Dakar | 2025

Chapter 1: Arrival in Germany

Friday, 29 August, 2025
Day 1 of the trip to Dakar is in the books. Job 1 was to get over the jetlag (I'm working on it) and Job 2 was to get the bike running after being in storage for a year (thanks Willi and Helena for the use of your garage!). After I installed a new GPS and tankbag, the bike started immediately. Only bummer is that the right turn signal button didn’t fix itself while it was parked. Tried disassembling it and spraying liberally with contact cleaner but no joy. Might need to buy a new switch cluster or just do hand signals for right turns. Then I met with my friend Alex Lübbe-Sloan and managed to spend three hours laughing and telling stories over cappuccinos and pastries. (You just knew my first stop would be at a bakery, didn’t you?)

The bike has been on the trickle charger since last year


Installed the GPS from the R1250GSA and a new tankbag


It looks ready to try to start it



Will the bike start?

Reset the GPS. Pro tip: Always reset the max. speed field after riding in Germany


First ride, out past Schloss Kronwinkl




The turn signal switch was giving a little trouble last year but quit working altogether now


Meet Alex at a local bakery for fun conversation

Saturday, 30 August to Tuesday, 2 September

During my stay at Helena and Willi’s I helped with the apple harvest (99 litres of juice!) and did some work on the bike. At Zierer on Saturday, an hour before closing time, I ordered a new turn signal switch. BMW didn’t do deliveries on Monday, so I was a little surprised when we got a call on Tuesday morning that the switch had arrived. Essentially overnight for a part for an 18 year-old motorcycle is pretty amazing. Installing the new switch was easy and fixed the problem. I also noticed that the horn wasn’t working and traced that to loose wires at the relay. Now the bike is ready for Africa! I had contacted Tom und Andrea (Blue Knights whom we befriended in 2007 when I broke my knee) and arranged to meet them. We met at a bier garten in Freising (where I had my knee surgery) and chatted for a couple of hours. They mentioned that the Blue Knights International convention is in Calgary next year. I hope they decide to come!

Taking the apples harvested from the tree in the front yard to the juicer


11 3 litre bags for 99 litres of freshly squeezed apple juice


Ordered the new turn signal switch (Kombischalter heizgriff rechts)


Stopped by the guesthouse where we stayed for 4 months in 2007


Meeting at a bier garten in Freising


Going for a short ride with Tom and Andrea


Next time we meet might be in Calgary in 2026

Wednesday to Sunday, 3-7 September 2025

After visiting Helena’s new workplace, right in Kronwinkl, on Wednesday morning I saddled up and hit the road north on the way to Bielefeld to visit Inge und Peter on 3 September. I’ve always enjoyed riding the German back roads and today was no exception. Until I got to the busy traffic of Ingolstadt where an Audi tried to take my lane anyway. At least I had the opportunity to use my newly functional horn. My hotel in Würzburg was about five kilometres from the old town and that turned out to be a great walk. On the left bank of the River Main, next to a canal lock, I found the Goldene Gans bier garten. For some reason I ordered the XL sausages with sauerkraut. Whoa, that was a lot. Better make a mental note that German portions are more than adequate. Then a walk around the old town after picking up an ice cream at a grocery store (the lineup at the gelato stand was too long) showed Würzburg to be a lovely town. Leaving downtown I crossed back over the Main just as a Viking river cruise boat was going through the locks. I took a time lapse video and then walked home, up the five kilometres through a dark park. That may not have been the most security conscious decision, but it all turned out OK.

Departure from Helena and Willi's house


First, a stop at Schloss Kronwinkl


Bye Kronwinkl, see you in 2027


Riding north through the fields of hops


I truly love these German country roads




Time for a break?


Yum!


The architecture changes as I head north


Arrival in Würzburg 




Walk down to the Main and find the Goldene Gans bier garten


OK, who ordered the XL sausages?


The old bridge over the Main is pedestrian only now









The old town of Würzburg 







Time lapse video of a river cruise boat in the locks
 

On Thursday morning I enjoyed the €13.50 buffet breakfast at the hotel, but I might have to rethink this. It seems that hotel breakfasts are not included by default anymore, there is usually a charge. Perhaps I’ll do what I did in New Zealand (where motels often didn’t even have the option of breakfast) and pick up granola and milk powder for an inexpensive start to the day. I stopped off at SW Motech to see if they had a spare screw for my tankbag mount. They did, and there was no charge. At Blackfoot in Calgary (where I bought the tankbag) they indicated the screw wasn’t available from SW Motech so I should go to a fastener store to get one. That’s when I thought I should just drop by their headquarters in Germany. I’m glad that worked out OK. I stuck to smaller country roads until Paderbron where there was heavy traffic, and not much fun riding so took the autobahn for the last 30 kilometres to Bielefeld. Peter und Inge warmly welcomed me and showed me to my room for next few days.

Heading north through wine country







Yes, the architecture is changing yet again.

Inge was working on Friday, so Peter and I headed off on electric bicycles (Peter had just bought a new one so I could use his old one) for a 54-kilometre round trip to Borgholzhausen for ice cream. That evening we met Inge after work at an archery club where I was able to try the sport. I am happy to say that I didn’t impale anyone. I was rewarded for this success with a BBQ. Saturday was a motorcycle day. The three of us rode out to the PS Speicher museum in Einbeck. Lots of cool motorcycles and cars on display but my favourite was the Megola with its five-cylinder engine inside the front wheel. Since the engine is attached directly to the wheel there is no clutch so starting and stopping are a bit of a challenge. The manufacturer suggested planning trips to avoid stops. We left the museum at about 5:30 and then took smaller roads (including a gravel section!) to Höxter for supper. They asked what I would like to have, German or Italian food? I said, Thai! Of course, that was pretty funny to be in a traditional German town and ask for Thai food. Unbelievably, around the corner was a Thai/Indian restaurant! I swear I didn’t see it beforehand! I’m glad Peter was leading back to Bielefeld after a delicious supper as it’s always a bit of a challenge riding an unfamiliar road in the dark. Sunday it was another eBike ride followed by archery. The three of us rode about 70 kilometres return to Lemgo. On the way out of Bielefeld we stopped off at the cemetery to visit Inge’s mom and Peter’s brother. Also, the graves of the Dr. Oetker family are here since Bielefeld is the home of Dr. Oetker. Lemgo is another lovely town, perhaps most famous for its witch hunting heritage, including the hexenbürgermeisterhaus. Back home, we drove to the archery range where I finally managed to have my entire quiver of arrows hit the target, not one went astray. Naturally I quit then, at the top of my game. Sunday evening was the total lunar eclipse (it started just before the moon rose) so we ordered a “blood moon pizza”. Obviously. Unfortunately, clouds meant that we didn’t actually see the blood moon. Pizza was good though.

Peter and I go for an eBike ride


To reach the high point of our ride we had to climb this tower


I am not a big fan of heights so quite proud of myself for having made it up


Definitely deserving of an ice cream treat


Passing by a wasserschloss on the way back to Bielefeld


Trying my hand at archery


Saturday the three of us go for a nice motorbike ride to Einbeck





Peter knows all the smallest roads


The parking lot of the PS Speicher museum is already interesting


Well, this is awkward

A most interesting motorcycle, the Megola with the engine part of the front wheel

 

How the Megola operates

 

Riding the Megola

 

Sweet Katana

Inge checks out the Trabant


No, really? There is a Thai restaurant in a historic German town?


Everyone is excited to be having Thai (or Indian) food


Stroll around town after dinner


Sunday, time for another eBike ride




The witch hunter mayor's house is a museum now





Sunday evening archery again


All of my arrows land on the target!


The full lunar eclipse (the blood moon) is behind the clouds

Tracks for the start of the trip: from Kronwinkl to Bielefeld and the daytrip out to Einbeck (not the eBike trips though!)

Chapter 2: Bielefeld to Andermatt

Chapter 2: Turning South - To Dakar! Bielefeld to Andermatt

Monday 8 September to 10 September: Heading south to Dakar!

n Monday the trip officially started as I turned south. I left Peter und Inge in Bielefeld after a fun weekend with them. On the way south I passed by Burg Frankenstein. Yes, that Frankenstein. So had to do a quick stop to check out the ruins.  Then I met up with Sherri Jo, whom Audrey and I had met in 2011 at the Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travel event in Nakusp while she was on her Round The World trip. We chatted for hours getting caught up with each other before I headed to Heppenheim for the night. Then it was a couple of days riding to Andermatt in Switzerland for one of my favourite passes, the San Gottardo. I am staying outside of the hideously expensive Andermatt  in Sedrun.

Until next time Inge und Peter!


Stopping off at Frankenstein Castle


Schloss Frankenstein


Great to meet up with fellow world traveller Sherri Jo!


The Achat Hotel in Heppenheim


Wet start to the day in Heppenheim


Riding into the Black Forest


OK, not the classic German bakery I had hoped for but a bakery in the Black Forest gotta be good!


No Schwartzwalder Kirsch Torte today


OK, that's delicious. I'm glad they didn't scrimp on the cream.


More Black Forest riding after my Black Forest treat


Entering Switzerland


Hey, roundabouts can be fun!


OK, to the Gotthard!


Heading up to the pass


Along the lake


Oh good, all the passes are open


I am on the old highway while the new highway bores through




Welcome to Uri


I love this old bridge! (Roman?)


The Devil's Bridge. The original wooden bridge made the Gotthard Pass and actual pass.





