Monkey Run Day 5
Today we saw monkeys.
Our first goal was the Cascades D’Ouzoud. This has been the one consistent part of our plan from its conception - almost everything else about our route has deviated.
We set off at 10am to ride the 60km required to reach the waterfalls. Some more amazing views, one of a worryingly diminished lake. Morocco is in the middle of a historic drought but this by far the starkest reminder we’ve seen of this. We also drove through some tunnels which was a fun surprise.
Reached the waterfalls around 12:30. We parked up and were immediately greeted by a man named Hassan. He has lived in Ouzoud his whole life, said he only went to Marrakech for the first time recently, and he offered us a tour. He was a great tour guide, kept the stall owners off us and gave us some fantastic insights about the town.
We got lots of pictures with the monkeys that live around the waterfalls, and more of the falls themselves. The walk back up from the bottom was very hard for all of us - none of us had eaten a solid meal in a couple of days and I think we’re reaching the limits of what snacking can do.
With that in mind, we had agreed that we would stop in a McDonald’s that Google maps claims to exist. Francis hasn’t eaten properly since leaving Marrakech because of his peanut allergy, so we wanted to find somewhere he could feel confident eating something. The ride from the falls to the Maccies was 60km in the right direction so it made sense as a goal for dinner.
The ride there was tough. I was so hungry, and all I could think about was getting my backpack off and eating a ton of fries. I haven’t watched the odometer on my bike so intensely for any other stretch of riding during the trip.
So of course, the Maccies doesn’t exist. It’s an empty field. Why wouldn’t it be. One clue should have been that there are 2 google reviews, one of which says that it doesn’t exist. We were all feeling extremely defeated as we made our way to the next town, Demnate, to find a hotel. It didn’t help that Sandy’s bike is clearly on its last legs - we’re making him visit a mechanic in the morning.
We stopped at the first place we saw which claimed to be a hotel. It was crazy cheap, which should’ve been a tipoff, but we unpacked our bikes and headed up to the rooms regardless. The place literally looked like a prison, and the toilet was a communal joke in the ground. So we immediately noped out to find another place, and picked up some street food on the way. The bread here is incredible, and we picked up a bunch of snacks and water. I’m writing this from a reasonably comfortable bed, feeling full, and probably seconds from falling asleep once I put this phone down.
One more full day to go, one more big push. We’ve got this. We need to travel 120km tomorrow to be in good shape for an easy final half day. Considering the fact that we’ve done 3 150km+ days it should be very doable. Wish us luck!
