Our 6th rest day was October 5, 2023. After a hard pair of stages, I decided to have a real rest day in Fez. It’s the second largest city in Morocco, is 1250 years old and has over a million people. There’s a lot to see but I needed to just chill out and relax instead of running around a hot, noisy city. I had breakfast with some of the riders in the hotel, then spent a long time unfruitfully working on a problem we have since entering Morocco: our Garmin bike computers no longer show us elevation/climb data. I think the climb screens are just something that we all took for granted and now that they’re missing, the climbs feel longer and harder. At least for me. Anyway, I tried various ways of regenerating the maps but failed to get it working. No big deal, as long as we have navigation with maps, we are good.

The WiFi is great here and I had excellent long video chats with Beau in Japan and Katie at home. I hung out, had a nap, chatted a little, then went out to dinner in the old town with Wytze, Daniel, Bart, Jan and Willi. We ate in a cool little Moroccan restaurant – I had delicious soup and fish with tomato.

Afterward we walked through the old town (Medina). It’s an endless labyrinth of narrow walkways with thousands of little shops. It’s interesting and dirty and actually a bit repetitive. We tried a couple of desserts and had a glass of fresh-squeezed pomegranate juice. The Argan oil vendors tried very hard to sell to us but weren’t successful.

We took a taxi back which dropped us off at an ice-cream shop and bakery across the big street from our hotel. The bakery part looked like it was in France and the ice-cream was good. Wytze and I talked to Andrew for a while – he looks and sounds great, and is starting the road to recovery, but we all wish it had turned out differently.

Stage 27 of 60, day 32 of 71: 156.5 km, 2420m, 7:31, 553 shifts, ave speed 20.8, max speed 60.0

We got up normally for 7am breakfast, but I know the day’s long stage was on everyone’s mind. It was the longest stage yet and had the most climbing of any so far too. Quite a few people made arrangements to ride some or all of the stage in the van or one of the trucks. Not everyone is fully healthy either. We left the campground at 8:12 in nice cool air. That lasted 17 km and then it was suddenly hot. Not a blast furnace yet, but that would come. We rode in a group, then at 30 km most people stopped for drinks but Kris and I decided to continue. We cruised along, chatting, and time passed easily. Well, there were a few exceptions. One was dogs. It was nothing like South America but at one point two were coming after Kris, one from each side, scary. But I don’t think anyone got bit today and most dogs didn’t attack. Also we had lots of encounters with people along the road. The kids were mostly smiling and asking our names and saying “How are you?” etc. We always wave and smile and try to answer. But a couple of times they also threw rocks at us. I got hit in the leg once, a first for me. Not cool. Two woman riders told me later they were slapped on the behind while riding. Also not cool. We must look like we’re from outer space to most of the locals though.

At 60 km we stopped at a little bar in a small town and each pounded a couple of soft drinks and drank some water. We both decided to train our stomachs as recommended by the staff: the locals drink the tap water and it is generally thought to be “ok”. So we did and will see how we fare tomorrow.

We continued on to a pretty normal lunch stop at 90 km, with everyone seeking shade and drinking lots. We went on and failed to stop at the next town, probably a mistake. Then one of the big climbs started. I got ahead and spied a little house after climbing for 10 km that had a bike in front. Richard told me the water is cold and they have sodas. So I bought four (mint flavored Sprite) and then Kris arrived and boy was she psyched. We drank those then the guys brought us water. We each drank a glass and thought we were doing a good job mixing safe drinks with potentially unsafe water. We just decided not to worry though. Even in supposedly “insulated” bottles, our water heats up to a temperature uncomfortable to drink after riding maybe 20 km, so stopping like this seems pretty vital.

From there the climb continued a long time and for a few minutes I was reduced to climbing in 38×52, my lowest gear, pretty much unused until now. Ype passed me just as I was topping out and waited on the pass. He gave me cool fresh water and dumped a bunch over me too. Down the other side I came upon Jan working on a flat with Dennis and Louis. I offered my pump and once they found a tube without holes, pumped up his tire. They passed me near the top of the next hill but good deeds are rewarded: soon after there was another bar and they bought me several drinks and Louis poured water all over me. Thank you guys!