Scene of epic battles


When in Andermatt I always stop at this bakery


I saw this Scottish couple checking out the bike. He was surprised to see an Alberta licence plate here. He used to work in Calgary!


Ah yes, this is why I am here


The Old Gotthard Pass Road, the Tremola


This should be fun!





The summit


Back through Andermatt to get to the Oberalp Pass


Climbing the Oberalp Pass out of Andermatt




Goodnight from Sedrun

 

Video of the ride on the Old Gotthard Road (Tremola)

 

GPS tracks of the ride from Bielefeld to Andermatt

 

Chapter 3: Andermatt to Tarragona

Chapter 3: Andermatt to Tarragona - Across France

Thursday 11 September to 13 September: Andermatt to Grenoble.

The journey continues toward Dakar. From Andermatt I took a couple of my favourite passes (the Furka and Grimsel) in the direction of Chamonix. The low oil level indicator had come on the previous day so I stopped at a motorcycle shop in Brig for a litre of oil. Wow, CHF22 is about $40 for a litre of oil. From Chamonix it was another nice ride to Grenoble where I stayed a couple of nights so I could do a day trip out to Gorges du Nan. Gorges du Nan and Combe Laval are roads carved out of the side of the cliff. Spectacular! Make sure to check out the video below.

Going over the Oberalp Pass, back to Andermatt


Good morning Andermatt!


Taking the Furka instead of the Gotthard out of town this time


Who wagers... Loses


Headwaters of the Rhone River is here at the Rhone Glacier


Coming down the Furka Pass while looking across the valley to the Grimsel Pass going up


Following a local Harley club


Well that's an, umm, interesting bike


Looking back up the Furka to the Rhone Glacier


Top of the Grimsel


I always go here for a cappuccino (first time in 2002 with Audrey we got passed by a Buell on the way up and I think he was on his second cappuccino)


Getting a litre of milk is always more interesting if you take the McLaren


Good, all these passes are open too


Approaching Mont Blanc in France (having left Switzerland)


Going through spa towns


Stopped in Albertville (winter Olympics) for a cappuccino


Nice riding towards Chamonix





Small French villages


Small French roads


Walk into downtown Grenoble for supper


Ham and cheese Galette for supper


Lively downtown Grenoble


The daytrip out of Grenoble doesn't go as planned with a landslide blocking the road


I don't want to backtrack 8 kilometres to the expressway, let's see what we can do...


OK, I have to cut through some fields and orchards but...


Ha ha! Could squeeze by this barrier and I made it!


Alright, let's go to Gorges du Nan


Wow, wow, wow


Make sure to check out the video below




Pont-en-Royans has homes built right into the cliff walls of the gorge








Rain in the afternoon didn't dampen my spirits on this great day


Heading back to Grenoble

 

Video of the ride through Gorges du Nan

Sunday 14 September to 15 September: Grenoble to Avignon.

After muesli I packed the bike (sheepskin still wet from yesterday) and rode out to the highway. Going this direction and circling Grenoble was sure easier than going through town. Toll free highway is easy riding. Turned up into the hills and much more fun. Lots of motorcycles, some pretty big groups. Like 30 bikes. Col de Menée is very nice. Then entered a wine growing region that looked a lot like Tuscany with fancy estates and castles. Stopped in Nyons for lunch and gas. Beautiful Roman bridge when I entered. Lots of “Romain” names for villages all through the region. Lots of motorcycles parked downtown and I joined them. Walked to one of the many restaurants for lunch. I don’t think it is possible to have a simple lunch in France. The salmon daily special was finished so I had the warm Camembert cheese with a salad. Quite tasty though. If I want simple, I guess I need a grocery store. Hit a gas station leaving Nyons and then rode the last 100 kilometres to Avignon, arriving at 4:00. After doing the daily laundry I walked to the Palais de Papes and Pont du Avignon. Beautiful old town (my hotel is right outside the city wall so nice for walking into town). Ham and cheese sandwich with an orange juice for supper sitting right on the square. The same atmosphere as the fancy restaurants and their fancy meals and their fancy prices. Monday was a video editing day as I worked on the Insta360 videos I made of the Gotthard and Gorges du Nan. I did pop by an ATM to take out 300 euro in case ATMs aren’t readily available in Morocco and Mauritania (to pay for the Mauritanian eVisa). The machine offered to convert it to Canadian dollars for me, charging me $550 for the €300. I declined and when I got back to the hotel, I checked my CIBC account and my bank only charged me $500. Way to save 50 bucks!

Leaving Grenoble, back into the mountains with the gorges


Forget the toll autoroute


Fabulous riding


Lots of motorcycles on this road today


How do you say you are riding in France without saying you are riding in France?







Where there are passes there are fortresses


The 2,000 year old Roman bridge in Nyons


You can't just get a simple sandwich for lunch


In wine country you'll have winery estates (reminded me of the estates in Tuscany)


View from my hotel in Avignon, just outside the city walls


Going for a walk in the old town




Hello!


Palais de Papes was home to the pope from 1309 to 1377 during a time of instability in Rome




Good night Avignon

 

Tuesday 16 September to 17 September: Avignon to Tarragona. 

Wow there are some amazing people in this world. From Avignon I rode to Nîmes, specifically Moto Sport Nîmes, passing by one of my favourite Roman engineering projects, Pont du Gard. In 2003 my R100GS broke down and the team at Moto Sport Nîmes repaired it. So, since I was on the hunt for tires, I thought I would check with them. They didn’t have anything in my size and I was about to leave when Vincent and Pascale stopped to chat. They were really interested in my story of travelling the world and asked if they could take me to lunch. What lovely people, we drove in their car to a fancy restaurant where an incredible French buffet was laid out. And a dessert table to die for… We chatted for an hour or two and returned to the shop so Vincent could pick up his R12 G/S after its first service. They gave me their phone number and address in case I needed anything. Nice. Then I rode to Narbonne, arriving at 5:30 PM, where they did have tires in my size and could mount them right away. Perfect. During their routine inspection they found a couple of suspension items that should be replaced at the next service. They were just closing at 7:00 PM so I popped back the next morning to ask if they could do the work now, before I headed for Dakar (and the rough, sandy roads I expect to encounter). But ordering the parts and their schedule meant that it wouldn’t be done for 10 days. Yikes, I want to be in Morocco by then. So I rode across the border to Barcelona in Spain where I thought the huge shop might be able to do the work faster. I arrived at 1:00, just as the parts counter was rolling down their shutter for the 2 hour lunch break. My pleading fell on deaf ears and the parts guy just told me to come back at 3:00 and slammed the shutter down. Sitting in the showroom I thought I should see if there are any hotels nearby. There were, but nothing under $200, and most far more. Hotels were much less expensive 2 hours down the road in Tarragona, so at about the same time as the Barcelona shop was reopening I was at Oliva BMW in Tarragona. They took my email address and said they would let me know the estimated cost and time. Off to the beachside resort of Cap de Salou and its relatively inexpensive all-inclusive resorts to await word of the repair estimate.

Good morning Avignon!


Riding  by the Pont du Avignon


Ah yes, Pont du Gard


Beautiful engineering


I wonder where the next race is?


The last time I was at Moto Sport Nîmes my bike arrived in a van with a broken driveshaft in 2003


No tires available at Moto Sport Nîmes but I met Pascale and Vincent who invited me to lunch


Vincent was there to pick up his R12 G/S after its first service


After lunch it is on to Narbonne to see if they have tires


New shoes! Yes, they had tires in Narbonne. But they also listed a few items that should be looked at like the Telelever ball joint and wheel bearings.


Moto Sud in Narbonne couldn't do the Telelever repair for 10 days so I ride to Barcelona 


The enormous Barcelona facility (both cars and bikes) closed at exactly 1:00 PM. I was told to wait until 3:00.


I decided not to wait until 3:00. Instead I rode for two hours to Tarragona where they will check to see when they can do it. Check into a nice resort on the Med.

 

GPS tracks for the ride from Andermatt to Tarragona

Chapter 4: Tarragona to Algeciras

Chapter 4: Tarragona to Algeciras - Spain

Thursday 18 September: Tarragona to Zaragoza

Well, no joy at Oliva BMW in Tarragona. While they were able to get the part in 10 days (just like in Narbonne) they weren’t able to squeeze me into their schedule until 13 October. OK, this running from shop to shop needs to stop. I am going to take four days to ride to Seville and figure out something there. First stop, Zaragoza. I headed up into the hills, crossing a couple of low passes. Because I left the BMW shop at noon, it was a hot afternoon of riding. I saw 37° on a drugstore sign but the highest I saw on the bike was 35°. Lots of interesting villages along the way, crossed the Greenwich Meridian and passed by Motorland Aragon, home of some epic MotoGP battles. Audrey and I had visited Zaragoza in 2003 and it was fun walking through the lively old town in the evening, remembering the sights, like the globe and the statue of Ceasar Augustus. The name Zaragoza originates from the Roman name Caesaraugusta, given to the city by Emperor Augustus in the 1st century AD. This Latin name evolved into the Arabic form Saraqusṭa during the Moorish period and then became the Spanish Zaragoza after the Reconquista.

