of a subway line. We used Camping Osuna as a base for a few days, making day trips into the city. Our favorite feature of European campgrounds is, hands down, the ability to order daily fresh bread for breakfast.


First stop in Madrid - deep fried churros dipped in chocolate - the cafe also a great place to escape from the torrential rain


Madrid’s central Plaza Mayor


Every kind of empanada you can imagine


Tapas - we are in food heaven


Madrid’s old central market - filled with tapas


Stately, beautiful architecture everywhere





We found our favorite tapas dish - patatas bravas


Wine cheaper than soda and beer in a wine glass - so civilized


Standing in line at The Prado for free evening admission, fascinating museum, it felt like a cultural history tour provided through art

Using Madrid as a base, we set out to explore three of Spains’s most iconic historic centers: Segovia, Avila and Toledo. They were a visual feast.


Segovia, Spain


Alcázar de Segovia, despite being highly renovated we thought it was well worth the visit, magnificent views down the valley


The ceilings, wow!


View from the Alcázar (Spanish palace or fortress) de Segovia


Streets of Segovia, still busy with tourists in early winter





Roman aqueduct in Segovia


Medieval walls of Avila


Pedestrian entrance gate for Avila


Cathedral door in Avila


Avila shopping street, ready for the holidays


Pedestrian entrance gate for Toledo


Central plaza in Toledo


We loved the unique cement and stone work common in the region


View from Toledo city walls


View down on Toledo from hill across the river


Our wet and wild camping spot - set up along the river, another quiet night. This late in the year, most other campers seem to have gone home.

Next stop in our historic villages of Spain, Trujillo.


Central square, Trujillo


Trujillo castle at the stop of the hill


Trujillo Castle, built in the 13th century on the site of an old Arab fort built in the 10th century. Always re-using and re-cycling.

Somehow Spain brought back our prior interest in ancient architecture and our fatigue from blasting through five European countries in the previous blog faded away (we had been saturated with Habsburg empire buildings). We can always tell when we are excited about a place as we cannot stop taking pictures. Mérida, founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC was one of those places.


Ruins of Roman theatre in Mérida







And then leaving town we got to drive through a Roman aqueduct


Exploring the town square of Cáceres with its 12th century Moorish architecture


Cáceres, quiet and atmospheric


Driving over the Alcántara Roman Bridge


Spacious wild camping site outside of Alcántara


Finally, our tour took us back into Spain to visit three iconic southern cities: Seville, Córdoba and Grenada. Seville was our favorite city of the three. It was incredibly lively and vibrant. That being said, parking was literally impossible and Andy ended up having to take the truck to a Park4Night camping spot to find a spot - it is not an easy vehicle to park in a historic city, especially when most of the parking is underground and height limited.


December 17th at 10pm, it is almost impossible to walk the streets of Seville. That didn’t stop the marching bands from doing their best to play through the crowds.


Plaza de Espana, Seville


The Giralda, Seville. Bell tower built with ramps so that the bell ringer could ride his donkey to the top.

The architecture in Southern Spain beautifully reflects the Moorish aesthetic, the attention to artistic detail is amazing and it is fascinating to see the blend of Islam and Christian traditions. For us, the most notable example of this was the Córdoba Mosque-Cathedral, literally named after the fact that it flipped back and forth over time between being a Mosque and a Cathedral, but with significant respect of each tradition for the artisans who came before.


Old bridge across the river in Córdoba


Entrance to old town Córdoba


Inner courtyard of the Córdoba Mosque -Cathedral


Inside Córdoba’s Mosque-Cathedral




Walking the old streets of Córdoba


The sun goes down in Córdoba


And back to the realities of preparing for Africa. Balcony of our Airbnb with all our bedding hanging to dry. Last full washing machine wash for a while!

Our final visit in Spain was the incredible Alhambra in Grenada. Built over time by a series of sultans starting in the 13th centures, the complex now lays claim to being one of the best preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. Of course, it also features Christian and renaissance add ons by subsequent rulers, including Ferdinand and Isabella. It is enormous to visit, with buildings from each age and style telling the story of its human occupants.




Some of the original fortifications


Nasrid Palace, so much artistic detail






Palace of the Nasrid Sultans






An other incredible ceiling






Early morning departure from the Grenada Airbnb - Morocco ferry time!


