Rabat.

Saladi cum

So I set my alarm on Sunday for 8 am. Giving me enough time to pack down my tent and make my way towards Rabat. Some 240 km south.

But I need not have. For the field i was in had some hens and cockeralys. ( Guess where this is going). Not to mention some recently purchased lambs. For the Islamic festival on Tuesday. Well at about 3 am I heard the dolsit tones of a distant Cockerell. Some 100 meters away. Now this cockeral must have been imported from bloody China. As it was clearly on a different time zone and didn't do it's job very well.!! That then made another cockeral, some 50 meters away, kick off. All confused, the damn cockeral in my field must have thought he was late. And he started ranting. All night long, 3am to actual sun rise, cock a blinking doodle do.!!!!!! :))

Via a small Morrocan cafe, where I had ' poilet et Chamawar ', check me out. I made my way south down the N1. Not too bad a road, ,rough in places. That runs along side the A1 toll road. Great countryside, with people living in polythene tents in fields. Where they harvested an orange coloured big fruit. ( No idea, as I am a meatatairian.)

Whilst riding along, I saw a local pushing a three wheeled bike come pick up. I pulled over and said in my perfect French,  "non Gasoline " ? He noded and I did my AA bit and gave some from one of two 5litre containers im carrying. My good deed for the day done, I saw a dust track road running parallel.

Off onto it i went. Wow !!! I filmed it with my head cam.I was pleased with myself and the little bike. Sitting on top of my rolled up sleeping bag. Which sits snuggly behind me. II rode for 30 odd kms, over sand and around massive holes in the once tarmac. I loved it. I beeped my horn at the locals and everyone waved and smiled. I even had a quick kick of some lads football, whilst still on the bike. The next game was to sit on the sleeping bag, put my weight on the handle bars and do a star jump. When ever I saw a local on a moped. Most of them dually responding, with the same manoeuvre.As we rode past each other.

The reason I was heading to Rabat, is to get my Visa for Mauritania. Some 2, 000 km south. So I had the pleasure of my first Hotel in four weeks. Bed, shower and wi fi.Up at 8.00 am thought, no delinquent, time zone challenged Cockerell here. Nothing is simple in these parts. 6 am on the dot and im thinking Ozzy Osborne had just got in. And was on the PA system. Thankfully it wasn't. But next door was one of three local mosques. A bit like the Cockerells, when one started, they all did. Calling everyone to pray.

So off this morning I went to the Mauritania Embassy by ' Petit Taxi '. ( Code for 20 year old Fiat Uno or Peugeot 205.) 30 dr later I was there. Now here's some facts about getting your Visa. As id read some incorrect  info. Take your passport, two photos, two pjotocolies of both the first page and entry stamp and 340 dr. Get a local hawker to fill the forms in, as they are only in French. Pay him 10 dr ( €1), hand it in and collect at 3 pm.Job done, I now have a 30 day Mauritania Visa.

I am now at a camp site near Casablanca. Camped next to me is another Brit and an American. We met outside the embassy in Rabat.They think im nuts. As they are on a Suzuki DR 650 and a KTM 690. Been great to speak English, as its just about zero here in Morocco.

Lol.Still beat them to the camp site.I did have a big head start though . I'm still staying off the main roads whenever possible.

The people have been friendly. It's been a pleasure. But tomorrow is the beginning of five day Islamic holiday. Before setting off, I want to find out the availability of water and petrol. For the journey ahead. 

Remember I'm doing this to raise donations for wounded servicemen. Please click the Help for Heroes logo. It all goes to guys who have lost arms and legs. I got down today over the lack of donations. Less than £300 in the past month.  So please, don't wait for someone else.

Will

Wild Boer

Phone issues are over now. EE turned me on internationally now. ( Oy yoy.).

I had expected my trip through France and Spain to be proving ground for myself, the bike and my kit.

I didn't expect there to be an incident every day.

Yesterday I changed the oil on my bike and adjusted the new chain.

Thought I'd finally get a few miles under my belt.  But no. Really high winds put pay to that. (I don't mean me after a curry.) Had the bike at 20 degrees. It was also raining heavily.
And I've removed my front fender.  And put Monster Truck oil in my forks. Loads better off road and more clearance.

Down side. Riding my bike in the rain. Is like riding in the shower with a hose pipe in your face !!! It's great fun. You should all try it. It's like some sort of pain endurance test. How long can you last?

Ok ive got a moan coming.  And it's to China.  Stop making stuff with moving parts. You are rubbish at it. Stick to soup and noodles! !!
My multi fuel cooker has already fell apart.  And my wind proof petrol light, has never once lit. I am now using my back up cooker, good old Hexi blocks and wind proof matches.