Leaving the coast at Tarragona and riding up into the hills


Vineyards spread out in the valleys




One could see the cathedral of Corbera from kilometres away


Ruins of the old castle on the hill of Corbera still visible


Crossing the Prime Meridian


Raising a toast to the crossing


Riding through Alcañiz


I didn't know Motorland Aragon was out here


Looks like the middle of nowhere (though the residents of Alcañiz might disagree) with no major population centres nearby


Catedral-Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar in the heart of Zaragoza


It almost feels bigger on the inside 








Foundations from Roman times


An evening stroll in Zaragoza


I swear that everywhere in Spain someone opens all the doors at exactly 8:00 PM and everyone goes outside


The globe I remember from our 2003 visit


Yes, the original photo from 2003

Friday 19 September to 21 September: Zaragoza to Seville

I had a great, though hot, three days of riding from Zaragoza to Seville. Leaving Zaragoza I took the divided highway (Autovía) for an hour or so before turning off onto the smaller highways. The smaller roads were reward enough but as a bonus came by the ruins of a castle and then passed through (literally through, as in a tunnel) Albarracin. The original plan had been to stay overnight in Cuenca but the hotel prices were quite high there, so I just stopped for lunch. As I had climbed up to Ventano del Diablo in full motorcycle gear and it was in the high 30s I decided to seek respite from the heat in an air-conditioned McDonalds. In the afternoon I rode another 150 km to Villarrobledo. I loved this small town without any tourists. And like most towns in Spain, it really came alive after 8:00 PM. It really feels like someone opened all the doors at 8:00. What fun it was having supper on the main square with children running wild and free. On the hot ride to Córdoba the next day I stumbled across some ruins in the middle of a vineyard. Turns out they were Ruinas de la Iglesia de la Virgen de la Caridad. How neat to just happen across these! Arriving in Córdoba I picked up some supplies at a grocery store behind the hotel. By 7:00 it had cooled off to 33C, so after a light supper (sushi from the grocery store) I walked into the old town. Just as I looked into the Mezquita de Córdoba I saw a crowd of people in the square and a band started up. Then, a processional float came out of the Mosque-Cathedral. Wow, how lucky am I to happen upon this event? This was similar to the Semana Santa processional floats but obviously it wasn’t Easter week being September. I was able to get closer to another float later in the evening and could see the feet of the people carrying the float. Wow. The next morning, I walked over to the Mosque-Cathedral and visited the interior. The mosque was constructed in 785 and then converted to a cathedral in 1236 when Córdoba was captured by the Christian forces of Castile during the Reconquista. Today, the building continues to serve as the city's cathedral and Mass is celebrated there daily. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and serves as an important monument to Islamic architecture. The interior was a fascinating mix of Islamic and Christian architecture, I especially liked the "infinity" of arches. I got back to the hotel just in time for my 12:00 o'clock checkout. Again, I tried to stay off the Autovía as much as possible and was rewarded by interesting sights along the way. One really surprised me when I came around a corner and saw an almost Disney-like castle on a hill above the town. Castillo de Almodóvar dates back to the 8th century and looks like it would be a lot of fun to explore. I arrived in Seville on Sunday afternoon with plans to pop by BMW Boxer Motorrad first thing Monday morning to see if they're able to service the bike.

Wide open spaces leaving Zaragoza




Castillo de Santa Croche


Passing "through" the town of Albarracin




Is it me or does the rest area sign look like someone sitting on a toilet? I'm usually disappointed when I don't see a toilet in the rest area.


Not much cooler higher up




Hmm, what do the Spanish think of Canadians?


The climb up to the Devil's Window is on the left


Yes, it is 37C and I am hot in my motorcycle gear


Ah, blessed air conditioning!


Wow, lots of sunflower fields. What this must look like when they're in bloom!


El Torro!


The main square in Villarrobledo comes alive in the evening


Hey, nachos are traditional Spanish food right?




Ruinas de la Iglesia de la Virgen de la Caridad


Others out for a Saturday ride (probably working off their nachos)


Crossing into the province of Córdoba and the houses are all white


Crossing the Roman bridge into the old town of Córdoba (for 2,000 years this was the only bridge)


Peeking into the square in front of the Mosque-Cathedral there is a crowd and a band


Just then the band strikes up and a processional float emerges from the main entrance to the mosque-cathedral


The minaret/bell tower after the crowds have left the Orange Garden, following the procession

 

The procession has left the Mosque-Cathedral and is going down the adjacent street

 

Later in the evening another float but now you can see the feet of the carriers

Sunday morning crossing the Roman Bridge to the Mosque-Cathedral

 

Monday 22 September to 24 September: Seville (and Ronda)

I have a new motorbike! And as a bonus it already has a Dakar sticker, so I don’t need to bother making the long, arduous trek down there. OK, there is a long, convoluted story here so buckle up. If you aren’t interested in the story you may want to check out the photos at the end of the post. The Puente Nuevo in Ronda is stunning. OK, deep breath. You'll recall that I went to Boxer Motorrad in Seville to have suspension work done (recommended by the shop that changed the tires) first thing Monday morning. Other shops I had visited had given dates ranging from 27 September to 13 October to do the work so I was pleasantly surprised when they said they could do it the next day. I came back Tuesday morning and they said it should be done by 1:00 PM. So, I booked a hotel in Ronda, only a 1.5 hour ride away, figuring that even if it took all day I would still arrive before sunset at 8:00 PM. At 3:00 the mechanic pulled me into the shop and showed me the driveshaft. One of the U-joints was almost completely seized and would likely fail before I got to Dakar. They could fix it but it would be mañana. Unfortunately, the hotel in Ronda was nonrefundable so I had to eat the cost and the price of the hotel in Seville had gone up $100 from last night. Ouch, that’s an expensive night, paying for two hotels. Lesson learned, I didn’t book a hotel until after I picked up the repaired bike on Wednesday. Finally on my way to Ronda I thought the steering was quite stiff, resulting in a bit of a weave like the steering head bearings were too tight (the gyroscopic effect of the wheels couldn’t self-centre the bike). I thought it will loosen up as I ride, but when I got to the autovía it was actually rather frightening, weaving with crosswinds and going around corners. After pulling over and not finding anything wrong (loose bolts, flat tires) I turned around, back to Boxer Motorrad. It was diagnosed that the new Telelever ball joint was faulty, with too much friction. We can fix it. Mañana. Again, having booked a nonrefundable hotel I approached the service manager and asked for a loaner to ride to Ronda. He said, yes! They found an F900GS Adventure, did a quick service on it and sent me on my way. I am so glad I was able to see the famous Puente Nuevo and also happy not to be paying for two hotels tonight.

Sunday evening stroll into Seville






Puente del Alamillo (behind Puente de la Barqueta) was built for Expo92 and designed by Santiago Calatrava (same designer as Calgary's Peace Bridge)




Setas de Sevilla is a wooden sculpture/structure with an archeological museum and shops


Maybe I am more lost than I think I am


Monday morning


Good sign (literally)


Encouraging showroom


Victor (my service rep) suggested going to a local restaurant specializing in ham


Thinly sliced ham on toast and freshly squeezed orange juice for a nice lunch


Mechanic Fernando inspects the driveshaft


The top U-joint is close to being completely seized


Uber to a nearby hotel is a BYD Seal


My new bike is a BMW F900GS Adventure


Well, its already got the Dakar sticker so I guess I don't need to go all the way down after all


Riding south towards Ronda






Pretty happy


The cockpit is identical to my 1250 at home, even my GPS just clipped in




Lively pedestrian mall in Ronda


Going for a walk at sunset


The Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) was completed in 1793 after 34 years of construction


Walking down to a viewpoint with a great view of Puente Nuevo


Wow, just wow


The chamber above the central arch was used as a prison


Walked back up from the viewpoint and through town


Puente Nuevo at night


This architecture is so familiar. Travelling through Central and South America a lot of churches have similar architecture

 

Thursday 25 September - Ronda to Seville to Algeciras

Thursday morning, I packed up my F900GSA loaner bike to ride back to Seville. On the way north I saw a castle that I had missed the day before, so I had to go investigate. Castillo de las Aguzaderas is part of a chain of fortresses known as the Moorish Strip built in this location to protect an important water source. That’s why it’s rather unique, being in a valley rather on an easily defended hill top. The bike wasn't ready when I got to Boxer Motorrad, so I walked over to the coffee shop at the enormous Yamaha store. I heard the sound of a BMW going by and looked up from my cappuccino to see Fernando, the mechanic, riding my bike! Sweet. Fernando absolutely insisted that I take it for a test ride before leaving. The steering was still a little stiffer than before but OK and Fernando said it would loosen up in a few kilometres. Now I could safely book a hotel in Algeciras. I said goodbye to Victor, the super helpful and friendly service representative, and got on the road. It was an easy and uneventful ride to the port city and after I checked into the grand Hotel Reina Cristina I booked my ferry ticket to Morocco for the next day.

Good morning! Riding out of Ronda.


Well, what's this then?




Let's go down and investigate




Castillo de las Aguzaderas has foundations from the 14th century but was heavily modified in the 15th and 16th centuries


The fortress was built in a hollow to protect a valuable water source


Waiting for the bike at the nearby Yamaha shop's cafe (cappuccino, chocolate croissant and Top Gear magazine)


Fernando gives the official OK now, the bike is ready!


Super helpful and friendly Victor (I'm wearing my new Boxer Motorrad T-shirt)


The only thing I had to pay attention to was the hard headwind


El Torro!


Checking in


Wow, that's a bit more grand than I was expecting


Lined up for the ferry to Morocco on Friday morning


Let's go!