At the Algeciras port, ready to board the ferry for Tanger-Med in Morocco

We are equal parts apprehensive and excited about the phase of our journey - heading down the West Coast of Africa where we don’t speak any of the languages and know some of the infrastructure we are used to will be missing. Definitely, adventures ahead. As always, thank you for reading

 

Fantastique and thank you for sharing. It is the next best thing to being right behind you Edit: what are we having for dinner?

 

Hey Andy, loved following along thus far. You've probably done more research for the Africa adventure than anyone can imagine, but if you have any questions about the upcoming travels it might be worth reaching out to Dan Grec of The Road Chose Me:

https://www.youtube.com/@TheRoadChoseMe
https://www.instagram.com/theroadchoseme/

He's a personal friend of mine and circumnavigated Africa a few years back. May or may not be able to help, but a genuinely nice dude who could be a good resource.

 

Last night was leftover rice noodles with chicken and veggies accompanied by a local beer. Dessert was dark chocolate. Weathers been a bit toasty lately hitting 99, morning lows of 70.

 

Thanks Ross!

Dan Grec is definitely an inspiration! I was lucky enough to meet and chat with him at a pre-covid Overland Expo. Basically it was he who convinced us that a drive down the east coast and up the west coast of Africa was achievable. During our research we’ve found that an Facebook group called Overlanding West Africa and Morocco gives excellent realtime advice. We also are in a Whatsapp subgroup of active overlanders who are currently in West Africa. Dan is a part of these groups and is active at at advice. We’re finding that situations at border crossings changes almost every week. Dans advice (smile, ask how they are, shake their hand, no sunglasses, tell them that we love their country, etc) of how to deal with the police & customs people asking for has worked great so far - haven’t given a bribe yet

 

That's great to hear! & yes, absolutely, people do tend to reflect the expressions of a person they're meeting the first time. Positivity echoes positivity.

 

PORTUGAL

We actually did a quick visit to Portugal while visiting Spain. Thought I’d throw that in before posting our Morocco adventure.

Our first stop in Portugal delighted us and once again we could not stop taking photos. Monsanto was a charming village, built into and around huge boulders and topped by a castle that you could scramble around at will.


Cobbled main street of Monsanto, weaving around the landscape of the mountain and the enormous boulders throughout the village.


Random colorful little doors along the way, a little short for Andy



Our favorite stop in Portugal

With views out on the valley below


Castle at the top of the hill in Monsanto


Intriguing architecture incorporating the natural granite features








No idea what the door goes to, definitely Hobbit-like

Re-finding our interest in Roman ruins after Merida, our next stop was Conimbriga and the ruins of a Roman town.


Beautifully preserved mosaics


Walking the old Roman road

Next, on to the coast and then to Lisbon where we would pick up our daughter, Claire, the first of the family group of eight who would join us for Christmas in Morocco.


Nazare, home of the Big Wave, no surfing while we were there


Found a great spot to camp behind the dunes


But not before we accidentally drove into the deep sand and got stuck. No worries, aired down and made our way out. Stayed aired down until we hit the pavement, notice the smushed tire


Looming big for us, prepping for Africa. Topping off the propane tanks while we can.


Re-united with Claire in Lisbon!




Adventures with the Truck

Now for another technical aside. One of our CV boots had come loose, despite being attached at a Toyota dealer 500 miles previously. We queried the Overlanding Europe site for an overlanding mechanic in Lisbon and were given the name Tuff Tracks. Rafael was super! He took care of the CV Boot and a whole host of other minor issues (cut off some stripped bolts on the flatbed so we could replace them, diagnosed an annoying squeak, cleaned the injectors from bad gas), everything we needed fixing before we set off for Africa.


Excellent mechanics at Tuff Tracks in Lisbon


Cromeleque dos Almendres - mythical rocks

So from here a temporary departure from living in the truck as we didn’t want to horrify our tall, adult daughter by making her sleep on our dinette a full 2 feet from her parents. The pleasure of her company was well worth the investment in a few Airbnb’s. Although it also brought home for us how much easier it truly is to live and travel out of our vehicle as opposed to moving in and out of city apartments and hotels.

So we hit the road to see a bit more of Portugal before dipping back into southern Spain.


Activating the third seat - shortest person in the back (normally we have lightweight plywood shelves here to help keep our stuff organized - shoes, daypacks etc.)


Beautiful village of Evora


Street where our Airbnb was, distinctive yellow and white color scheme throughout the town




Our first morning bakery run for breakfast in Evora


Clambering around the cliffs at Algar Seco


Tiny coastal village of Cacela Velha

Next up Africa!!

 

Morocco


We know these women have stories to tell, we only wish we spoke the same language.