We rode down to the outskirts of Fez together, then the last 6 km through town, on big wide streets with lots of traffic. There were many roundabouts with traffic lights. That seems to defeat the purpose, but I guess it works. Soon we pulled into the hotel and that was an awesome moment. There were bikes out front – no locks required as they are guarded 24×7. I didn’t check in, just went straight to the snack room for sandwiches, coke and many other snacks. I got my room, lonely without Andrew. After a shower I went to the bar with Dennis and bought beers! Yes you read that right, beers!

Later, Kris, Joan and Daniel joined and more beers were had. Such luxury. They are expensive here and not particularly special, other than being from a country where alcohol is basically banned, but they were very welcome. Then we went out to dinner nearby and had a nice simple meal.

I guess that’s the hardest stage we’ve done so far, although it might’ve been slightly hotter the day before. I’m now thinking we have some really hard times ahead as there are several stages at 170 km and more. And once we get to Western Sahara and Mauritania, it seems likely that friendly locals with drinks and plenty of cool water are much less common. I am SO glad tomorrow is a rest day!

Stage 26 of 60, day 31 of 71: 126.6 km, 1804m, 5:25, 356 shifts, ave speed 23.3, max speed 63.6

I slept ok but it was too hot in the room. Breakfast was delayed until 7:30, then we headed out at 8:30. We rolled back one time zone entering Morocco so that was not as early as it would be in Spain.

There was lots of traffic as we headed out of Martil. It didn’t feel right without Andrew and Wytze. It got hotter throughout the day, and stops for cold drinks became more and more vital. The first was at a nice place called Restaurant Panoramique. We talked to the new owner who built the big deck that looks out over a lake. Drinks and snacks were great there.

From there it was quite a climb up, hot hot 🔥. We found Ype exactly at halfway, 62.5 km. Lunch was the same as we’ve been having and there was some shade under a fig tree. I pounded electrolytes.

We headed out in a good sized group, cranking up yet another hill through construction zones and pretty nice scenery. I really liked the people we passed, they were so positive, adults and kids. Our group split at an intersection. Daniel, Jan and I continued up a very hot climb to the famous “Blue City” of Chefchaouen. First up we needed shade and drinks. We got off the road into an inner courtyard and found a perfect bar. We drank long and hard, multiple sodas, lots of water plus fresh squeezed orange juice. Each of us had over a liter and there was no hint of peeing.

Next we got Jan a Moroccan Sim card so his phone can function. 3rd try worked, a tiny shop that sold coffee beans but also had a Tele-boutique sign and set him up. It’s 120 for the card plus 10gb of data, about €12.

We had around 50 km to go, a little daunting, but there was lots of fast downhill. We ended up stopping part way up another brutally hot hill, for more cold drinks. The new one was Citron Menthe flavored Sprite. It must be made specially for the Moroccan market as they love mint here so much. It’s quite good on a day like this (understatement).

After that it was a mere 13 km to camp. We did that and were relieved to be done. Soup and snacks, shade, water and still no peeing. Eventually I set up my tent and had a cold (would’ve liked colder) shower. I sat in the shade and started this post then had dinner duty. We washed all the dirty dishes, set everything up then ate fresh fish, bought from the market in Martil in the morning and packed in ice. Potatoes, veggies delicious avocado salad and cake for dessert. I cleaned up and started on dish-washing duty but was excused early to finish this.

It’s not quite 9pm and I’m ready for a long sleep 💤💤

Stage 25 of 60, day 30 of 71: 43.7 km, 303m, 1:54, 134 shifts, ave speed 22.9, max speed 62.6

Today ended up being a terrible day. Andrew and I woke up at 5:45, had breakfast, packed up and rode to the ferry in the dark. Everyone got aboard with our bikes but our trucks didn’t quite make it and were delayed two hours. The ride was beautiful, from the top deck, just over an hour. We ate pastries and had drinks and relaxed at an outdoor café for an extra two hours waiting for the trucks. Ceuta is still part of Spain so phones and credit cards all worked.

Finally it was time to ride the 4 km to the Spain/Morocco border. Rob had warned us, and he was right, it was slow slow slow getting everyone plus the trucks into Morocco. When you arrive at the border, do not say you’re a journalist and do not say that you have a drone with you (none of us did, or presumably we would not all have made it through). Also don’t bring drugs as the dogs are thorough.