Bye to the Rock of Gibraltar and Europe, see you in November

GPS tracks for the ride from Tarragona to Algeciras

Chapter 5: Morocco

Chapter 5: Morocco

Friday 26 September Algeciras to Chefchaouen

To Morocco! It was an uneventful crossing of the Straits of Gibraltar to Tangier Med on Friday. Passport control was done right on the ship so only the customs inspection needed to be done when we landed. I was first off the boat and rode about a kilometre to the empty customs booths. An official looked at the map on my saddlebag and said something about a problem. He called someone else over who said I have to remove the map. What? The map with my GPS tracks showed a dotted line in Morocco for the Western Sahara, or as the official called it, Moroccan Sahara. Ah. I started to peel it off but then he said if I had a knife, I could just cut away the offending portion. I did have a knife with me so cut Morocco out and that seemed to satisfy him. Leaving the port, I was on a divided highway for about 3 kilometres when the GPS turned me off at a small village and then onto a dirt road through town, just as people were leaving Friday prayers. After dodging worshippers, I came to a tiny, but paved, road that went straight up into mountains. This was fantastic riding and exactly what I had been dreaming of when I thought of riding in Morocco. 20 kilometres later I turned right onto a larger road (it had a line down the middle) that eventually took me to Chefchaouen and the Taj Chefchaouen Luxury Hotel & Spa. This new hotel was built just inside the old city wall, high on a cliff with the most spectacular views of “the Blue City”. At the front desk I was treated like a celebrity and the clerk said I am famous. “You are from Calgary on the motorcycle!” Apparently, they had Googled me when they saw the reservation. After a tour of the hotel, I quickly determined I needed to stay another night. I may not make it to Dakar.

Goodbye Europe!


Let's just cut out Morocco then


When inspecting the luggage they discovered another map inside the saddlebag


Yep, cut out Morocco too


3 kilometres of divided highway and then turn off at Ksar Sghir and into the hills


Love these roads (and getting passed by a guy in flowing robes on a 125)


Looking back across the Strait to Spain




Looking pretty happy


Turn right




Small town Morocco




Arrive at the Taj Chefchaouen - Luxury Hotel & Spa with an amazing view


Getting help with my luggage

The view from my room is spectacular

Moroccan mint tea on the rooftop terrace


Goodnight Chefchaouen

Saturday 27 September

Exploring the Blue City of Chefchaouen, Morocco.

Entering through the Bab El-Mahouk Gate


The price for having a hotel with a spectacular view is lots and lots of climbing














The Taj Chefchaouen hotel is the large building at the very top

Yes, more climbing


The most popular sunset spot in town








Goodnight Chefchaouen

Sunday 28 September - Chefchaouen to Meknes

It was a relatively short ride from Chefchaouen to Meknes on Sunday. But I took smaller back roads, so it took the whole day. Fairly cool and cloudy for most of the day and a bit of rain thrown in for good measure. It was fun to be riding away from the tourist areas where the young boys' eyes light up when they see the bike coming and come running out to the street. I had booked a riad that seems to have been built right into the city wall in the imperial city of Meknes. In the evening, I took a walk around town, to the main square and into the bewildering array of tiny passageways in the medina. It’s fun getting lost and finding your way out again.

Cool enough to zip up the vents


Goodbye to the Blue City






It's always best to get a little wet before putting on the raingear


Now is the perfect time




The pavement is barely one lane wide


Sometimes it's a game of chicken of who pulls onto the gravel and who stays on the pavement








Mouley Idriss Zehoun is built on a hill near the Roman ruins of Volubulis



Entering the gates of Meknes, the Imperial City


Riad Yacout seems to be part of the city wall


Interior is beautiful


Exploring Meknes




The shopping streets outside of the medina proper are bustling


Goodnight from the Imperial City of Meknes

Monday 29 to 30 September – Meknes to Dadès Gorge

It was only a 2.5 hour ride from Meknes the Dar Zayane hotel outside of the town of Khenifra on Monday so I had a late start and took my time. I am sure a hotel out of town would be nice if you were on vacation and wanted to relax but for me it was just a bit boring as I like to go for a walk around town at supper time. Fortunately, I had stopped for lunch at the Hug Cafe and had a Nutella a crepe so got a bit of people watching in anyway. The Hug Cafe had it nailed down for the Nutella crepe as there was so much Nutella you couldn’t see the crepe. Perfect. Tuesday I rode towards the Todra Gorge via Imilchill in the High Atlas Mountains, topping out at Col de Tizi Tigherrhouzine at 2645m. Even Imilchill was at about 2,000 metres and I really enjoyed the ride with its sweeping corners. Then a steady down, culminating in the Todra Gorge. This gorge is really narrow, reminding me of the canyon coming out of Radium on Highway 93 in B.C. It would be really neat if it wasn’t crowded with souvenir sellers and tourists walking in the middle of the road but alas that wasn’t the case. It was another 100 km to my hotel at the base of the Dadès Gorge. There were lots of motorbikes today, even a group of Harley Davidson riders with Eagle Rider. I think I saw the same group of about 8 fancy adventure touring bikes (no luggage) twice. I suspect they were doing the Todra and Dadès gorges loop in a counterclockwise direction from a base in Dadès while I was going clockwise. I took a short trip up the famous switchbacks of the Dadès Gorge before backtracking to the hotel. I will take the Insta360 tomorrow morning to do some video. The host at the Maison d’Hote Argana was very friendly and welcoming. We sat out on the balcony with tea and cookies while filling in the appropriate paperwork before he showed me to my room with its own balcony overlooking the garden and Dadès River. A day of gorgeous gorges.

Leaving through the gates that are part of the wall where the riad is located






This should be fun then! Note, this was a one-way road but I didn't trust it like the car in front of me. I kept to the right.


Who needs a hug?


Who needs a Nutella crepe?


The Dar Zayane is a quiet hotel in the countryside




Moroccan hill town




I love these random fortresses (or kasbah)


Some are more worn away than others


Ruins of the kasbah


The highest I've been on the trip


Down through wide sweeping curves to Imilchill






Just a random kasbah


Going down towards the Todra Gorge


Entrance to the Todra Gorge


Souvenir sellers and tourists walking in the middle of the road


It's only a few hundred metres long


The gates of another province


Well, at least their 4x4 overlanding truck is clearly labelled


A kasbah on the Dadès River


Home for the night, just a few kilometres from the Dadès Gorge


My host pours the tea while we fill in the paperwork

Wednesday 1 October - Dadès Gorge to Ouarzazate

With only 4 switchbacks (compared to the Stelvio's 48 for example) the Dadès Gorge isn’t quite as challenging but it was a fun ride after pausing for a Moroccan tea at the top. Then down the Dadès River valley in the direction of Ouarzazate. Google maps suggested a parallel route through the desert that avoided all the small towns along the banks of the river. This really reminded me of the Nile where just a kilometre or two from the lush green banks of the river you were in wide open desert. I pulled into Ouarzazate (from the Berber meaning No (Ouar) noise (zazate)) and rode by the Kasbah de Taourirt before checking into the most spectacular ibis hotel. Still the same basic rooms on the inside as any other ibis but matching the local architecture on the outside. I walked back to the kasbah to have a look. A guide offered his services, but I initially declined. He persisted and it was worth the investment to hear the stories to bring the building to life. Mustafa was really involved in the film industry here so had lots of stories of that too. Ouarzazate was the scene for many films, ranging from Lawrence of Arabia to Gladiator. The kasbah was heavily damaged in the 2023 earthquake that shook the region, so half the building was closed and repairs were ongoing. Audrey and I had planned to come Ouarzazate in February 2003 but it was still too cold (below zero at night) and we skipped it so I am really glad I was finally able to make it here.

Wow, the Dadès Gorge road from the restaurant at the top


Time for a tea and enjoy the view

 

Going back down the Dadès river the next day and passing by the kasbah again




Old buildings dissolve like a sugar cube in a glass of Moroccan tea


Traffic jam






What's that?


Ouarzazate's solar array can be seen from kilometres away. It uses molten salt to store the energy to provide electricity at night.


The Kasbah de Taourirt catches my attention as I ride into Ouarzazate


This is an ibis hotel?


Love the old Renault 4


The sign explains the restoration of the kasbah after the 2023 earthquake

 

The roof/ceiling is made with tamarind, palm and bamboo




The guide has some photography skills




Looking up the Dra'a Valley, a 1200 kilometre caravan route from the Sahara to Marrakesh


Restoration work in progress


The "plaster" is super smooth to the touch. Originally made with eggs, soap and gypsum.




The other half of the kasbah is inaccessible during restoration work


Kasbah de Taourirt in Ouarzazate




Goodnight from Ouarzazate

Thursday 2 to 3 October – Ouarzazate to Agadir and Tan-Tan Plage

Leaving Ouarzazate I first rode to Aït Benhaddou, an historic town of earthen clay on the caravan route to Marrakesh. It has been a fortified village since the 11th century and on the UNESCO list since 1987. Being only 35 kilometres from Ouarzazate it was also part of the bustling film industry in the area. It was easy riding to Agadir but wow, has this place changed since Audrey and I camped here for a month in 2003. I stayed in a fancy hotel in the tourist zone, a cluster of fancy hotels coming back from the beach. It doesn’t feel like Morocco at all. I could be in Majorca. This is as far south as Audrey and I came, so now it will be all new as I ride to Dakar. Here is the link to the Morocco chapter of the website back in 2003: Chapter 14 Morocco  Friday I had to ride about 30 kilometres to get out of the metropolitan area traffic but then, to my surprise, it was a four-lane divided highway all the way to Tan-Tan. The best part of the ride was coming to a road sign showing 2353 kilometres to Dakar!