We are often asked where our favorite place to travel has been. Morocco quickly jumped to the short list (shared by Iceland, Romania, Norway, Albania and Baja). The natural scenery is varied and stunning and the culture rich with art and ancient architecture. We have also rarely felt so welcomed by the people of a country. Every conversation starts with “Welcome to Morocco” and “How are you?.” From the old medinas and artists of Fes and Marrakesh to the laid back oceanside Essaouira, the granitic Atlas mountains and the red stone deserts, Morocco has incredible and interesting cultural and geographic diversity..

Morocco was the perfect jumping off point for our journey down the west coast of Africa. It felt like a hybrid of the European culture we have become accustomed to over the past two years and the African life we will be adjusting to. The cosmopolitan centers are modern and chic but historic lifestyles developed over centuries are still very evident. The Marrakesh medina personified this with cell phone stores next to stores with savory spice bins. Scooters and donkey cars fight for space on the narrow walkways with pedestrians and baby strollers. It felt chaotic yet was a carefully orchestrated dance ensuring safety for all. A predominantly Muslim country, we became used to the beautiful call for prayer throughout the day.

This was not a standard overlanding trip for us as we had a family group of eight coming together for the Christmas holiday. So for our first two weeks in Morocco we were staying in Airbnbs and guest houses before we said “goodbye” to family and headed south on our own. We also made the decision not to take the time to drive into the eastern region this trip. With the awareness that we would be driving through deserts as we headed south, we decided to save the time. Our schedule tension at this point is making it through Cameroon before the really wet season when the roads become basically impassable.


Our three week route through Morocco - more urban time than we usually do, but fun with family.

Highlights:

Chefchaouen- reputed to be the most beautiful town in Morocco, the blue city lived up to expectations

Fes - wandering the medina and meeting the artists plying their trades - weavers, coppersmiths, leather tanners, ceramic artists and painters




We arrived with the truck and our daughter, Claire, on the ferry from Algeciras, Spain to Tanger Med. Disembarking the ferry, we were surprised by how quiet the port was. Passport control was taken care of on board the ferry so we only had to pass through customs. We handed over our standard US registration piece of paper for the truck as proof that our vehicle was registered in the US and watched as the perplexed customs officer looked at it and shook his head. He told us to wait and disappeared. Meanwhile, one of his colleagues came over and started chatting with Andy about our plans and looked at the map on our hood. The map was a standard download from some online site and had a dotted line separating northern Morocco from the Western Sahara region. He instantly let us know that the map was incorrect, there should not be a line, it was all one country and asked for a pen to correct the error. We handed him a green Sharpie and he colored in the country of Morocco, eradicating the dotted line and making it whole.


Our hood map with Morocco colored in - Andy had attempted to scrub off half of it before we thought to take a photo

Forty-five minutes later, our original customs officer re-appeared and we were given a card with a scan code to document that our vehicle was approved to enter the country.

Despite what we had heard about others’ experiences, our vehicle was not searched or x-rayed and we were not asked about insurance (which we had through our German insurance company Tour Insure).

We were on our way.


Only services we saw at the port, friendly youth in purple vests selling Inwi sim cards. We purchased 20 GB for 20 euros, they installed it and made sure it worked.

Our first stop was the gorgeous famed blue mountain town of Chefchaouen. Painted a cheerful periwinkle blue, the town radiated warmth and hospitality. We arrived at night and were relieved that the hotel had a back courtyard for us to park in - and we fit through the gate!


Our guest house, Torre Hadre. We rented out 6 rooms for our large family group. Kind staff, excellent breakfast and a beautiful rooftop terrace.


We love a balcony view that allows us to make sure our home on wheels is still safe.


With the rest of the family arriving later in the wee hours, we took off to explore the streets - equally atmospheric at night with everything closed.


But what a difference during the day!

It may be a little bit of overkill but what follows is a ton of photos of blue buildings and alleys, Dawn was a little obsessed.


Main entrance gate into the old medina






Streets of the souk lined with goods for sale





Central square of the old town, blue buildings galore and the mountain view in the background


Performers by the central Kasbah


So much blue!


Rooftop view from our guest house




After three days of blue immersion, some of us got back in the truck and rest in a taxi van to head to Fes for Christmas.


On the road - biggest hayloads we have ever seen

In Fes, we booked a full riad in the old medina through Airbnb. It was a beautiful old home with rooms around a central courtyard. We found the only downside to riads in the winter is that the shared spaces are open to the outside. Perfect for 10 months a year, but slightly chilly in December. We just wore our coats at breakfast and were fine.