Anyway, we did make it eventually, passports stamped, and stopped at an ATM for dirhams and at a little convenience store for SIM cards for the non-Google Fi phones. We then had about 30 km to our hotel in Martil (مرتيل), along a pretty big road, with light and friendly enough traffic. There were roundabouts every kilometer or so that we generally just went through. But we had to turn left at one and there must’ve been something slippery on the pavement at one spot. I was riding 3rd, after Wytze and Daniel. There were no cars in the roundabout and we slowed for the turn, but suddenly ahead of me Daniel went down, sliding across the road. I rushed to the side, dropped my bike and ran back to help him but he was already up. Then I noticed Andrew had crashed as well, behind me. He was not getting up, so I blocked traffic then with Wytze helped Andrew to the roundabout center. He was alert but clearly hurting and couldn’t put any weight on one leg. Luckily Daniel was nearly unhurt.

We got Andrew comfortable and shaded and right away a police car stopped and called an ambulance. While we waited, a few other motorists stopped to see if there was anything they could do to help. The ambulance guys were great, very caring, and then Wytze and Daniel (who both speak some French) went along. A stopped motorist helped me move all the bikes over to where our van could pick them up.

Soon Ype and Richard came in the van and we loaded up the bikes. I rode off to the hotel with Bob and a very heavy heart. It was only 4 km, and I pulled in at the same time as Ype. We stashed the bikes in the garage and I had some snacks. Soon the news came from the hospital: broken hip, surgery required at a different hospital. At the hotel all the reservations were screwed up and the staff was fully consumed with that. I sat by myself and thought about all the chances we take, all day, everyday. Andre saw me and asked how I was and I just broke down sobbing.

Later Wytze and Daniel returned from the new hospital and we dealt with getting Andrew’s things together and Wytze’s since he was staying with Andrew in the hospital and through the surgery and would meet up with us later in Fez. Six of us had dinner which was good but hollow feeling for me. A sad day. The outpouring of support messages for Andrew on WhatsApp was pretty impressive.

Stage 24 of 60, day 29 of 71: 106.5 km, 1285m, 4:08, 378 shifts, ave speed 25.8, max speed 60.5

Well, we’ve accomplished a major milestone in the Paris to Dakar tour: made it to the bottom of Spain. The 24 stages we’ve ridden so far from Paris total 2,890 km with over 38,000m of climbing. We’re averaging 120 km per day with nearly 1600m climbing. The day started out like any other: wake up in the tent in darkness, pack up, eat breakfast and start riding at 9. It was a hot night and the tents were bone dry. We had a net loss of around 800m today, but with 1200m of climbing it means we descended 2000m. It was windy from the start again, sometimes helpful, sometimes hurtful and sometimes from the side.

Our little riding group had a different plan for today. Instead of stopping with everyone for lunch, we blew through at high speed and proceeded all the way to the hotel in the port town of Algeciras. We arrived around 2pm and after showers and a little water, headed out by taxi to meet a friend who Daniel had contacted. She set up the most amazing lunch ever. It was at a seafood restaurant right at the beach. We could see across to Gibraltar and ferries from Morocco passing as we ate.

We had been working on this plan to have a real Spanish paella meal before we left the country and it did not disappoint. First came several rounds of appetizers. The most interesting was fried anemone, a local delicacy. I had always wondered if anyone ate these and finally found out. Also tiny squids and others. Then the main courses: two types of paella: one with black rice and seafood (squid ink colored) and the other more traditional with giant shrimps. Both were off scale in taste. All of this was washed down with three or four bottles of delicious white wine. And luckily Jan started with a couple of rounds of beer so the rest of us got more of the wine. Dessert was of course cheesecake, plus a couple of other delicacies. This cheesecake was either the second or third best of the trip, simply excellent. Then coffee with brandy to top it off. Wow, I guess this is our farewell to Europe meal, for a while. Incredible. I will never forget it.

Tomorrow we have a very early start to make our 8am ferry. We’ll land in Africa in Ceuta, still part of Spain, and after a few km of riding will cross the border into Morocco. Everyone’s excited about this new phase of the trip. We’re not even half way to Dakar yet!

