I had one last meal with Rachel and Harry before we parted ways
I needed to start heading east and then north to catch my ferry on the 6th Dec, and they were heading back to the coast for another month of surfing.
The drive east through the rocky desert was quite spectacular
Open roads
Sandy hills
And the Ziz oasis
I stopped at a couple of campsites along my way, doing jobs like washing and cleaning. All was going well and I was on track to get to Tangier in time to do a PCR test and catch my ferry …
Then the news came that Morocco was closing its borders due to the new Omricon variant. All flights and ferries, in and out of the country, were cancelled.
I was at a lovely campsite in the Gorges de Ziz
The owner of the campsite saw that I was a bit stressed and brought me free tea and cakes whilst I had many phone calls
He also invited me to eat supper with him and his friend in the evening. His friend turned out to be a Moroccan ambassador and had some great stories and information to tell me about the history of Moroccan people in Europe. Both the campsite owner and the Ambassador kept telling me I was very welcome in Morocco, and now I was like their daughter and they would help me with anything – I could stay for free there until I worked out a plan.
The next day I went to the nearby natural hot springs to swim and washed in the public hammam which made me feel so much more relaxed
During this time Rachel’s mum had rang the Moroccan embassy in Ireland and found that the lockdown was only going to be 2 weeks, and we should book on a ferry on the 15th Dec. My mum managed to call the ferry company and transfer my ticket over. So Rachel, Harry and I are all booked on the same ferry on the 15th. I will have missed my flight home for Christmas which leaves from Italy on 10th Dec. It is very uncertain whether this ferry on 15th will actually run, so I won’t buy a new flight until last minute, but we can hope!
Later in the evening the Ambassador bought me a bag of gifts of Moroccan specialities like dates, saffron, argan oil. He wanted me to feel ok about being stuck here
So, with a new ferry booked but knowing it’s not likely to run and I may be here for Christmas, I needed to make a decision..
A. I drive 500km back west and south to meet back up with Rachel and Harry so we can face the uncertain times together
Or
B. I continue driving north but more slowly and see new places and have new experiences but end up further away from my friends
After a sleepless night mulling it over, I went for option B. I want to explore this middle part of the country. There are mountains and forests waiting for me. And if the ferry doesn’t end up running on the 15th, I can drive down to meet Rachel and Harry then.