Our Fes riad - a traditional Morccan home built around a courtyard





The medina was a maze of activity and our riad hidden away - just a door in an alley as many of them are.


Spice store in the Fes medina


Tractor carts exactly the width of the lanes bring goods in and out of the souk (market), along with donkeys



We appreciated the distinctive features of the mosque minarets, always the highest point on the architectural horizon


Bringing soda to the street


The doors - everywhere - magnificent! Andy threatens to do a door-only blog someday - he has about 100 photos . . .


So many olives


Spices galore


Yummy bread and sweets

Andy and I had visited Fes five years ago and remained entranced with its history of arts and craftsmanship, and the twisting alleys of the ancient medina. We purposefully chose to have Christmas day in Fes. The second time round, we still felt the same.


Christmas day walking tour - oldest continually operating university in the world -University of Karueein founded in 859


Old mosque in Fes


Oldest copper artist in Fes - still going strong


Weaving cloth


He has dressed the stars


Fes tannery - dye pots





Wool dying alley


Berber man weaving traditional blanket


Beautiful mosaic fountain in the medina


Woodworking museum


Ceramic factory

Christmas in Fes was the perfect Moroccan day, wandering the medina, taking in all the art and artisans, a traditional tagine lunch, followed up by dinner at The Ruined Garden, a cozy gourmet restaurant close to our Riad


Our next stop was Casablanca. A large, modern city, it didn’t hold the interest for us that other places did so we opted for just one night.


The sun sets on our evening walk in Casablanca


Hassan II Mosque - one of the largest in the world


One night in the big city was perfect for us, so onwards to another charming destination, Essaouira. A port city on the coast, the city is protected by 18th century ramparts and features a small but intriguing medina alive with locals and tourists. We really appreciated the sense that the medinas in Morocco were fully still alive - unlike some of the old town areas in other countries. They were obviously still inhabited by Moroccan families living and working, using the communal bread ovens, conducting their daily lives as always. Most of the time we felt that we were in the minority as tourists and that locals were the majority of the pedestrian (and scooter, motorcycle and donkey) traffic.


Artisans set up in the inner courtyard of the ramparts


Town is built along the rocky shoreline



The sun goes down on Essaouira


One of the most fascinating aspects of Essaouira for us was the fishing port - boats and fish galore





Choosing the fish for lunch - you buy the fish then take it to one of the nearby grills to cook it for you





When in Morocco . . . we had to do it, touristy but fun. Surprisingly rough ride, and we discovered camels make hilarious sounds

Thats it for now folks!

 

Amazing trip! Thanks for letting us tag along with you!!!

 

So darn interesting! Awesome photos! Great insight to yet another part of our shared world. Truly an inspiration to the rest of us. Very grateful that you share it.
Keep it coming.
Happy Travels!

 

Morocco - part 2

Highlights:

Aït Benhaddou - wandering through this historic fortified village along the old caravan route


After relaxing at the beach it was time to head to our next big city- magical Marrakesh. Just the name conjured up so much mystique for us. But also a cloud of danger- our heads were full of rumors of pickpockets and scammers galore from our fellow travellers and friends. None of that was true for us. Our large group managed to navigate the medina having friendly conversations with the people who lived there and the merchants with no trouble at all. Well, except for arrival, even with our relatively mid-size truck (a full-size wouldn’t have made it) it was difficult to navigate the very tight streets leading up to the medina where our riad was. But once we were parked in a friendly staffed parking yard next to our riad, our time was stress-free.


Driving into the parking area


View from the windshield - moving slow

The medina in Marrakesh had a different flavor than those of Chefchaoen (very laid back and blue), Fes (very old, intricate and full of arts) and Essaouira (small and cozy). Scooters and motorbikes were more prevelant and the crowds were more intense. We found wandering in the mornings to be more pleasant.





Copper souk


Foundations of an ancient mosque


Ceramics galore


One of the many gates into the old medina


Laundry time at the riad! Our brilliant hostess helped us find spots for everything to dry


The sun goes down on Marrakesh
Then, on the road again! Our group slowly shrinking back as people return to their regular lives. Next stop, the Atlas Mountains and the town of Oukmeiden.


Our oldest son, Nicholas always climbing to the highest spot


Posing for the next Elsbree family indie record album cover


The sun goes down on the Atlas Mountains


Village of Oukaimeden

The town of Oukaimeden itself was fascinating. There was evidence of some recent investment in newer homes and condos (probably associated with the ski resort, although it was January and as you can see, no snow). But there was also a strong traditional Berber presence.


