Follow an overland truck across Africa

2nd December 2005: More Morocco and some Mauritania too...

Morocco: Marakkesh and Essoauiria
"The last two weeks have been great, as everyone has settled in and the truck has become a real home. Personalities have come out and everyone of us knows what the other is about. I know the great thing for me is that the small little talks before pulling up to Bush camp and desert camps are finished. The repetition of, 'Please pitch your tents so you can see them from the truck, do not take anything valuable to your tent, Bury, bin or burn your toilet paper, Last one to stay up lock up etc...' can be a little hard to take. At times I do feel like a nag when I say it, but someone has to do it...

Now let me tell you about cooking, Groups of three take it in turn to cook every eight days. Cook groups have been excelling with great meals such as pizza, goat curry, battered fish, jacket potatoes, Mediterranean vegetables, sweet and sour meat balls and chicken burgers.

However, as we leave the well stocked markets of Morocco behind us we head for the Western Sahara and Mauritania and the creativeness starts on limited resources. This is where we rely heavily on our bulk food from Tesco.

Our last entry found us arriving in Marrakesh, Morocco. Marrakesh was great for Kevin's birthday, everyone enjoyed the square with it's snake charmers, water men and even a tooth salesman! The square at sunset is unbelievable and the transformation from day to night is amazing. The food stalls literally come alive with such delicacies as snails and sheep heads - which some of the group was up for the tasting, eyes and all.

On leaving Marrakesh, we celebrated Kippy’s Birthday. Grant found a small quarry-like area in the bush for the night. It started off with a few quiet ales then to charades, followed by the invention of the firewood funnel and more games. The finale was Martyn's fire walking episode - he has the blisters to prove it!

Essoauiria was our next stop, a great little chilled beach town for a couple of nights. Fish was on the menu every evening and the days were spent taking a camel ride or two or just chilling out on the beach watching amazing sunsets. Everyone has to prepare for the next eight or nine days without a shower as we head into the Western Sahara and Mauritania.

Our last stop in Morocco was of course, McDonalds! There are plenty of bets taken that this would be the last McDonalds until South Africa. Then came our final supermarket stop to stock up on goodies - and of course some alcohol. Mauritania is a dry country, you know..."

Mauritania
"In the past four days, we have dunked ourselves into the ocean for a wash, seen shipwrecks en route and rolled down huge sand dunes in the middle of nowhere. One of the most memorable camps was the windiest night ever where our tents were put up to the test with only a few remained standing!

As we head off for our fifth night camping, Grant found a great spot with underground tunnels and ship wrecks which we duly explored before being asked to move on by the military! So after a ten minute pack up, we head to our next camp ground. Our host Ali was glad to have us and could not be more warming. The shower on offer took a lot of beating. but some of us are boycotting and going the 8 days without.... We spent a glorious night under the stars in the Berber tent. We now have a few hours in Noadhibou before heading off back into the desert. Speak to you soon!"

Love Andi and the gang x

Name: Oasis Overland
Address: The Marsh, Henstridge, Somerset, BA8 0TF, UK
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