Only 2 days left before I set off for Marrakech to join Jamila, 4/5 days before we take the road to Erfoud, the door to the desert, 7 days before we must present ourselves and our vehicule for inspection, and exactly 9 days before the official start of the rally on the 22 March.
To say that Jamila and I are getting nervous is slightly understating it. We are READY to be reunited with our lovely Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ80.
We've been spoiled by friends who have given us free hotel rooms. Ahmed Nait of Travellink got us 2 nights at Hotel Chergui and Faical of the Moroccan Office of Tourism in London got us 1 night at the Xaluca Hotel. They're both 5 star hotels in Erfoud. And of course, in Marrakech, we're staying with my lovely friend Heather of Villa Dinari.
This rally takes itself extremely seriously and is full of regulations, things we can do or not, objects we can take and those we can't have for fear of elimination. We even have to give the organisers a cheque for about €1500 that they will keep if we are found cheating.
Three weeks ago, Jamila and I met in casablanca for the compulsory navigation course :
We were given 1960s black and white maps of the region we will be travelling in and told how to find our course to designated points.
To make things simple, as you know, there are 3 Norths:
In Morocco, Cm (Cap Magnetique) = Cv ( Cap vrai or true North) + 2.
Right now, I have forgotten what it means, in concrete terms, for us and for finding our way in the desert.
Will ask in Erfoud.
DECISION TIME :
The pain in my heels, although less than before thanks to my numerous sessions with Mark at Physio4life is still here however, so Jamila and I have made the decision she will be the navigator most of the time and I will be the driver, simply because it is our understanding that the navigator spends a lot of time walking ahead of the car, finding the way.
We are asked to use bio degradable soap and shampoo. I only found 1 company making them : Faith in Nature which you can buy in Health Stores.
MARRAKECH BIENNALE :
I can't resist the pleasure of putting a picture of myself with Vanessa Branson (sister of Richard and creator of the Marrakech art Festival) and the hero of all reading teenagers, Anthony Horowitz ( creator of the Alex Ryder serie):
I am also wearing the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles T-shirt which does not make me look thin but never mind!
I was interviewed by David evans, rally editor of autosport. The interview will appear this week or next week in autosport.com.
COMMUNICATION :
I will try to update my blog on a daily basis during the rally, except during the marathons because we sleep in the desert, not in a camp.
To say that Jamila and I are getting nervous is slightly understating it. We are READY to be reunited with our lovely Toyota Land Cruiser HDJ80.
We've been spoiled by friends who have given us free hotel rooms. Ahmed Nait of Travellink got us 2 nights at Hotel Chergui and Faical of the Moroccan Office of Tourism in London got us 1 night at the Xaluca Hotel. They're both 5 star hotels in Erfoud. And of course, in Marrakech, we're staying with my lovely friend Heather of Villa Dinari.
This rally takes itself extremely seriously and is full of regulations, things we can do or not, objects we can take and those we can't have for fear of elimination. We even have to give the organisers a cheque for about €1500 that they will keep if we are found cheating.
Three weeks ago, Jamila and I met in casablanca for the compulsory navigation course :
 |
| I'm pretty sure the North is over there! |
And then you grab your compass and hope you're going in the right direction, following the right course.
To make things simple, as you know, there are 3 Norths:
Grid North: the direction of a grid line which is parallel to the central meridian on the National Grid.
True North: the direction of a meridian of longitude which converges on the North Pole.
Magnetic North: the direction indicated by a magnetic compass. Magnetic North moves slowly with a variable rate and currently is west of Grid North in Great Britain.
In Morocco, Cm (Cap Magnetique) = Cv ( Cap vrai or true North) + 2.
Right now, I have forgotten what it means, in concrete terms, for us and for finding our way in the desert.
Will ask in Erfoud.
 |
| Where do we have to go now? |
DECISION TIME :
The pain in my heels, although less than before thanks to my numerous sessions with Mark at Physio4life is still here however, so Jamila and I have made the decision she will be the navigator most of the time and I will be the driver, simply because it is our understanding that the navigator spends a lot of time walking ahead of the car, finding the way.
We are asked to use bio degradable soap and shampoo. I only found 1 company making them : Faith in Nature which you can buy in Health Stores.
MARRAKECH BIENNALE :
I can't resist the pleasure of putting a picture of myself with Vanessa Branson (sister of Richard and creator of the Marrakech art Festival) and the hero of all reading teenagers, Anthony Horowitz ( creator of the Alex Ryder serie):
I am also wearing the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles T-shirt which does not make me look thin but never mind!
I was interviewed by David evans, rally editor of autosport. The interview will appear this week or next week in autosport.com.
COMMUNICATION :
I will try to update my blog on a daily basis during the rally, except during the marathons because we sleep in the desert, not in a camp.