Older infrastructure across the road from where we were staying


View up the valley to Toubkal National Park


Andy going for a walk


Posing the truck in front of the tallest peak, Mount Toubkal


Thinking about the journey ahead as we say goodbye to everyone

From Oukaimeden, we said goodbye to most of the family, keeping Trevor for a last night to explore Ouarzazate, knows as the gateway to the Sahara.


Exploring the Ouarzazate Kasbah at night

Of all the places we went in Morocco, Ouarzazate felt the newest, like most of the town had sprung to life in the last 30 years. It rises out of the desert in colorful oranges and pinks, brand new and shiny. Maybe this is because it is home to the third largest film studio in the world (with the first two being in India). Pretty much any desert film you can think of has been partially filmed here (The Mummy, Gladiator, Game of Thrones . . ). So we decided we better visit Atlas Studios and check it out.


Sarcophagi used in The Mummy at Atlas Studios


Egyptian set used for Asterix and Obelix, Mission Cleopatra
Our last stop with Trevor was Aït Benhaddou - a magical fortified town built of earthen clay.


Incredible architecture of Aït Benhaddou








Watching the storks on the minaret during lunch

And then there were two. We dropped Trevor off at the Marrakesh train station, and headed south. We spent our first night outside of Taroudant, an engaging place to explore. Much as we adored our time with family, we definitely feel the simplicity of our life in the truck as a contrast to moving around a country with 8 people, in and out of Airbnb’s.


The walls and ramparts of Taroudant





Andy inspecting the gate


Old interior walls in Taroudant


Running into our first “wild” camels (they were on their own in the desert but we hear that actually all camels in Morocco are domestically owned)


Red sand everywhere, feeling like the Sahara


Stopping off to explore Tiout Kasbah (the Moroccan version of a fortress)


We spent our next night in Tafraoute, a new metropolis rising out of the desert. With the surrounding hills and palm trees, it reminded us of Joshua Tree in California.


Camping at our next stop, Camping Tazka, access to laundry and water facilities


Walked to the nearby rock painting


And the nearby ancient Berber house


Sun goes down on the desert


Posing by the red rocks


Posing by the blue rocks . . . (painted by a Belgian artist)


Stopped by Tiznit to see the historic mosque


Felt like an oasis


Camped on the bluff above the ocean at Nid d'aigle, a lovely camping area with lots of paragliding. Dawn sporting socks given to her by Ingrid, the kindest Austrian farmer overlander. Ingrid heard that we had some unpleasant experiences in her home country and wanted to make up for it so gifted Dawn with hand knitted socks. It is extraordinary the people you meet on the road.

Leaving Tiznit, we prepared for the beginning of a three day, 16 hour drive down the Western Sahara region of Morocco. We had already been schooled (by the immigration officers upon entry into Morocco) that the region was fully part of Morocco but knew it had a complicated history with a bid by the people living there for independence. We were not sure what to expect in terms of police checks, etc. We stopped off at towns along the way, noting the unique character of each but did not feel inspired to linger long. Tarfaya and Laayoune seemed like standard urban centers so we literally drove on by.


Blue and white architecture of formerly Spanish Sidi Ifni


Crumbling colonialism


Learning to navigate the customs and language of buying food in the outdoor markets


Success! All of this for $2


Wild camping along the coast on the way to Laayoune


Complete with stone seats to watch the sunset


Free water fill up at the ice factory in Boujdour. Running it through our filtration system, just in case.


The sun going down on Boujdour


Usually these signs get Dawn excited but then nothing appears


Up close and personal!


Western Sahara coastal road was a whole lot of this

We spent our last night in Morocco at Hotel Barbas, a modest guest house an hour north of the border. In all, the drive was long but uneventful. Police checks were frequent but they simply asked for our passports, often took pictures of them, asked where we were going and waved us on. We had a stack of fiches (standard document used to give basic passport and identity information throughout areas of Africa) ready to go and were almost disappointed that we were never asked for one in Morocco. It seems that the procedure had switched to taking photos of our passports which makes sense. The police were always courteous and friendly. But there were many radar traps throughout the country; do not speed in this country!

Exiting Morocco was a little more complicated! It took an hour with multiple confusing lines and office checks (but staff were super helpful in guiding us) and we did finally get a full x-ray of the truck. But all successful. We were sorry to say goodbye and leave portions of this stunning country unexplored, but looking forward to what Mauritania would bring. Always another adventure to be had. Thank you for reading!

