Waiting for the sun to set

My walk in the dunes

My hotel for tonight . . .

Going into the dessert looking at the sunset . . .

Getting close to the destination

If your eyes are really good you can see the dunes in the back ground . . . Happy travels . . . Toon

A whole different view

Getting closer to Merzouga and the view is changing to more dessert like area . . . Saw the first dunes :) . .

A genuine tourist trap . .

They can't stop travelling with their camping cars . . . And spoiling a place as beautifull as this . .

A lake on the way . .

Driving down to the valley of Ziz

One of my companions . . .

Although he hardly spoke french he understood the words cigarette and dirham . . . You can't see it on the picture but he was walking bare footed . . .

The road to Merzouga

Passed by numerous litte villages here . . . It is amazing to see the house on the flank of the mountain . . . But once you stop you see children running towards you . . .

Leaving the plains i guess . .

What a view . . . And go the middle a family living . .

Leaving Midelt . .

With all my germs i hope. Feeling better today so on the road for the dunes of Erg Chebi . . . Wonder if there is going to be a large difference and if i will be able to take more pictures . . .

réunion à la marocaine?

Dag Toon, 

 

Maandag 12 landen we in Marrakech.

Eerst gaan we naar Imsouane, nadien (tegen het weekeinde 17,18, misschien vroeger) komen we terug naar Marrakech.

Dinner perhaps? Somewhere, sometime?

 

Happy trails.

Stay healthy.

Motilium helps ;)

 

Kouhn.

 

réunion à la marocaine?

Dag Toon,

 

Maandag 12 landen we in Marrakech.

Eerst gaan we naar Imsouane, nadien (tegen het weekeinde 17,18, misschien vroeger) komen we terug naar Marrakech.

Dinner perhaps? Somewhere, sometime?

 

Happy trails.

Stay healthy.

Motilium helps ;)

 

Kouhn.

 

 

KOEN PHLIPS koen@glue.be Mobile +32 (0)473 973 363 www.glue.be - info@glue.be

IIC, Technologiepark 3 B-9052 Ghent - Belgium Tel +32 (0)9 241 56 33 Fax +32 (0)9 241 56 56

 

The roads to kill my germs

Looked up the heavy trail of cirque de jaffar to kill the germs . . . Took a wrong turn and ended up in some really rough area with hardly a path , only rocks and ice. A local berber boy put me on the right path again go exchange for some cigarettes. Sometimes smokinp comes in handy in this country as a basis of trading. The landscape is overwhelming and makes you feel so small in the big picture of things . . Now back to the hotel to kill the remaining bugs in my body . . . . Happy travels . . . Toon

I know i'm not the most pretty guy . .

But today i really look like i've run over by a truck . . . A truck loaded with bad food and unhygienic kitchens . Having yesterdays meal throwing up all day is not a pretty feeling. After consulting the home front the decision has been taken to do it easy today and stay an extra day in Midelt . Today i will be exploring the cirque de jaffar a path along the mountains. For now i'm trying to get my stomach in order with some good old fashioned coke :) . . . . Happy travels . . . Toon

The serious roads . . .

I said something about the road conditions yesterday, well today was beating it all. The road Midelt was like i said going over the Zaidia plains with star wars like scenes. The wind was blowing hard and the road sometimes looked like a ballet of thumble weed . . . Like the one flo had in the first office of dare digital. The afternoon i first checked in so i had a place to come back to (always play it safe and the lonely planet guide is really helping with it ) and than i set off without the big bag to Aouli , a now abandoned minning village. The road was really rough and the different bridges over the Moulaya river shaky as you can see on the picture . . But it was great fun riding it. The best however awaited me when i pushed through to the water reservoir for electrical power. The area is sealed off and you can only pass with a chaperon along the 6 km road along the artificial lake. Arrived at the other side the guards and myself started talking and i was invited to take a pretty heavy trail to see the dam from below. I must say for offroading this was divine . . Going down the steep rocky trail was like the course i took in spain but two knots up . . . The behind the scenes look i got is a little secret :) . . . Anyhow it was very very nice today . . . Hope all is well with everybody and i've started the count down to see Agnes and the kids :) . . . Happy travels . . . Toon

Me in the open plains

Betwee two chains of mountains the plain looks like a steppe . . Wonderful . . Last bit to Midelt in a strong cold wind.

Rain is taking away the land

Due to heavy rains combined with too many sheep the landscape starts to erode . Government is trying to help people moving from sheep or battle to olives, nuts and other less damaging agriculture . . .

Am i getting older or is it called wiser

As you can see it's looking grim today so i took the wise decision to go via the main road to Midelt and not over the mountain pass. My host of last night said it is feasable but when it starts raining it can turn into a mud pool and even snow considering i'm going from 1200 meters here to about 3500 meters at Imilchil . . . . . . Also it has been extremely cold up go the mountains with already 3 people freezing to dead. Not really a sight that motivates me to go that direction . . . Will have to come back to see it . . . Happy travels . . . Toon

I present to you casa Diependaele for tonight . .