Stage 23 of 60, day 28 of 71: 117.6 km, 2119m, 5:45, 541 shifts, ave speed 20.1, max speed 74.1

I slept over 8 hours which was the first good sleep in several nights. The wind did not die down though, and it was still windy packing up in the morning which did not bode well for the ride. I got to say good-night to Katie before breakfast – it’s funny how the time zones work. She asked if I had seen the full moon and I answered, “I’m staring at it now” and showed her.

The cycling was varied today, but included lots of climbing, the most of any stage so far. The wind provided some moments of glory as well as some moments of despair. One time, with a tail wind, we were cruising at over 70 for a while. Another time, while pedaling, I saw I was going 16 kph and my Garmin told me the slope was -3%. For non-cyclists that means it was extremely crappy conditions.

I’d say the most interesting thing we saw was the Gaitanes Gorge (Desfiladero de las Gaitanes). We rode by and saw the amazing looking walk you can do, looking like those crazy ones in China – with a walkway built into a vertical cliff. As long as you trust it and it doesn’t break, you’re good to go.

A bit after that we had lunch, then continued to Ronda. The last obstacle was a 14 km long climb that started out steep and very hot. They always end though – you just have to keep at it. The descent was really nice and soon we were in the touristy city of Ronda. Finding a bar for beer was as easy as “Let’s stop at this one.” We had a couple of rounds with some fried seafood. Then we checked out the crazy cliff that the city is built on top of. Of course we rode across the famous bridge and took photos. Tourists everywhere.

The campground was just up the hill, where I had soup, snacks, soda, shower, laundry, beer, dinner and dessert in that order.

Stage 22 of 60, day 27 of 71: 141 km, 2064m, 5:45, 466 shifts, ave speed 24.5, max speed 72.1

I slept pretty badly, not sure why. Breakfast was a repeat of yesterday’s about 8am. We packed up and Rob explained how our baggage truck driver Lex had had enough and that Rob would drive the truck to Fez where a replacement driver would join us.

We headed out, navigating through city traffic. After a while I was out in front which felt good. I tried not to go too fast but to keep a good pace. After a while Wytze took over and we cruised up some climbs, down some descents, temperature always rising.

At about 40 km we found a great bar and had lots of refrescos plus tostadas (in this case giant toast with olive oil and tomato sauce and optional ham).

Ype finally passed us and it’s great to have him ahead when you’re getting close to halfway. He texted and said to wait until 1:30 and luckily there was a nice bar at 69 km where we killed time. More Fanta Limon and snacks.

Lunch was in a good spot with shade; we ate heartily. Then it was time for the second half. There were a number of multi-km quite hot climbs, but with lots of fast, fun downhill too. If it had been a little cooler it would’ve been a really great stage. Eventually we came to the town of Archidona and our new idea is that arriving early in camp had no value and we should take lots of long breaks so we looked around and found a nice bar right on the famous Octagon Plaza. We had another pile of sodas and snacks.

Then just 30 km remained. Wytze took the lead and we all sweated mightily following. Finally we stopped for beer about 4 km from the campground, best stop ever. Jan started bringing icy big beer mugs to our table and the first sip was out of this world. Then snacks, salty potato chips for the win. Plus a few liters of water.

The last 4 km was ok, then it was time for more drinks and snacks. The municipal water in this town is not drinkable due to a recent big flood. Wijnand gave me another cold Fanta, I think it was #7 for the day. Plus delicious soup and snacks. It was after 6 pm, our latest arrival yet.

After showers, laundry and setting up the tent, it was dinner time. Yummy all veggie fare, with excellent conversations and ice cream and fruit for dessert, what a life!

After that, blog writing and sleep. Wow, all I wrote about was riding, eating and drinking. It is a pretty simple life I guess. Tomorrow is another 2000m climb day; we’re used to these now.

Our 5th rest day was Sept 28, 2023. It sure is luxurious having a rest day at a hotel, particularly a nice 4-star one like the Allegro Granada. When I woke up, it seemed pretty dark outside, definitely pre-sunrise. So I thought I had a long time to relax and catch up on reading. But no, it was 8:15 already. We went down for breakfast and it seemed like everyone was there. I met Joan from the US who I last saw in Ushuaia in 2020. It was a nice breakfast like you would expect for a place like this and of course I went pretty big.

