13th day, april 28th, 2023

Tafraout – Biougra

The night in the tent was rough, it was simply too hot. Even after sunset, the temperature didn’t drop, and I couldn’t manage to fall asleep.

I got out of my tent around 7:30 am, before the sun got too strong and the temperature rose above 30°C. I started taking down the tent and packing my gear back onto the bike.

Mohamed had told me breakfast would be served around 10 am because he was having a lie-in! But a colleague arrived around 8:30 and kindly offered to prepare breakfast early. I finished packing, took a shower because I was already sweating, and then had a simple but tasty breakfast. I asked for the bill: one adult, one bike, one tent, use of the washing machine, two showers, one dinner, two bottles of water, and breakfast came to 241 MAD (about 21 CHF!).

Near the campsite, there’s a sandy track leading to some interesting rock formations. I’d never ridden a motorcycle on sand before, well, it was bound to happen one day. It wasn’t easy with all my gear; the bike was way too heavy. But apart from a few scary moments, I really enjoyed it.

My goal for the day was Biougra, where I’d booked a room at the Hôtel Targante (https://www.facebook.com/comtargante/). I left Tafraout and a few kilometres later turned onto the P1011. It’s probably the twistiest road I’ve ever taken. It runs along the sides of the Atlas Mountains and climbs over 1,300 metres. The ochre-red rocks are impressive, and just like yesterday, small villages cling to the slopes. I wonder how people survive in such a harsh environment.

The winding road was tiring, and I was glad to get back onto flat land. Not long after, I arrived at my hotel. I needed to top up my wallet with Moroccan dirhams and left the hotel on foot to go into town. But honestly, there’s nothing much to see!

I was a bit hungry, so I went to the hotel restaurant, intending to have just a salad. They brought me a lovely mixed salad, but when I asked for a coffee to finish, they served me a lamb tajine. When I said I hadn’t ordered it, they explained that a salad always comes with a tajine! Well, that was something new.

Today, I covered 142 km in 3 hours and 30 minutes.