Marrakech to Imlil Cycling day 1

Arrived safely in Marrakech which was warm and dry. Got through the airport with no dramas. The city is like another world! The Riad (Riad Romance in the Médina) was like an oasis of tranquility in a world of chaos! Had a good sleep and woke up early to have breakfast with friends Ali and Sally who were on their last day headed to the airport.

We assembled our bikes and did cursory checks. Fortunately no damage.On the advice of the resident Germans (Austrians as it turns out) decided to get a lift to the outskirts of the city which turned out to be a good decision as there was still chaos the next morning!

After some minor bike adjustments we got on the road and headed towards the Atlas Mountains in the far distance.

Eventually we arrived @Asni and decided to stop for lunch. Tagine .... which Andrew successfully negotiated an interesting deal , however the boss sent in his mates to plague us with offers of buying hand made burbor art, ending with pleading to to put money on the table for starving kids! We left after a tasty meal and turned left out of Asni towards Imlil. The road drew us in with continuous slight incline and even some slight downhill sections as it followed the course of the river, killing us off with a steep ascent of of a few km at the end! We gratefully arrived at the Riad around 5.00 pm. Lovely room and hot water for a shower for 25 Euros between us.

After an exploratory visit of a dry river bed seeking the famous Imlil waterfall we had tasty meal in the dining room with panel wall and ceilings; are they real we asked ourselves? Followed by a brief Brexit debate with a Danish family!! Sleep well tonite , tomorrow it’s back down the hill towards Agadir for the next stage!Lue lisää