 

Beautiful places, thanks for having us on your quest.

 

Looks awesome! Did ya buy a rug in Morocco? I think that’s what everyone does buys a rug right?!

 

Again, thanks for sharing your adventure. I've got Google Maps pulled up and wondering what route you are going to take as you work your way south -- I'm not looking for an answer, but I will stay tuned for the journey!

 

You’re right! But we have no where to store it, on our first trip to Morocco we did indeed buy a rug. You should also buy a leather coat whenever in Fez

 

The first part of the Plan after Mauritania is to stay within a few hours of the coast first entering Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and then Ghana. Of all of thse countries, Ghana is the most modern where we hope to restock up with modern essentials like propane. Propane is available but only in local containers with unusual fittings.

Havent seen rain yet and hoping to avoid the wet season as long as possible. Once it arrives road travel can become impassable, mud depth measured in feet.
The first rains we’ll probably see will be in Togo or Benin

 

Mauritania


Wild camping along the coast in Banc d’Arguin National Park

As soon as we entered Mauritania we could feel the difference between it and its neighbor, Morocco. The houses became simpler and the small villages felt like sites of a perennial battle between the people and the sands that threatened to overtake them. They looked empty in the heat of the day with people sheltering indoors. The cities did not have ancient history and architecture but felt new, built up in the last 50-70 years. It felt like one of the least populated countries in Africa, which it is.

People were dressed for the desert, lightweight periwinkle robes for the men with matching turbans and long dresses in varied hues for the women. With concerns about the safety of the more eastern desert routes (and a US State Department Advisory to reconsider travel with areas of high security risk), we stuck to the coast. We know we missed some beautiful country others have travelled but decided to be cautious and were also aware of the extensive driving ahead of us.


Our four-day route through Mauritania

Specific preparations we made for travelling to Mauritania (and beyond) were filling our Rotopax with an extra eight gallons of fuel to account for fuel shortages, having a stack of new US $100 and Euro €100 bills - to get the best exchange rates (ATMS we had relied on in the past can be scarce in Western Africa and credit cards rarely accepted), hiding away a little beer and wine (a dry country) and multiple copies of a “fiche” - an officially recognized template which gives your passport and personal details on a single piece of paper. We had multiple color copies of our passport photo page but only ended up needing one each.

We also downloaded two programs of maps - Google and Open Street Maps, with Andy having one on his phone and Dawn the other. We have found that Google is better for finding specific place or business names, OSM better for obscure roads. We also have OSM on our Garmin Overlander but have not been technically saavy enough to figure out the interface to use it for turn by turn navigation so have been mostly using our phones.

Another critical resource for us is the Facebook group Overlanding West Africa and Morocco and the associated Whatsapp group. These forums are key for the most current information on border crossings, closings, safety and requirements. Currently we are concerned as we head further south that the Ivory Coast has just closed its borders and that Nigeria is not issuing visas at their land borders until after their February election. Tracking these details daily gives us advance knowledge about possible issues ahead.

Finally, in Mauritania, we started to see the shift of camping and resource information being more populated in iOverlander instead of Park4Night which was more common in Europe and Morocco. The huge advantage we appreciate with iOverlander is that it works fully offline.

Mauritanian Border Crossing

Here is a whole lot of detail for those of you thinking about this journey, for the rest, we recommend skipping ahead. We had heard that the Morocco to Mauritania border crossing was one of the most difficult and time consuming, and it sure took a lot of patience!

Our overall advice: arrive early, don’t be in a rush, and expect a lot of bureaucracy. Everything is handwritten multiple times in log books and receipt books, it is a process. We were also hampered by a complete lack of understanding of French or Arabic so had some additional challenges.

Just exiting Morocco was a surprisingly lengthy process (one hour) with some running back and forth between offices to get things stamped, but officials were extremely helpful and guided us through the process. We had to turn back in the small scan card given to us for the truck upon entry into the country. They also did a full x-ray scan of our vehicle (we were curious why they did this upon exit, we had been expecting it upon arrival with the understanding that they search for drones, which are forbidden in Morocco). The only question they had after the scan was asking Andy to take off the Rotopax so they could inspect the liquid inside. Finally we were approved to exit and entered the short “no man’s land” between the two countries.