You may be wondering why I am rushing through Morocco (and Spain before this). There are two reasons, one is that I am focussed on getting to Dakar and would prefer to have some time in hand in case anything goes awry. The second reason is that Audrey and I have visited so many places before (like Fez and Meknes and Marrakesh) so I am hesitant to come to a place with expectations that will be dashed. Let’s face it, I can’t possibly improve on any memory that Audrey and I did together.

Roundabout entering Ouarzazate showcasing its rich movie making history






The old fortified town of Aït Benhaddou


Again, the old buildings dissolve like a sugar cube in a Moroccan tea


Long stretches of open desert






The Instagram photo


The reality


Stop for lunch


The area is famous for its safron so safron rice and vegetables it is


Market day!


Leaving the market town


The might have gone a bit overboard with the shopping at the market




On the way to Agadir


Staying at the Dominium Hotel in the Tourist Zone of Agadir


Good morning Agadir! Not quite the same as waking up in a tent in 2003.


30 kilometres of city to get out of 


I don't speak or read French but I am pretty sure this says "No Speeding on Tuesdays"


The first road sign with Dakar on it!




6,541 km done, 2,353 to go!


The new expressway doesn't have much in the way of gas stations or restaurants so this truck stop is the lunch stop


No English or French and no menu. I'll have what they're having!


Four-lane divided highway all the way




These guys weren't really close to the sign but they probably can't read


Tan-Tan


Check in at the Sahara Beach


Beach time!

Saturday 4 to 6 October – Tan-Tan Plage to Bir Gadouz

Well that was a lot of desert riding over the last three days. I left Tan-Tan Plage on Saturday, October 4 on the same four-lane divided highway I had been on since leaving Agadir. The highway was relatively new though and the GPS would sometimes show me riding beside the road and recalculate. The wind really started to pick up, but fortunately it was from the north so a good tailwind. Over lunch (mint tea and a packaged cupcake) I had a look at the weather app and it looks like the wind will be like this for a while. I crossed into the disputed territory of Western (Moroccan) Sahara at the small town of Tah. It was a non-event though as there wasn’t even an ordinary police checkpoint. No one to check my map. Laâyoune seemed like a real oasis, with palm-lined streets and fountains in the roundabouts. Sunday was a long ride of over 500 km to Dakhla, so I got an early start, expecting the expressway to end. It did at El Marsa but the two-lane road was in excellent condition and didn’t reduce my speed any so I arrived in Dakhla at 3:00. There was a lot of construction in Dakhla and other communities I passed through, a real building boom, but not many people to bring them alive. A little strange. Lots of kite surfers taking advantage of the brisk wind and a few exclusive resorts at the north end of the bay seem to be trying to attract more tourists to Dakhla. On Monday the tailwind seemed to be even more consistent and stronger so the ride through desert was easy. I even saw a range of 800 km on a tank of fuel. Seeing another motorcyclist northbound had me dreading the ride back north though. Bir Gandouz is a small desert outpost an hour’s ride from the Mauritanian border. I rode into town looking for the Fyndy Hotel but didn’t see it, so I stopped and checked Google Maps to find I had passed it already. The hotel has nice clean rooms though and I spent the rest of the afternoon prepping for the upcoming border crossing.

Heading towards Laayoune


Old road to the right


The GPS thinks I am riding in the desert


The old highway again


Riding along the ocean is nice and cool (25C)


Break with mint tea and packaged cupcakes


Checking the weather app and it will be windy like this for the forseeable future


Huge wind farms take advantage


Tah is at the border with Western Sahara


Lots of camel warning signs but no camels


Fancy entrance (and police checkpoint) to enter Laayoune


Laayoune is on a lagoon




Snack and supper at the Cafe Merci


Didn't go to the big chain coffee shop, support local business!


Leaving Laayoune the road goes west so there is a strong crosswind and drifting sand


Finally!


Hello!


The coast of Western Sahara. Literally the start of the Sahara Desert


Lunch of tea and tajine


Will the sugar cube even fit in the glass?


Approaching Dakhla at the north end of the bay




Lots and lots of construction, building new subdivisions


Kite surfers enjoying the wind


Heading east from Dakhla the crosswind is brutal


Crossing the Tropic of Cancer


Pity the poor rider heading north into the wind




When the road deviates from the straight south there is drifting sand


Always be prepared! No services for 200 km and need a break




Tailwind means amazing fuel economy, range of almost 800 km


The Fyndy Hotel is tough to find without signs


Secure parking at the Fyndy Hotel just outside Bir Gandouz

Tuesday 7 October – Bir Gandouz to the Border

It was only an hour's ride from the Fyndy Hotel in Bir Gandouz to the border. The tailwind was in full force already, but I gassed up in Morocco anyway since you never know the fuel situation in the next country. I was queued up behind a line of about 30 cars when a car pulled up behind me and the driver said that motorcycles go to the front. Sure enough when I got to the front the officials let me into the customs zone (first confirming I had the Mauritanian visa). Then each official did their job and pointed me to the next station. Everyone was friendly and helpful, even other people in line when I lined up at the wrong window. 45 minutes later I crossed into no-man’s land. Halfway through, the pavement crumbled away, and I was dodging behemoth trucks negotiating their way through the rock and sand. I had been anxious all night about the upcoming border crossing, would it be convoluted? Did I have enough cash?

Good morning Bir Gandouz


74 kilometres to Guerguarate, the border town and the last gas station before Mauritania


Had to stop for this photogenic dune though


Passing the queue of cars lined up for the border to exit Morocco


Halfway through no-man's land and the pavement ends. Rock and sand for the rest of the way to Mauritania. What will Mauritania bring?

Tracks southbound through Morocco

https://www.ekke-audrey.ca/view/14/Dakar-%7C-2025/129Chapter 6: Mauritania

Chapter 6: Mauritania

Tuesday 7 October – Morocco Border to Nouadhibou

Exiting Morocco was an easy process, with friendly and helpful people, taking about 45 minutes. After crossing no-man’s land, an official on the Mauritanian side called over a fixer and told me to go with him. Usually, I am not keen on using fixers, but I am glad that Rabah took me through the process as it was convoluted and entirely in French. After about two hours of going from office to office (hurry up and wait) Rabah helped me buy a SIM card and exchange Moroccan dirhams for Mauritanian ouguiya. Then it was out into Mauritania with a 50 km ride to Nouadhibou. The roads were in good condition though the same couldn’t be said of the cars. Especially in the city, where 50-year-old Mercedes taxis stuffed with seven people would drive on any part of the road and in any direction at any time. This is the chaos of Africa that I remember! I passed through two security checkpoints where the officer demanded a fiche. Fortunately, I had read that they wanted a copy of my passport and so I have a dozen copies with me. That might not be enough. The Hotel Prestige was down a dirt track but was clean and the motorbike was in their secure garage. The desk clerk gave me directions to an ATM and after freshening up (yes, I really needed freshening after 3 hours at a border in 30° heat) I walked over to the bank. Other travellers have reported that it can really be hit and miss as to whether an ATM is working but I got lucky, and it spit out the cash on the first try. (Unfortunately, I accidentally used my credit card instead of the bank card so now I'll have to pay the cash advance fees!) Walking back to the hotel I found a cafe for a break (why do I even ask for a cappuccino outside of Italy?) and stayed for a light supper. Tomorrow to the capital of Nouakchott!

The other half of no-man's land is rock and sand


Riding in Mauritania! (Country number 107 if you're keeping score at home)


When the road turned west the tailwind became a crosswind and caused some drifting


Fortunately, road maintenance crews are on it


Entering Nouadhibou feels like a real African city, utter chaos!


Donkey carts and U-turning Merdedes, oh my.


The Hotel Prestige is clean and comfortable inside (the bike is safely tucked away behind the garage door on the right)


Going to the corner store for a bottle of water

Wednesday, 8 October – Nouadhibou to Nouakchott

Whew, that was a hot ride. 480 km across the Sahara Desert. The powerful tailwind I had been enjoying calmed down a bit and then switched directions. So, the fuel economy wasn’t as great anymore and as I was quite a bit further inland, it was a lot hotter too, up to 42°. A couple of hours after lunch in Chami (tasty rice in a cafe that may not have met all the health and safety regulations back home) the temperature started to drop. Soon I was enjoying a cool, refreshing ride at 34°. The GPS suddenly had some blue on it. I was getting closer to the coast. Arriving in Nouakchott I was greeted with a new road wide enough for six or eight lanes (no lines yet and so far in Mauritania drivers seem to take lines under advisement anyway). Traffic volumes and “craziness” levels weren’t very high considering it was the capital city of Mauritania. I gassed up and then rode to the Mauricentre hotel where they hadn’t received my changed booking. I had booked this hotel a month ago in order to apply for the Mauritanian visa and made sure I could cancel or change it without being charged. Of course, my arrival date was always a best guess and sure enough I was a going to arrive a few days later than booked. So last week I updated the booking, but apparently, they hadn’t received the update. Thankfully it all worked out as they found the email and had a room for me. I parked the bike behind a secure gate, beside the pool, and went to relax and cool down from the ride.

My first Mauritanian breakfast (No Nutella but at least that is a chocolate croissant)


Good morning Nouadhibou!


The line of wind turbines seems to go on forever and they are all pointing to a crosswind


Sand and heat means pulling up the buff


No many camel warning signs but lots of camels


I had been warned about this road and its terrible potholes. This is as bad as it got, so no problem at all.


What you lookin' at?


