We purchased our ferry tickets – €280 for an open return – from Viajes Normandíe at Los Barrios near Algeciras. We were also able to buy a supply of Moroccan currency and SIMS for Maroc Telecom. The only other thing we had to do, when we finally got through Moroccan immigration, was to purchase vehicle insurance – which cost €210 for 90 days’ cover.
We had enjoyed our stay in Spain although we did have one or two small setbacks that could have scuppered our travel plans. We noticed a small water leak dripping out of the bottom of truck. We carried 450 litres of water and a leaking water tank would have been disastrous. “We” in any technical situation meant Tony – I didn’t have a clue. We eventually discovered a dripping pipe from our Shower Miser (a clever gadget that returns cold water to the tank until the water runs hot). Once we knew where the leak was coming from, it was solved without major upheavals.
Tony woke up one morning with an ankle so painful he could barely walk. He spent the day resting the leg but there was no sign of improvement. Eventually it occurred to him that it could be gout – normally gout affected just his big toe. We had eaten paella in a restaurant the previous evening. As well as chicken joints it contained pieces of a tasty savoury sausage which could have been made of chicken livers (or some other offal). Once Tony took a dose of his gout tablets, his symptoms calmed down and we were able to proceed with our travels.
There was a two hour time change when we reached Morocco. In Spain we were one hour ahead of the UK but in Morocco we were an hour behind. Our watches changed automatically but it took us a day or two to adjust – our time remained the same but everything around us seemed to happen one hour out of sequence.
There was a restaurant at the camp site and they were happy to deliver our evening meal to the truck – lamb chops, salad, vegetables, chips and a crème caramel. The cost was £16. The tray was collected later that evening. We knew we were back in Morocco!