Approaching the Mauritanian border, fixers try really hard to attach themselves to you, charging €10 to walk you through the process. We didn't use one but a key benefit if you do is that all the rest leave you alone. It is also not very obvious which buildings to go to in which order. Here is a list:

When you reach the buildings, park on left.

First, enter the police check building on left. They will take one color copy of your passport each.

At that point you can drive your car through and park beyond the buildings. Customs may have dogs sniff your vehicle or ask for inspection. They did a brief dog circle of our truck but did not search it.

Next is the visa office, also on left– it can take a while, there are couches to sit on, they will take your passports and do a fingerprint scan. There is a waiting period while your data is sent off, then the visa is printed which takes a full passport page. Visas are $55 each, cash, and they also accept Moroccan dirhams.

Then you drive your vehicle to get your vehicle permit. Only the driver needs to go in here, we do not have a Carnat so for us it was a €10 TIP (temporary import permit). That part was easy.

The final stop is to get your visa stamped in. Each person needs to be present with passport and they will want one phone number for the group.

Once you drive over the border there are offices for insurance, sim cards and to change money. We have a blanket insurance policy for Africa through our German auto insurance company, Tour Insure, and since Mauritania is listed on the policy as covered, it was accepted. We took the opportunity to change some money (they liked the new Euro bills, rejected a used one we happened to have on us as too old).

The whole exit-Morocco-to-enter-Mauritania process took us two and a half hours. We started at 10am. We also noticed that it is standard practice for the fixers to jump the line with their clients’ passports, but that officers had a system for getting back to the independent folks at a regular basis.


Visa office at the Mauritanian border, includes biometric full fingerprint scan and takes a full page in your passport. $55 each.


Exiting the border we helped some Italian riders we met in line jumpstart their bike.


And we are off! Mauritania here we come.


A lot of sand


The only animals we saw out in the desert


Heading into the first national park - road was mostly just a suggestion in the dirt. Andy getting ready to air down as we can see deeper sand ahead


And then it turned to sand


But it was worth the journey! Beautiful spot at Banc d’Arguin National Park


Tent camp along the coast


Got a little over confident in the dunes but Maxtrax got us out - that is why we carry them


For people from Oregon, it really never gets old seeing a camel cross the road

The drive from the Moroccan border to Nouakchott was sparsely populated and there were few fuel stations. It was also common for stations to either be out of fuel or not have what we needed - gasoline, or Essence in French. We took the advice of others and filled up when we found it, grateful for our backup Rotopax. There was also a whole lot of sandy country. Come unto these yellow sands.


Common site - small villages in the sand


Fish drying on the line

Our only urban stop in Mauritania was the capital, Nouakchott. The biggest city in Mauritania, the name is Berber for “place of the winds.” A new city, it has grown from 15,000 people in the 1950’s to its current size of over one million residents. We camped at Terjit Vacances, a hotel and restaurant on the coast with space for campers. It was relatively isolated out of the hustle and bustle of the city but with good security on site. The city itself was definitely chaotic, the first place we have driven where stop lights seemed fully optional.


Our most interesting visit in Nouakchott, Port de Pêche, a thriving fishing port. As the only visitors, we were warmly welcomed by the vendors at the fish market and the fishermen. Pictured here boat coming in to shore to be offloaded by hand and donkey cart.


Colorful pirogues line the shore


Fascinating conversation with fisherman Boyta who took the time to explain life at sea - four men on a boat for three days fishing, bottom of the boat lined with ice for the catch, sleeping on the boards.

We left Nouakchott, continuing south toward the border with Senegal. In total in our drive through Mauritania we passed through 10 police checkpoints. Each one asked us for a fiche, accepted it without really even looking at it, and waved us on our way. Twice we were asked for a “gift” (cadeaux in French). Each time we smiled and said we were sorry that we didn’t have one and were allowed to pass on without a problem.


Roadside fruit stands


Amazed at the skill of these women - full coolers balanced on their heads


Mid sized towns along the main road are full of pedestrians and vendors, a choas of people running every which way, caution required


Smaller villages in the sand always dominated by an attractive mosque


Baby camels! Last camel photo, we promise

Our last night in Mauritania we made our way toward the border crossing into Senegal with the better reputation. The two mains ones are Diama and Rossi. Diama requires a longer drive on a bumpy dirt road but Rossi has a reputation of corrupt officials. We opted for Diama.