That looks like a hot, dry ride


After lunch the goats come to clean up


The twins are always a handful


42 degrees is bloody hot


Everything battened down, it's actually cooler inside the helmet than outside


Approaching the coast and it's much cooler


Bike is securely parked by the pool behind the Mauricenter Hotel

Thursday 9 – 10 October – Nouakchott

My plan had been to stay a couple of nights in Nouakchott, visit the city, and then on Friday cross the border to Senegal. Thursday I walked to the National Museum via the Grand Mosque and back through the gardens of the Presidential Palace. Even though I did this in the morning, it was still suffocatingly hot. The Grand Mosque was nice enough from the outside, though I didn’t go inside. There were no photos allowed inside the museum, but it had interesting archeological, geological and ethnographic displays despite the signage only being in Arabic and French. The Presidential Palace was a bust, as it was surrounded by a 3 metre high wall and watch towers. I got the impression they didn’t want me inside. Honestly the heat (and humidity) was almost unbearable as I stumbled into a corner store for a bottle of water. While hydrating, I checked the weather forecast for Friday. One app said tomorrow’s high was 44° and another app said 38° while both said tomorrow will be the hottest day of the week. I don’t think I can do a border crossing in that kind of heat. I will stay another night in the air-conditioned comfort of the Mauricenter Hotel and hope that Saturday has more moderate temperatures. While on my sweltering hot walking tour of Nouakchott I visited six banks in an effort to withdraw more cash. All without success, even the Société Générale ATM I had used in Nouadhibou refused my request. I used my newly found day off on Friday to try again. I tried all six banks with the Société Générale being the last. This time I was successful! That should make tomorrow’s border crossing a bit less stressful as I was a bit short on cash to pay the various incidentals (bridge toll, park fees and the 250 euro Temporary Import Permit for Senegal).

Oh good, you know it's going to be a good breakfast buffet when...


The Grand Mosque of Nouakchott


No photos allowed inside the Musee National


The National Assembly building from the "park" across the street


Two blocks of "parks" lead to the Presidential Palace


The Presidential Palace is behind the white wall


Wait, what?!? That's when I am planning to do my border crossing


This forecast is a bit better but still way too hot to spend three hours at a border


Let's stay another night shall we?

Saturday 11 October – Nouakchott to the border with Senegal

I left the Mauricenter Hotel in Nouakchott at about 8:00 AM. The streets were very quiet for a few blocks. Then I must have crossed a line, and it was crazy busy with market streets, livestock wandering in the road and a hustle and bustle and frankly a level of poverty missing from the north side of the city. Wow, I have been here three days and didn’t see any of this. It was slow going until I turned onto a six-lane road with two more lanes in the middle being used by “bendy-buses”. Total time was about half an hour to the edge of the city. Then it was roughly 150 km of two-lane road, similar to what I had ridden on from Nouadhibou. After a third or fourth “fiche check” I turned off on the road to Diama. (Police checkpoints ask for a copy of the passport or fiche) The first 40 kilometres was just a narrow country road with the odd bit of drifting sand. Then in the town of Keur-Macene the road turned to a dusty track. Fortunately, it became hard packed dirt outside of town, but very rough. It was slow going in first and second gear. I was surprised to see a road sign cautioning for warthogs as I entered an area of wetlands. This was the Parc National Diawling, famous for its bird watching opportunities from November to April. This is the first permanent water once southbound migrating birds have crossed the Sahara. I did see a few birds, but not the famous flamingos. I did however see the warthogs! After about 40 kilometres of rough track (impassable clay in the wet) I came to a police checkpoint and had to pay 200 MRU for the park entrance. It was 10 more kilometres of potholed dirt track to the border. I had read that this border crossing is really quite easy (the main reason I came over this dirt track rather than the ferry crossing at Rosso) so wasn’t planning on a fixer. But with the heat it was nice to have someone do the running around while I could sit in the shade. After the exiting of Mauritania formalities, the fixer hopped on his scooter and guided me across the dam bridge over the Senegal River to enter Senegal. 
 

Good morning, ready to depart from the secure motorcycle parking area (also known as the pool)

Quiet streets leaving the hotel on the north side of Nouakchott


Suddenly I enter a different part of the city and it is bustling with activity


Markets and livestock are both busy at 8:00 AM


Out of Nouakchott and two lane highway heading south. More vegetation.


The smaller road heading towards Kuer-Malece


After Kuer-Malece it is a hard packed dirt road


Stopping for a break in the shade


When the road is wet it becomes impassable with deep ruts


Entering the wetlands of Parc National Diawling


The wetlands remind me of the Okavanga Delta in Botswana


Wait, what?!?


Sure enough, warthogs!




There are quite a few birds


I can't imagine what it must be like during migration




Even warthogs in the wetlands


A park fee and a police check (where they ask for my second last fiche)


The road is on a levy, separating the Senegal River and the wetlands


I meet the same German rider who I was behind at the Morocco-Mauritania border. He's already gone to Dakar and now heading home.


Following my fixer leaving Mauritania on the way to Senegal

Tracks southbound through Mauritania

Chapter 7: Senegal (Dakar!)

Chapter 7: Senegal (Dakar!)

Saturday 11 to 12 October – Mauritanian border to Saint-Louis

I followed my fixer on his scooter over the Senegal River, crossing the dam bridge, to the Senegal customs. The officers there were very friendly and helpful, and I thought I could have done this portion of the border crossing easily without a fixer. But what the fixer did that I may not have been able to do was in regard to the Passavant. This is a temporary import permit, required if you don’t have a Carnet des Passages and your vehicle is more than five years old. All my research indicated it would cost me 250 euros so when the fixer said it would cost 120 euros for the Passavant, the bridge toll plus a month of insurance in Senegal I was quite delighted. The challenge was that my Passavant was good for 48 hours and then I had to have an extension done (for free) in Dakar while I had already booked two nights in Saint Louis. That meant I would need to ride from Saint Louis directly to Dakar and to the customs office on Monday. The customs officer and the fixer both reassured me that this would not be a problem. Then, I was riding in Senegal and just a few hundred kilometres from my destination of Dakar! It was a short 30-kilometre ride from the border on good roads to Saint Louis. I crossed another bridge over the sandy Senegal River to reach the island of Saint Louis though this bridge was an iron bridge designed by Gustov Eiffel. Yes, that Eiffel. I had booked two nights at the historic Hotel de la Poste so planned to visit Saint Louis, the former French capital of West Africa on Sunday.

Following Ghoulam riding his scooter across the dam bridge over the Senegal River separating Mauritania and Senegal


About to enter Senegal, country 108!


Riding into Saint Louis





Crossing the Pont Faidherbe (designed by Gustov Eiffel), completed in 1865 it connected the island of Saint-Louis to the mainland



Hotel de La Poste


Hotel de La Poste has a lovely courtyard


Pont Faidherbe from the Flamingo restaurant


Frozen profiterole? Yes, please!


Bike is safely parked in front of reception

Wandering around Saint Louis on Sunday

The former governer's mansion


Photography Exhibit - Closed on Sundays


IFAN Black History Museum - Closed Sundays


The cafe at the Hotel de La Poste is a nice to place to hang out and do some people watching


Saint Louis' main industry is fishing





Sunday is "wash you goat day" in Saint Louis











Yassa Poulet at La Linguere

Monday 13 October - Saint Louis to Dakar

The westernmost point of Africa! I have made it to Dakar. And guess what? There is a creperie at the end and it serves the Best Nutella Crepe ever!

Good morning at the Hotel de La Poste in Saint Louis


The markets are busy first thing in the morning


Dakar 212 kilometres!


Some open road and way more towns than in Mauritania


The towns were usually quite busy


Yes, that's a cow up there. Truly cattle car class. No, I don't know how they got the animal up there.


Well, I guess I know where to get a bowl if I need one...


I've come to a country where people carry stuff on their head, cool


The big sprawling city of Dakar. Opted for the toll highway as surface streets would add an hour or more of travel time in the humid heat.




Turned off the toll highway and it sure gets busy in a hurry


There is a creperie at the end of the road! The furthest west creperie in all of Africa!


Ham and cheese crepe for lunch


I told the creperie owner I wanted to go to the monument so he walked me over. We were stopped by two cops and told it was closed. He argued and eventually won.


This is the former site of Club Med!


There it is, the monument on the westernmost point of Africa


Woo hoo!


Ottawa is closer than Cape Town


Time to turn around


Best. Nutella. Crepe. Ever.


That's it, as far west as you can go


Passed by the African Renaissance Monument on the way into downtown Dakar 


Safe parking in the hotel's valet parking lot


One more celebration. A milkshake at an ice cream shop near the hotel.

Tuesday and Wednesday 14 & 15 October – Dakar

Tuesday, I visited Île de Gorée to learn more about the horrific history of slavery based from here. This was one of the main embarkation points for slaves being sent to the Americas. The story is powerful and emotional, but a couple of things rather diminished the impact for me. I had hired a guide, as a good guide can bring these stories to life better than any exhibition. Unfortunately, he was not a good guide, and I would have been better off wandering on my own. Secondly, the entire island is a tourist shop, and the sellers are quite aggressive in getting you to come to their store. The shop keepers had an interesting trick. On the ferry over to the island a woman would come over to me and introduce herself. This happened three or four times. Then on the island the woman would come up to me and say, “Hi I’m Nina, remember me? My shop is right here, come have a look.” Getting hassled all the time really takes away from the experience of trying to immerse yourself into the story. Wednesday was much better as I met up with John Brinkers, who had just shipped his motorbike from Nairobi to Dakar. We visited the Museum of Black Civilisations (excellent museum) but the best part was swapping stories and just talking. It was so nice to meet up with someone with similar experiences and a great sense of humour. John will be a few days behind me on the way up to London as he is waiting for his bike to processed out of the port so I'm sure we'll stay in contact.

