Out of all the prep for my trip, the thing I´m most happy with was the French I´ve learnt. So as usual with something recently learnt you try and impart this knowledge to other people. Clive, being the only one who would listen, seemed like the best student. I noticed one day whilst speaking with some locals that he was sort of acting strangely though. He kept swinging the conversation in certain directions and took great pains to try and explain certain things using hand gestures. Finally he managed to ask the fisherman if he had caught any fish knowing full well the answer. No. That was when Clive reached his point. Leaning back, a pleased grin on his face as he glanced at me, he uttered “ahh, c´est la vie”. I suddenly knew what it had all been about. … Read More
Sneaky sales system
I have an idea to start a course for salesmen, and it’s held in Morocco. Seriously, one day of working alongside a Moroccan vendor and you would be the craftiest, sneakiest, most conniving salesman ever back in NZ. There are volumes of books that could be written on their techniques. We took the road to Marrakech from Casablanca and on the way we were waved down by a motorist who had his bonnet up on the side of the road. Actually, despite my introduction on sneaky sales techniques I think this guy was genuine, but the conniving will come into this story later. Anyway, we picked him up and he seemed quite refined. We dropped him at the nearest mechanics and he asked us to drop a note to his family which was on the way to where we were … Read More
Oleeee ole ole ole
I have to admit, seeing a familiar face after a few weeks of just meeting new people is pretty cool. I was quite glad when Clive walked out of the arrivals at Casablanca airport. I could have said “see, I survived this far despite your videos at the going away party“ but I didn’t. It got me thinking though, what have I survived thus far? Amsterdam, Belgian roads, the French language, wind and rain in France, a night hugging my motorcycle for warmth, Swiss chocolates, illegally abseiling a German tower, crazy Spanish drivers, crazier Moroccan drivers, mysterious ship explosions, and countless hustlers. Not a bad effort I guess but the best was yet to come in Morocco. I have to say, staying with Yassine and Amin was the best introduction anyone could have. Thanks to them I am now hooked … Read More
Welcome to Africa
I´ve always wondered what it would be like to be amongst people in a state of panic. You know like on a sinking ship or burning building. Well, here I was relaxing on the car ferry when all of a sudden there was an almighty bang and the whole ship shuddered. My first thought? “What do the other people look like?“ Well most people were fairly alarmed; you could almost smell the fear. However one Moroccan looked like his eyes were going to pop out as he ran to the window. I found out later that most can´t swim. It didn’t help that the guy I was sitting with said rather loudly “it’s a bomb“ in French. Smooth, that´ll calm the masses. Speaking of the guy I was sitting with, he was French with 1.5 arms and only 3 yellow … Read More