At 9:30, I left on foot with Wytze and Andrew for the Alhambra. We had bought tickets a few days earlier. All the cheap ones were gone so we bought a guided tour. We walked almost half an hour then checked in for the tour. The guide was pretty good and had audio so he could speak quietly but all 24 people could hear him. He was a linguist with many interesting side points and explanations.

We walked up to the Alhambra which is way more extensive than I envisioned. There are tons of gardens, with water flowing nicely in small streams. The palaces and fortress itself are almost 800 years old, built originally with Islamic architecture, but in places modified after the Spanish Royal family took over in 1492. Our three hour tour walked all around and gave us access to all the parts open to the public.

After the tour was over we didn’t take the guide’s advice and visit the museum. Sometimes enough is enough. Instead we walked downtown and had a pre-lunch cheese-platter with other snacks and beer and wine.

We looked around a bit more but it was starting to get pretty hot. So we bailed to the Italian restaurant where we had a 3:30 lunch reservation. We were early but no problem. Ype and Daniel joined us and we had a delicious lunch with lots of appetizers, then various amazing Italian dishes. Plus a couple of bottles of wine and several desserts to share.

We did some shopping, then Wytze and I walked home to the hotel. I immediately went to the rooftop infinity pool and had a nice swim. It was hot out and the water was perfect. I did a little more laundry then had a short nap. I ended up skipping dinner since lunch and pre-lunch were pretty big. All in all it was a good rest day. My body feels fine for riding tomorrow, my mind, …?

Stage 21 of 60, day 25 of 71: 144.8 km, 1828m, 5:49, 506 shifts, ave speed 24.9, max speed 71.1

This block of four rides from Cuenca to Granada has been relatively hard. We climbed over 6600m and rode 537 km. But with my secret weapon (riding with Wytze and crew), I not only survived, I had lots of fun. Today’s long stage to Granada was pretty normal. We’ve gotten used to packing up completely dry tents in the morning – it’s easy. Someone fired up a loud leaf blower or something just after 6am so I don’t think anyone slept in.

I had a normal breakfast plus electrolytes. After that, we left together at 9 and cruised on rolling, lightly travelled roads for quite a while. Later, we rode on highways for some time, with more traffic than we’re used to. I didn’t really mind as the surface was good and the cars and trucks seemed polite. We rode right through a morning market in a town around 48 km – then stopped at a hotel which had an open coffee shop. Daniel and Wytze had purchased a large bag of pastries from a bakery so we had a jolly time eating and drinking. Jan was riding with us today and his humor just killed me. I was laughing so hard at his tales I was literally crying.

Then back to work. We rode to lunch at 84 km to find Ype had secured a large covered pavilion. We had a nice cool lunch with more electrolytes for me. By this time it was pretty hot, 31°C. We had already climbed about 1200m and done way over half the distance which felt good.

The afternoon session was in two parts: 1) Ride to a restaurant we found along the way and 2) Ride to the hotel in Granada. At the restaurant we had a round of zero alcohol beer since we still had almost 30 km to ride. They served it with a platter of meat that the guys loved and the restaurant cat ate quite a bit of. I tried but failed to photograph the cat.

Then we finished off the day with a pretty easy ride to Granada. It was a little exciting riding through the city, but we suddenly turned a corner and arrived at the Allegro Granada, a 4 star hotel, quite a change from our normal campground life. Major snacks were had, luggage was found and a shower was a really great thing. So civilized. We checked out the laundry situation and I decided to just wash my own.

About 7, we started walking over to a wine bar Wytze had found for dinner. It was a 30 min walk, through a touristy area. We hung out until 8 at a nearby outdoor café having sangria. Daniel arrived and we moved into the wine bar, a tiny, very local place. Each bottle of wine came with an amazing dish of food, like oysters, toast with shrimp, etc. Ype joined us after a couple of bottles and spent the rest of the evening with us. After four or five rounds, we walked to a nearby square for dessert. We had I don’t know how many desserts, tiramisu, chocolate cake and a bunch of orders of cheesecake (although it wasn’t on the scale of the legendary one from Zaragoza). Then we started with the drinks. First there was coffee with your favorite liquor (mine was Bailey’s). Then some rounds of “Vino dulce” which tasted like Port – excellent. Finally, well after midnight, we called an uber which took Bart, Andrew and Daniel home while Ype, Wytze and I walked. When we made it back to the hotel we chatted in the lobby with a few of our people still awake and at 1:30 I went up to write this up. What a day! It’s like two days in one, one of riding and one of pure fun in Granada. And the rest day hasn’t started yet!