Ferry arrives at Île de Gorée


French colonial architecture, just like Saint Louis




The worst part about having a bad guide was there was a fantastic guide standing on the steps addressing a rapt audience of 30 people. In French unfortunately.


20 men would be chained up in here, waiting up to three months for the next boat.


I have seen similar mockups in slave-trading boats in Belize. The conditions are unimaginably horrific.




It's difficult to find a street that doesn't have a souvenir shop


The former governer's mansion is in ruins


Meeting John Brinkers!


We visit the Museum of Black Civilizations


The baobab tree represents the tree of life


I love these depictions of the spread of humankind. Always amazed at how long ago the Aboriginals populated Australia.


Home Sapiens indeed


Upstairs is an art exhibition




A Senegalese dinner with John

GPS tracks through Senegal to Dakar


The whole trip: Kronwinkl to Dakar

Chapter 8: Dakar to London! (Part 1 Dakar to Dakhla)

Chapter 8: Dakar to London! (Part 1 Dakar to Dakhla)

Thursday 16 – 17 October – Dakar to Nouakchott

Trip meter zeroed and I was ready for the start of Dakar to London! Before heading off into Dakar's chaotic traffic I had a great second breakfast with John (an ice cream parfait). Then I retraced my route to Saint Louis (minus the crepe at the westernmost point), again taking the toll highway to save an hour of riding in traffic. I didn’t stay at the Hotel de La Poste this time as it was booked, and I wanted to be out of town for an early morning run to the border. While the Escala Saint Louis was a lot cheaper it had a couple of downsides. One was getting the bike stuck in deep sand in their secure courtyard and second was a surprise room mate. Friday's border crossing was easy and then it was 40 km of hard packed but rough dirt track to the main highway to Nouakchott. I had installed the Insta360 camera so I could show the chaos of Nouakchott traffic. But then it was an easy peasy ride to the MauriCenter hotel. Right, it was Friday so no traffic, just like riding in downtown Calgary on a Sunday afternoon. I pulled into my usual parking space beside the pool at the MauriCenter Hotel and had a pleasant evening in the hotel.

Trip meter is zeroed. Let's go!


Second breakfast with John (he has a crepe and I have an ice cream parfait)


Gee, my motorcycle seems wide


Cops were actually directing us to go against traffic in the roundabout, holding us there until they stopped the oncoming traffic


The national tree of Senegal is the baobab, I'm glad I managed to find a nice example on the way to Saint Louis


Afternoon coffee in Saint Louis at Farmers Coffee


My hotel on the outskirts doesn't have a restaurant so I head back into town and have dinner at the Flamingo


Secure parking in the courtyard is deep sand


The security guard and I worked up a sweat pulling the bike out


My unexpected roommate. Herman disappeared in the middle of the night. Which is worse, seeing him on the wall or not seeing him?


The bridge crossing the Senegal River at Diama is a much easier crossing than at the ferry at Rosso


Finished exiting Senegal, now to enter Mauritania


Then 40 kilometres of hard-packed, rough dirt track


Through the national park there seem to be a few more birds than on the way down


Nice herd of pelicans


This van was stuck here last week 


Aren't you a pretty bird?




Watch out for potholes big enough to swallow a Volkswagen


Today's break brought to you by Nutella Biscuits


The dirt track ends here, in Keur-Macene


Mauritania and we're right into the desert


Friday afternoon prayers just finished


Removing the peak is nicer with the headwind and since I am riding north the sun isn't in my eyes.


Entering Nouakchott on a Friday afternoon so there isn't much chaotic traffic


Back at the MauriCenter Hotel in Nouakchott with the bike safely parked by the pool

Saturday 18 October – Nouakchott to Nouadhibou

On the way down it was over 40° for this leg, so I was pretty happy to only be seeing temperatures in the mid-thirties, and the headwind wasn’t as bad as I was expecting either. So, all in all a great ride!

Departing the MauriCenter Hotel


This sign took a bit of work to get to (riding the wrong way on a ramp, bouncing over a berm kind of thing) so maybe they aren't ready for this yet.


Road hazards


What's down the road?


Love the camels


Hello!


285 kilometres to Nouadhibou


Lunch in Chami took a while to come but it was a nice break and at only 31° it wasn't too hot either


In South Africa pick up trucks are called bakkies. So this would be a camelbakkie. (Thanks to Tim Creelman for the name suggestion!)


The receding power poles show the curvature of the earth (with apologies to the Flat Earthers)


The only drifting sand that covered the whole road. Just rode slowly and it was fine.




Wow, look at the size of this hitchhiker. Glad it didn't hit me in the faceshield.


Time for an ice coffee?


Good night from Nouadhibou

Sunday 19 October – Nouadhibou to Dakhla

Another day and another border crossing. Coming south I knew the entry to Mauritania would take a long time, so I planned a short ride from Bir Gandouz to Nouadhibou. I had checked with the fixer who helped me southbound, and he confirmed that the exit from Mauritania would be much faster. So I planned to ride past Bir Gandouz and all the way to Dakhla. As I was riding parallel to the railroad tracks, I passed the famous iron ore train of Mauritania leaving Nouadhibou. The Mauritania iron ore train is one of the world's longest and heaviest trains, used to transport iron ore over 704 km from mines in Zouerate to the port in Nouadhibou. So I raced ahead to the turnoff towards the border where I knew the road crossed the tracks. The gate arms are manually operated and when the operator lowered the booms, he pointed me to the best place to stand to take a photo. The border crossing was indeed easy leaving Mauritania. Morocco took a bit longer than expected but both the officials and other people crossing the border were super friendly. I had a customs agent ask me if I had a drone, “a camera that flies.” I showed him my pocket camera and said it’ll fly but not very far. That got a smile out of him. After Bir Gandouz, the wind really picked up, so I was glad that the windshield in the high position made such a difference. It was an easy ride to Dakhla with the bike purring along underneath me for the remaining 300 kilometres.

Good morning Nouadhibou!


My route goes straight into the wind


Nouadhibou will always be in my memory for these crazy Mercedes taxis


This one is in the shop for its annual inspection and an oil change then it's ready to go again


Leaving Nouadhibou


I've gone by here four times and this time I see the iron ore train


I race ahead to the railroad crossing

Arrival at the border to exit Mauritania


Bye Mauritania after about half an hour


Riding north in Western Sahara




I took this same picture on the way south


Riding along the coast means more moderate temperatures


Today's break brought to you by Pringles (don't worry I have Nutella with me)


Wow, the kite surfers are out in full force in Dakhla today


The Fresh Food restaurant was good last time I was here and it was this time too. Bonus is the market activity.


The security guard keeps an eye on the bike all night long


Dakar to Dakhla

Tracks from the GPS for Dakar to Dakhla

Chapter 9: Dakhla to Agadir

Chapter 9: Dakhla to Agadir

Monday 20 – 22 October – Dakhla to Agadir

I have taken three days to ride across the desert from Dakhla to Agadir. This is all retracing the steps I took on the way down. The further north I came the easier the riding became, with moderate temperatures and the wind dying down. For some reason I ended up at an all inclusive resort in Agadir, the kind where you have to wear a wristband (I have the lowest class, only having breakfast, not the full meal deal) and ithe place is so large t takes ten minutes to get anywhere. What an incredible contrast to the campground Audrey and I stayed at 22 years ago.

So much new construction in Dakhla (and other Western Sahara towns) it makes you wonder who's going to live here?


Laayoune today, Tan Tan tomorrow


The literal edge of the Sahara Desert


What's over the edge? Sea birds!




Riding along the Atlantic Ocean


That is one dirty motorcycle


Jump for joy!


Hmm, could be breezy here often


My favourite cafe in Laayoune


Did not go to the big chain coffee shop


Sunset from the Merci Cafe


Parked up for the night


Tuesday 21 October

Leaving Laayoune


The border between Western Sahara and Morocco (no border formalities)


The memorial commerating the visit of the king


Lots of "Keep your Distance" signs seem to work. It was several kilometres between vehicles.


This sign probably says to stop and wash your hands every two hours


Tea and orange juice for lunch (every Moroccan cafe seems to have freshly squeezed orange juice)


Back at the Sahara Beach hotel in Tan Tan Plage, sitting in the cafe working on the website


Sunset at Tan Tan Plage


Wednesday 22 October

Riding through Tan Tan


I like the analogy of a sugar cube dissolving in a glass of Moroccan tea to describe these old ruins 

I took a picture with this sign on the way down to Dakar, now celebrating the return


I seem to have done a few hundred extra kilometres (the peninsulas of Nouadhibou and Dakhla)


I seem to have booked myself into an all inclusive resurt in Agadir


No sign of the campground that Audrey and I stayed in back in 2003


The beach is much more crowded now too


The fort was a good hike back in 2003. Now there is a cable car!