So, last night I saw a sign which was the French equivalent of the Ministry of Defence on a huge wooden area near L'Aigle. .......so I thought it would be probably easier to get in their, than some farmer field.

So I did.  Peeing it down again. I made myself a huge pot of Ravioli with Tabasco sauce. (Not wanting to use my boil in the bag packs).

Well. When it was time for bed  I put my rubbish bag and pot of ravioli about 10 m away from the tent. Put a lid on the pot, with a rock on it.

Well I'd like to report a theft !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I woke up to my rubbish bag everywhere.  And both pot and lid, with my ravioli stolen ! Wild Boer had ganged up and knicked my pot and breakfast. !!!!! How out of order is that. So I am sat here, just had a bacon sandwich, whilst writing this blog. Back at you Boer, I hope I ate your cousin.

So finally sorted oil and chain on bike and phone issues. Just need to find a bike charger on route now. And im sorted. Going to enjoy seeing Le Mans. Always wanted to go there. And then head towards the coast. So I can go around the Piarraneze, rather than over. Plus Biarritz sounds like they are Boer free.

Photos are from last night. Before the theft occured!!! Can't believe they stole my ravioli, the pot and the lid !!!!! Hhhhhhm baaaaaacon sandwich. ......

I do do a diary every night. Listen to some music and plan my next day.

Remember that I am suffering my Boer theft for wounded Servicemen.  Please press Help for Heroes logo and donate a bit of cash.

Will " I love bacon " Moore

As anyanyone on the Extreme Stunt Show. Will tell you.....I love my boots and shorts.

Don't go down to the woods tonight. .

Bit dark in these ere French woods.I spent about 5 hours in a small town called Gournay en Bray, , yesterday. Trying to sort my phone issue.Turns out its my service provider.  Bit annoying. But will spend £20 from a phone box tomorrow.  And get them to wave their magic techno wand.

Photo above was last nights location. I've stayed off main roads. And have been heading South or South West. Using my MK 1 Satnav. Aka as a compass. Rural France is really lovely. But all the villages seem to be shut, when I turn up. No people, just lots of little Renault s everywhere.

So it was gettting close to 9pm and was raining. I saw some woods in distance and headed for them. I got the mighty Van Van about 30 m inside the woods. To find I qaa ridding on a bed of thorn bushes. " Gosh" I thought again.
Back tracked slightly and made camp.


I didn't bother making the tent, due to the time. Just using it as a bivi bag, as its Goretex. All my kit down one side. Inflatable mat and doss bag on the other.

Dinner is served. Had to use a boil in the bag. Corn beef hash. Love it. You can keep your salads and Roast Pheasant Voller Vons :)

Dangerous Brian didn't find me a plastic mug. No bother. I boil the water and food in one pot.Have my tea bag and three sweeteners in the other pot. Dinner ready and tea at same time. Pot can be a tad hot though.

Almost impossible to do this without mobile blogger. Lost sata twice. This has took nwarly 2 hrs. Will get EE fixed tomorrow.

Above is my camp. Bivi bag. Cookingarea and rear of bike. The top box is the kitchen and First Aid area.

Ok. Off on the road again. Not a eace but want to make some gwad qay. Still heading towards Le Mans. Hopefully be there tomorrow.  Phone issues permitting.

Couldn't sleep. ..in the rainy woods. 3 am... what do you do ?? Get your I pod on and have a little boogie.listening to The River by Good Charlot.

Will

Leaving tomorrow. 2 pm . Blindley Heath. Surrey.

What a 10 months it has been. I sat in my nice little flat in Surrey last November.  I had only recently got a self employed position in the Film Industry. But still had big hankering to get a two year FTRS with the Army. (A 2 year full time contact. You can go on tour etc ). But due to an old back issue,( twice I had had a trapped Sciatic nerve ). I was unable to pursue it.

That's when riding to Mongolia, then changed to Johannesburg.  Was born. I wanted to combine righting a wrong, on behalf of wounded servicemen. And to challenge myself to do something outside of the box.

So blar blar. ....here we are ten months later.

I'm not going to name names. As there are so many. And just like the "thank you " speach at a wedding. You start naming, you just know someone's nose is going to be put out of joint.

So. From me the custodian of this Challenge. And the me that is doing it. " Thank you very much to all those who threw their hat in the ring ". Xxxxx

It's my website.  Twangs at the heart.

Couple of pics of the fully operational Van Van. Hope I can get it back out now. Lol

Catch you in France.Where eating cheese,block aiding and making love to your neighbors wife, are obligatory.Just saying.....

Will