Leg 56, Bou Sfer, Ein El Turk, Algeria to Sidi Bou Othmane, Morocco
DAY10_17.PLN (7.7 KB)
Exploring Morocco, unfortunately mostly low res detail
10-17 Bou Sfer DAOE 5:00 AM
10-17 Zenate-Messali El Hadj DAON 5:22 AM
10-17 Angads GMFO 5:36 AM
10-17 El Aroui GMMW 5:59 AM
10-17 Melilla GEML 6:10 AM
10-17 Cherif El Idrissi GMTA 6:31 AM
10-17 Ouezzane GMFA 7:10 AM
10-17 Saniat R’mel GMTN 7:35 AM
10-17 Ibn Batouta (Tangier) GMTT 7:52 AM
10-17 Ibn Batouta (Tangier) GMTT 8:27 AM
10-17 Tourisme GMMY 9:01 AM
10-17 Sale GMME 9:08 AM
10-17 Sidi Slimane GMSL 9:24 AM
10-17 Saiss GMFF 9:48 AM
10-17 Taza GMFZ 10:16 AM
10-17 Ifrane GMFI 10:51 AM
bad performance, Restart
10-17 Ifrane GMFI 10:58 AM
10-17 Beni Mellal GMMD 11:39 AM
10-17 Khouribga GMKH 12:04 PM
10-17 Benslimane GMMB 12:26 PM
10-17 Anfa (Casblanca) GMMC 12:42 PM
10-17 Mohamed V GMMN 12:49 PM
10-17 Sidi Bou Othmane Airport GMSI 1:20 PM
FLight time 7:38 20 stops
Back on the Mediterranean coast, Nador cradling a salt lagoon named Mar Chica
View from the beach
Mellila, this city apparently belongs to Spain
Melilla is one of two permanently inhabited Spanish cities in mainland Africa, the other being nearby Ceuta. (Which is directly South of Gibraltar, which belongs to the UK…)
Melilla la Vieja, 16th-17th century fort
Ouezzane well known in the Islamic world as a spiritual capital, pilgrimage destination
Tetuán also known as the white dove, white plastered buildings with many narrow old streets
Tangier on the straight of Gibraltar, Spain on the horizon
Stade Ibn Batoua, huge soccer stadium at the bottom
Tangier as seen from the coast
Cape Spartel, home to the caves of Hercules
As well as this Arabic style lighthouse, Phare Cap Spartel, looking out over the Atlantic
Heading back inland to explore the Atlas mountains, the land ‘dries up’ from Dowar Wlad Jrire
Taza between the Rif mountains and Middle Atlas mountains
A view from Taza
The Atlas mountains are not very detailed. A view here from Beni Mellal
Ain Asserdoun castle overlooking the city
Crossing the Oum Er-Rbia River at Oulad Ghanem
Then I wondered what this was, it’s Sidi Shannan Phosphate Mine
I was bound to run into one, Morocco holds 75% of the world’s phosphate reserves
Back on the coast, Casablanca
That tower sticking out behind my tail is the minaret from the Hassan II mosque
210m high minaret with a laser pointing to Mecca. The science nerd in me says, wait a minute, it should be angled into the ground to point at Mecca from Casablanca. That would be a bit of a liability issue of course, so it’s pointing slightly up to the East.
Here’s looking at you kid, Humpfrey Bogart, Casablanca 1942
Which has nothing to do with the city Casablanca, not filmed in Morocco nor based on the city
Heading South back inland, passing Kenidlat, Barrage Al Massira on the Oum Er-Rbia River
I wonder what is written on the hill there
Last stop for today, Sidi Bou Othmane Airport
Which is actually Ben Guerir Air Base, 14 miles North of Sidi Bou Othmane
Tomorrow I’ll start with a little detour to the West, Jebel Ighoud, where the oldest known remains of Homo Sapiens have been found.