October 27th - Some Sahara stories.

It's been ages since I've written but wifi is scarce in the desert (who'd have thought it) and so is charge.

October 18th - Tan Tan - After leaving Guelmin which is the "gateway to the desert" the landscape changed dramatically very quickly. While previously there had been lots of houses/people/dogs/goats/cats everywhere, almost instantly there was nothing. And I mean nothing. The stretch from Guelmin to Tan Tan was 120 kilometres or rolling hills of sand-dunes, the road snaking away into the distance before curving back down. The traffic was busy but the smooth road and tailwind made for easy riding. We weren’t sure whether we were going to make it to Tan Tan and we knew there was a campsite 25km before it. We got to the campsite sign and it was 6km up a dirt track. Proving that I’ve already forgotten how to learn, we set off up the dirt track… After about 10 minutes of mainly pushing we managed to remember the lesson we’d been taught lots of times – we hate dirt tracks!! We’ve got a lot of luggage, thin tyres, steel bikes, bad bike handling skills and it is always a mistake to go up them. I’ve learnt this now (who knows which medicine lecture it’s replaced in my shrinking brain). We managed to cycle the next 25km to Tan Tan before dark, and then we had to choose a hotel. In hindsight 1* is definitely too few. It was a bit dodge. We also got charged an extra 20 dirhams for no explicable reason. We should have definitely queried this but we’re both atrocious hagglers. I don’t care if they expect you to haggle – I just can’t.

October 19th - Tan Tan to Akhefiner - There aren't a lot of choices of places to go and Akhefiner was the next town, 111km away. This was more boring than the day before, with a lot of sand. On our way we got overtaken by a camper van who stopped down the road and talked to us. They were a German couple driving to Cape Town and then back up. We talked for a while and then they set off. We got to the campsite and they asked us if we wanted to eat, we set up our tent and then went into the living area, thinking we could peruse a menu. To our surprise there were tables of nibbles and alcoholic drinks and everybody else was sitting down around us (including the German couple). We all talked for a while and it got later and later and later with no mention of food at all. I was feeling slightly ill at this point, luckily Werner saved me with a chocolate biscuit. Eventually at 10:30 we all ate lasagne! So odd.

October 20th Akhefiner - Tarfaya - This was a nice ride along the coast, with dips into beaches. There isn't really a lot to say though.

October 21st Tarfaya - El Marsa - We rode along a new coast road, which was really boring, the only notable sight being a wreck of the ferry from Morocco to the Canary Islands. At this point we also crossed over the border into Western Sahara. We didn't even notice though because Morocco think they own it. The only exciting bit is the thought of scratching it off on my map when we get home... We got to a campsite but it was called "Nil Camping" and looked awful. There was nobody else there and the owner had a washing line with disposable nappies on - instead we went to quite a nice hotel.

October 22nd - El Marsa to Boujdor - Our longest day so far at 101 miles! (Roaring tail wind) but really really really boring. On the way to Boujdor we were overtaken by Gaby and Werner again and we camped next to them, went out to eat and were treated to breakfast in their camper van again.

October 23rd - Boujdor - Military camp - After a few days of beautiful tailwind, today marked the beginning of the end. The wind gradually came round until we were in our small rings and grinding. We weren't sure where we were going to camp but luckily we were being tracked by a policeman who suggested we stay in a military camp! This was absolutely FAB. We got there and they put our tent up, and then we all sat around drinking tea and talking (my french has got so much better in the past few weeks), and then they made this incredible meal of homemade bread, chips, bbq chicken and this delicious tomato salsa sauce. They all have nothing to do, they're supposed to be watching out for illegal immigrants but there clearly aren't any. They watch football and play football and laugh mainly. The campsite was right on the beach and the stars were incredible.

October 24th - Military camp - Military camp - Another day of headwind and it was pretty miserable, bad road surface, nothing to look at, 10kph... At about 4 it was misty and the policeman following us insisted that we stop because it was dangerous. We then stopped at another military camp and had a very similar experience to the night before.

October 25th Military camp - Commune - Another day of horrendous headwind. It's seriously tough mentally to keep going. Tonight we were taken by the policeman to a rural commune with one inhabitant who often hosts cyclists (he had a guestbook full of messages). And it had a hot geothermal spring shower! Literally so odd I can't even explain. After the shower, us and the policeman following us went to the local garage for tagine which nobody seemed to pay for (mum tried).

October 26th - Commune - Dakkhla - Today we had a target of reuniting with Gaby and Werner a week after we first met, in the campsite they were staying at in Dakkhla. This was 100k away which on a normal day would be absolutely fine. Mum went to check the wind in the morning and optimistically announced that there was no wind! Yay. Sadly we started cycling after a leisurely breakfast with our host and there was wind. Lots of it. From the South. I expressed surprise that mum had managed to check the wind from inside a locked house and she got very angry and shouted at me, and then cycled off. We made friends about 2 hours later. Our relationship has been quite fraught recently, mainly because I think we're both finding it really tough. And she hates it when I read my kindle all the time (I can't help it it's such a good book). The rest of the day was just a really really long hard slog into the wind, being leapfrogged by our policeman, but eventually we got to the turn off to the Dakkhla peninsula (look at a map). We said goodbye to the policeman, stressed about the fading light, but obviously he wanted selfies/videos and for me to write a message about how much I'd enjoyed it! The next 15km were probably the hardest I've ever ridden, but we arrived at the campsite to Gaby and Werner waving, and they made us a cup of tea and we ate in the restaurant. All was well again!

October 27th - Rest day in Dakkhla - Today we're having a much needed rest day in the beautiful campsite by the lagoon, and the city. It amazes me how there are kilometres and kilometres of nothing, and then huge cities, but there are. The sun is shining and the sea is blue, and my legs are happy!

I have lots of better photos but having problems - and sorry for the rambling nature of this post but in hurry!