Dakhla to Laayoune to Tan Tan Plage to Agadir


GPS tracks of the ride northbound from Dakhla

Chapter 10: Agadir to Tangier

Chapter 10: Agadir to Tangier

Thursday 23 October – Agadir to Marrakech

Well, that was the toughest riding day of the trip. It’s possible to take a highway from Agadir to Marrakech and it will take two or three hours. But as a motorcyclist you'll want to go over the Tizi n' Test pass, it's kind of like the Stelvio of Morocco. That'll add a couple of hours, so I was budgeting five hours when I left the resort at 10:00. Of course, it was a bit of a slog getting out of the Agadir metropolitan area but it wasn’t as bad as heading south. When I turned off to the Tizi n' Test pass the traffic dropped off and it was a pleasant ride going up into the mountains. I was looking forward to gaining some elevation to get out of the heat. Soon I hit construction as the highway was being improved (widening, straightening curves) and it wasn’t quite as much fun. The gravel sections where they were doing the work were not terribly challenging but did slow down the ride. I got to the Belle Vue restaurant where Audrey and I had stopped in 2003 on this same route from Agadir to Marrakech. I enjoyed the spectacular view over a light lunch of scrambled eggs and bread. I asked the restaurant operator if it was about two hours to Marrakech. He said closer to three and a half. More construction apparently and it started right after the top of the pass. This is where the effects of the 2023 earthquake were most evident with many collapsed buildings and sometimes entire villages lying in ruins. The earthquake had destabilized many slopes along the road and now crews were working to repair the road and stabilize the rock cliffs. This involved jackhammering the cliffs, sending huge boulders down onto the road which were then cleared by a front-end loader. Naturally the road was closed while this was going on. I must have hit five or six of these road closures where I had to wait ten or twenty minutes in the heat and dust. As you can imagine the road itself wasn’t in great condition either, so it was a challenging ride with dust, rocks, mud (from the watering truck), pea gravel on the odd section of asphalt and freshly graded gravel. When I finally arrived outside the city walls of Marrakech at 6:00 PM , three hours later than planned, I was wiped. I parked in the public parking (50 dirhams) and walked with my luggage into the medina. The Riad Le Saadien was a veritable oasis in the bustling medina, and the front desk clerk could see I was in a bit of a state. He sat me down and brought out tea and a plate of cookies while he checked me in. When I had recovered I went up to my room (there are only 5 rooms in this boutique hotel) and it was surely the nicest room of the trip, not in size or amenities but in presentation. I had scored a last-minute deal, knocking $200 off the price. Normally speaking I wouldn’t have been able to afford such pricey  accommodation. After freshening up (you can imagine how much I needed that) I walked into the medina for a delicious beef and prune tajine at the Kasbah Andalussiya. Then a walk around Jemaa el-Fnaa checking out the food stalls and performers and generally people watching. Back at the riad I collapsed into my rose petal covered bed.

Overcast and cool as I leave Agadir and the coast


About 30 km inland the cloud burns off and the temperatures start to rise into the 30s


The pass is right in the notch straight ahead


Improving the road on the south side of the pass


Takes a bit of the fun out of the ride




Wow, what a view


This is the view in February 2003


The road looks the same as it did 22 years ago (at least from up here)




Just after the Belle Vue the road gets more challenging


The effects of the 2023 earthquake are really evident, with collapsed buildings


Looking at our 2003 photos I came across the same building


New construction on this side of the valley with the ruined village on the other side


Many destabilized slopes


Waiting for the jackhammer and front-end loaders to do their job (you can see the backhoe jackhammering on the slope)


Another section of work, yes the watered road (to keep the dust down) is also slippery


This village lies mostly in ruins


There are some sections of asphalt but then it is spread with pea gravel (by the truck in the dust cloud) which act like roller bearings


Waiting for more jackhammering


The dust cloud from a rockfall


Freshly graded gravel is always a favourite with the bikers


Looking pretty happy to arrive in Marrakech


Entering the medina through Bab Ksiba as the sun sets


Ahhhh


What a lovely hotel Le Saadien is


Love the personal touch


Sunset over Marrakech from the rooftop terrace


Time to find dinner


My favourite tajine is the beef and prune. This example was terrific, very flavourful.


Kasbah Mosque from the rooftop terrace of the Kasbah Andalussiya restaurant


Jemaa el-Fnaa is hopping with crowds of people, food stalls and performers






To get back to the hotel I went outside the city walls and then back in through Bab Ksiba


Collapse in a bed of rose petals

Friday 24 – 25 October – Marrakech to Rabat

After breakfast on the rooftop of the El Saadien in Marrakech I hit the road for Rabat. The quickest route goes via Casablanca on the toll highway, but I wanted to avoid Casablanca's heavy traffic so I detoured further inland rather than going along the coast. When plotting my route, I found a road that added an hour of riding time but looked quite twisty on the map. It turned out to be a lovely road dancing its way northwesterly from Khouribga to Rabat where I only saw four vehicles in 50 kilometres. I arrived in Rabat at 6:00 and was surprised at how beautiful it was. And clean, not a speck of garbage. As I rode down the palm-lined avenue there were crews sweeping the streets and tending to the grass. I checked into the Imperial Hotel and just as I was about to jump in the shower there was a knock on the door. I had left my keys in the bike and the bellhop brought them up to me. Whew. Reading up on Rabat I decided I really needed to stay an extra day to visit. I try to make a point of visiting capital cities because that is typically where the country's best museums are and there is a certain pride in the city. Saturday was thus spent exploring Rabat.

Leaving Marrakech


The wide open plains north of Marrakech


I could be on the toll highway


Woo hoo! Only 116 km to Rabat (in Arabic and Amazigh)


The road dances over the hills


This is why I took the long way to Rabat


Dissolving buildings and a curvy road - bonus is no traffic


I didn't expect this palm-lined avenue entering Rabat


No garbage and the grass is nicely manicured


The Chellah Fortress as I approach downtown Rabat


I wasn't expecting that! It is the Mohammed VI Tower, at 250 metres tall it is the third tallest tower in Africa


Parkied in front of the Imperial Hotel


I forgot my keys in the topcase! Thank goodness the bellhop noticed them.


Spent Saturday visiting Rabat, starting with the small Museum of Civilisations


Roman gladiator figurine from Volubilis


Statue of Ptolemy (married to Cleopatra)


I love Roman mosiacs!


The Roman bronze statue collection was amazing


Down the block to the Mohammed VI Contemporary Art Museum (with a Botero horse in front!)


A fantastic collection of the photographer Bruno Barney's works


The photo the made Barney famous - The Eiffel Painter


Bruno Barney's most famous photo taken in Kuwait as Sadam Hussein sets fire to the oil fields


Upstairs is a contemporary art exhibit


Walkng the palm-lined streets of the capital of Morocco - Rabat


One of the many city gates


Fort Rottembourg now houses the National Photography Museum








Lunch is a stack of pancakes and a chai latte (!)


The sundial across the street from the cafe hasn't been adjusted for Daylight Saving Time, it's an hour slow
  



The mouth of the Oued Bou Regreg


Wandering in Rabat's medina




Cool! Cat plates! Do you get a free cat with a cat plate purchase?

Sunday 26 and 27 October - Rabat to Tangier

I have reached the end of my time in Africa for the moment. I rode from Rabat to Tangier on Sunday, once again avoiding the toll highway that links the two cities. I was in no hurry and didn’t mind riding through farming towns (I was expecting fishing villages along the coast) on market day. When I arrived at the fancy Royal Tulip hotel the parking attendant said I looked like I had just ridden across the Sahara. Well… My jacket has been able to stand on its own for a while now, and weighs an extra couple of kilograms, so I was delighted to discover that my room had a bathtub and promptly threw my jacket in there. Hopefully it will be dry by Tuesday when I catch the ferry to Tarifa. I spent Monday wandering through Tangier's medina after getting a haircut (while enjoying a view of Moraine Lake!). Tuesday it was a short ride to the ferry terminal and exiting Morocco was super easy. Then I boarded the high-speed catameran to Tarifa. Now I have a couple of weeks to make my way to London, returning to Africa in Cape Town next January.

Stopped by the Mohammed VI Tower on the way out of Rabat


Workers are already busy cleaning and manicuring


And their hard work pays off, beautiful boulevard!


Staying off the autoroute, riding north from Rabat


Salt mining adjacent to the ocean


Stopped for lunch and a gentleman who spoke English helped with my order. While he was on the phone with his wife in Quebec!


Light rain during lunch does nothing for cleaning the bike


Market day in some of the farming communities I ride through


Heading home from the market


The road isn't in great shape but still make reasonable time to Tangier


I saw a couple of groups of riders. Perhaps getting off the ferry and heading south?




My hotel room has a bathtub! Time to finally give the motorcycle jacket a much needed wash.


Hopefully it dries by Tuesday, when I catch the ferry to Spain


Good night Tangier


A barber shop right around the corner is all the motivation I need to get a cut


The TV is playing a recital of the Quran. But the background is Moraine Lake, just an hour from my home!


Oh oh, cruise ships in port so the medina could be crowded


Along the port, before entering the medina


Yes, it is busy in the medina.


I manage to get away from the crowds






Bab Al Bahr looks out on the Straits of Gibraltar


On the other side of Bab Al Bahr


That looks like a lovely spot for enjoying a Moroccan mint tea in the afternoon


Good morning Tangier! Ready to go to the ferry terminal.


I have a picture just like this from the trip to Panama. Then I lost my keys. This time it's all good - clean jacket and a haircut (and keys)


Departing the Royal Tulip


A seller comes along and I ask if he has any stickers. Yes!


Sticker applied and ready to go to Spain


There's my catameran


I like when the bike is strapped down this way. The boat moved around a lot during the crossing but the bike was rock solid.


Bye for now Africa! It has been an adventure!

GPS tracks of the ride from Agadir to Tangier