Stage 20 of 60, day 24 of 71: 116.2 km, 2026m, 5:25, 390 shifts, ave speed 21.4, max speed 60.4

We’ve now done one third of the stages of Paris Dakar. It feels strange but if we look at the map of Spain and find Cazorla, we’re getting toward the southern part. I slept really well again; at some point in the night I pulled out my sleeping bag and put it over me. It was just starting to get light at 7:30 when I got up. Breakfast was normal at 8, then I helped load the trucks and we were ready to go by 9.

After riding up to the campground entrance we turned right and immediately the climb screen popped up on my Garmin telling me I’m starting a 12 km climb of 659m. But the air was cool and I really didn’t mind it. It was beautiful at the start and only got better. I was proud to make it in just under an hour, even though I was going easy, conserving leg power for another long day. At the top we were up over 1400m again, with long beautiful views. This part of Spain is just great.

We had several more climbs and lots of glorious downhill as we made our way along the route. Ype texted and said he was only going 25 kph so don’t expect lunch before 1pm. We came to a small town with a fun looking bar that was open and did as he said, took our time. We had a few rounds of refrescos, relaxing on the deck.

Finally it was time to go, more downhill to an interesting dam holding back a lake that needs more water. The route then followed the lakeshore but up quite a bit, and partway through we found lunch at 66 km. It was getting hot now, sitting in the shade was vital. And I did not forget the electrolytes! The only sad thing was Dick’s derailleur breaking – Ype went back to rescue him but he will not be able to ride tomorrow’s stage.

After lunch there was one more big climb and we decided to just ride to it and do it non-stop. The idea was that beers would taste even better if we weren’t too soft. We rode through a resort town at the bottom of the climb, then cranked back up to over 1400m and stopped on top at 100 km for views and peeing.

We went partway down the descent but noticed a fancy looking hotel with an amazing view. So we pulled over and ordered a round of Clara (radler – beer mixed with lemon) which came with a very yummy snack: big balls of potato/tomato/onion/salted fish. It was so cool and wonderful looking out over the valley, olive trees growing everywhere. We ordered a second round and it came with Spanish cheese with olive oil dribbled on top. Simple but delicious.

From there it was a fun descent to town, and I was in charge of finding a bar for more beer. We got to a nice looking square but it had two bars and I had to decide. I picked the one that looked like it had better shade, not even noticing its best feature: a fountain where we immediately dunked our heads. The beer here came with potato chips with anchovies on top. That was not bad either!

We rode a couple more km twisting through town, then up some tiny roads steeply to the campground. There were grassy spots for the tents, soup was ready and many snacks were out. I immediately went for empanadas and soup, olives and more. I threw my tent up and went for a shower. Then a bit of time, poolside, to write before dinner. Dinner was the typical feast with a surprise for dessert (cake). I had a video call with Katie after dinner, she was walking up from the beach in the Capitola sun.

Today we have another Rider Profile. This time it’s Suzanne Stack. I already featured a photo of her headtube with its “Do Epic Shit” badge. To give you and idea of what epic means to her, this year she rode her bike from Vancouver to Halifax, packed it in a box and flew to Paris to meet us and ride to Dakar. She has many more huge trips planned, like the Silk Road.

How old are you Suzanne?

63

Where are you from and how much of this crazy adventure are you riding?

I was born and raised in Washington, D. C. and live In Arizona since 1985. I’m doing the “Full PD”.

Tell us about your bike…

It’s a Lynskey titanium R150 with 25mm tires. Gears unknown, I think the best climbing gear is a 32 or maybe 34 [doesn’t matter to her, she just goes!]

What do you hope to get out of Paris Dakar? Do your friends think you’re crazy?

I signed up for S. America [Andes Trail, 4 1/2 month hardcore ride] & it changed to PD. My friends would think I’m crazy if I stayed home.

Thanks Suzanne. For me it’s inspiring to see so many strong women like you doing this tour.