Fes

 April 16-17 - only two riding days and about 200 km to Fes, the oldest of Morocco's four imperial cites, where we enjoy another day out of the saddle - below is the blue gate to the medina.

Rolling countryside out of Chefchaouen - rolling doesn't mean gentle slopes, seems like we are forever in the lowest gear with grades exceeding 10%.

 

While stopped for water on one hill, a van transporting school kids stopped, we thought, to let one off. Instead about fifteen girls got out and swarmed us for selfies. We've already seen lots of school busses and kids playing around the schools, almost all cleanly dressed and well-behaved. These girls already spoke good English in between their giggles.

 

Further on, a series of steep switch-backs on this rough secondary road. Ursula is to the left of the motorcycle below, working hard with temperature now in the thirties inland.
Tonight we camp beside a fairly large artificial lake behind the Al Wahda dam - just around the point in the photo below. Nice site but not suitable for swimming. .
No facilities, but the cook feeds us well. We enjoy the rising of the full moon shortly after dinner - our tent on the left - and we get ready to turn in. Early to bed and early, usually shortly after 0500, to rise,
Next day more rolling hills, beautiful scenery.


Olive trees are everywhere along the route.
The source of water for the local population... this location looks fairly clean, but...
...but sadly, this was the scene across the small river where we stopped for a snack and some rest... all theses turtles sunning themselves amidst all the garbage in the reeds.
First sight of Fes, up on a hill, ensuring a climb to the finish.
Nice hotel, nice location looking over the medina.
As usual, the medina is narrow streets with the unbelievable quantity of merchandise to be bargained for. 

Tomorrow we start four riding days and nearly 500 km to the next day off in Merzouga. 

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