On our way to Diama we encountered our first real tourist scam. As we approached the crossroads with the main road to Rossi and the cutoff to Diama, we saw a police checkpoint. The standard road stop signs warned off the upcoming check point so we slowed down and pulled out a fiche. A young man (not in the standard issue military garb but in an official looking navy robe) approached the car and asked for the fiche. Then, he asked where we were going and we said Diama. He said that was good, it was a better border crossing than Rossi. Then he asked for our Covid vaccination cards (very unusual we had never been asked for them). He scanned them and returned them. Then he got on the phone to call his contact at the border to check how things were for us. He explained he had American tourists with valid Covid vaccines. He put his friend on the phone with us who explained that we were welcome at Diama. However, first it was required that we drive 40 km down the road to the Rossi crossing to pick up our authorizations. We could then return the same way or drive along the river to the Diama crossing, We nodded, a little perplexed but willing to go with it. Andy asked about where we got these authorizations and we were told that there was a house with a sign. We asked what the sign said and were told “Muhammad.” Hmm. We set off on the road to Rossi as told. About ten kilometers along we started to think that the whole interaction had felt off. We realized he had not been in uniform. The ask to see Covid vaccines was highly unusual and seemed fake. We saw nothing online about additional authorization needed and realized we were being sent an additional 40km out of our way to a crossing known as corrupt.

So we turned back around, approached the same intersection, waved at our gentleman in the blue robe without stopping and headed down the shortcut to Diama. It was an easy dirt road, and we found a beautiful wild camping spot along the way (it was getting late and we prefer to cross borders early).


First African wildlife sighting!!


Tons of pelicans


Tucked into the shade the best we could - it was still 90’


The sun goes down on the Mauritanian bush


Livestock boma near our camp - enclosure built with thorny bushes, usually to keep animals either in or out

Adventures with the Truck

With a moment of downtime, Andy decided to replace the water filters in our UV system. We have a Pura UVB-2 system built into the back seat of our truck. The system has a washable 5 micron sediment filter and a .5 micron filter with activated charcoal. Using a bucket and a built in pump, we can run all drinking water through the system on its way to our storage tank. Our son had brought new filters for us to Morocco. Although not heavily used in Europe, we had not replaced them since 2019 and had used them extensively on our 2020 trip to Baja.


Old and new filters - .5 micron with activated carbon filters. Yikes.


Old and new 5 micron sediment filters, not catching nearly as much as the .5 one.


Bottom of the sediment filter canister - two years of collected dirt



Ultra violet lightbulb shown which kills viruses and bacteria

Water system updated we are ready to face the border crossing.


We learned at this border that is useful to have smaller Euro bills in addition to the 100’s we use to change to local currency. At the end of a visit it is always difficult to know exactly how much local currency will be needed and exchange rates for those last few bills are low. But for typical tourist-type fees Euros are widely accepted.

In general, before a border we read as much online as possible to know what to expect. We are learning to tell the difference between scammers and officials and real fees and requested bribes. But it can be tricky.

Our first fee was €10 each for the national park upon approach. We received an offical receipt and went on our way. At the Mauritanian side of the border there were three key stops.

First, a metal gate. We parked there and entered the police check building. After a passport review we were good to go. We paid a 100 Mauritanian community gate tax and received a receipt. We have learned that if an official is not willing or able to give a receipt you have a good case for refusing to pay.

We were passed through the gate and handed over our vehicle paperwork and paid customs a 400 Mauritanian exit fee - which we had expected.

And then came the big surprise. At our final immigration office stop, an official behind the window in full uniform took our passports and disappeared for about 15 minutes. Then he returned and told us we owed €400. We were dumfounded and asked “why?” We repeated the request and he disappeared again. Ten minutes later he returned and said again that we owed €400 euros. Again we asked “why?” He simply wrote €400 on a pink post it and said we had to pay. We said we didn’t understand. He disappeared again and another official returned with our passports, handed them over and said we could go. It was the most egregious example of a request for an exorbitant bribe we have encountered. We can only assume that people just get frustrated and hand over money. It was worth a half hour wait for us.

Overall, we found Mauritania to be starkly lovely and the people were welcoming and curious about us. They smiled at our being from the US and despite the State Department warnings we never felt at risk or uncomfortable. However, we did not drive at night and did not walk around Nouakchott at night. It was a predominantly Muslim country and most women and even the men wore head coverings. We dressed modestly, no shorts or bare shoulders, Dawn mostly wore long dresses. She did not wear a scarf and it felt accepted, people were always kind, recognizing that we were visitors.

Next country, Senegal. We feel like we are just starting to get our West Africa legs under us - so much to learn and see. Thank you for reading!