Found a very nice auberge for the night . . Surroundings are overwhelming. Will post pictures later . . .

My private parking spot

Wonderful lunch go Khenifra with a parkins spot for the bike on the terrace :)

On the condition of the roads . . .

Yes the drive like crazy. I have seen till now no accidents, which suprises me greatly since the way they drive would justify about at least 10 accidents a day on one road . What about going 90 on a one carriage way, overtaking just before a bend of 90 degrees, hanging out of a van holding on to the spare wheel which is mounted on the back , sitting on the roof of a car only holding by the edge . . . Plenty enough reasons , so i adopt my riding style. I'm more vigilant about what is coming my way than ever. But still although the quality of also major roads is bad i still love my hours on the bike. As you can see we got the picture blog working so i hope to send some more pictures now . . Happy travels . . . Toon

Landscape . . Landscape

Is like a continue drive through forest , plains . . . Rocks . . Sheep . . Have the impression people are getting nicer :)

On travelling in foreign places

What to expect in foreign places is very much up to what one is hoping to find. I guess i was hoping to find a seek into a culture living more close go harmony with nature and in a way i did, but not to the measure i thought to do. I have seen desserted places where few people choose to settle and build their shelters - you can only describe them as such since it are merely bricks piled up with a wooden roof full of holes, letting the smoke and scent of burning wood come to me - in conditions one could never imagine.
Am i envious, no i do not feel that way, i'm more aware of our fortune of having the live with the kids, Agnes, family and friends around me , enjoying the evenings out or just relaxed at home overlooking the market on saturday.
Sitting here in the lobby of a small hotel with the open fire bringing back memories of what was my youth i can only sweetly smile and thank my parents and brother and sisters for the cumbersome time i had growing up in such richness of experiences. Yes i know it's a bit mellow but that's how it feels after seeing kids play in the garden of fallen apart houses, having to walk 5 to 10 km to a school or having to guard a herd of sheep in the upper plains of the middle atlas at -5 degrees, hardly finding the energy to wave at the passing nutcake on the bike. When i stopped they ran either run away afraid of the unknown or as one did today firmly came my way to ask for money.

It's a totally different world i keep repeating go my head and go the blog . . . But it is : people have a different way of looking at things here: everything is a trade. Getting of the bike is waiting for the first one coming up to you to trade something, even if it was only for using the right to admire the panoramic scenery on the plains near Ifrane . . . .
On the downside of it all the impact of western aspirations have brought polluting cars ( must have inhaled more exhaust fumes in one day than i do otherwise in one year ) , garbage on every corner and in every gutter . Between Azrou and Ifrane there was even a garbage belt which hosted the biggest population of storks ever seen together with berbers going through everything what still could be used. Not to mention the antennas on the most shabby places and the mobile phones in the hand of every merchant and customer.

So in my philosophical mood i would say we still have a long way to go in our aim to make this a better place . . .

Happy travels

Toon

Day 3 as planned but not sure . . .

Up to Azrou now from fes to go through the lake district . It is very difficult to get in touch with the locals . . . Or view avoid contact or they are selling more or less in a pressuring way something . . . Yesterday au one of the stops i tried to take pictures of the sins but nobody allowed me to , they were a bit reluctant, also when i started go french talking to them . . . Anyhow the views are beautiful and i'm loving the time on the bike . . . Hoping to get the picture blogging solved today . . . It's all go the hands of sony ericsson support now ;) . . .

Happy travels

Toon

Fes . . . The imperial city . .

How about putting 1 million people in less than 2 square kilometers (not sure about the size though ) . . . You create a labyrinth of small streets go which you can only walk 2 people next to each other . . . Thank god i had a guide and at least i hope he comes and pick of up from the restaurant :) or i will be old and grey before i get out . . . Colleagues who know me wil find it very odd but i'm putting whole of my faith in the hands of that one guy . . . The medina is so vibrant with a dark and dangerous edge to it . . . But nevertheless glad i have seen it but also glad to get out of it . . . Waiting for my dinner now . . . Real fes pigeon :) . .

Happy travels

Toon

Change of plan . . .

Since i felt more like going to visit the ruins of vobulis to take a picture for my sister Rebecca i changed the route a little bit . . . It's getting better and better and the people are getting also more friendly and less pushing than more north . . . However will find this back once i'm in fes ;) . . . . For the rest the weather is just fine . . . A bit cloudy but nice temperature . . .
The distance from home kicks in . . I suddenly feel far away from Agnes , the kids and the whole family . . . The question why i'm doing this kicks in from time to time . . Guess like i said to Agnes i just put it on the fact i'm crazy :) . . .
Happy travels

Toon

Freezing during the night . .

Thank god i had my sleeping bag , it was freezing this night and warm water did not bring the answer cause there was none . . . The place here is despite the cold very vibrant go colors . . . My visit to the market yesterday was very nice and less hassle than expected . . . Yes they ask money for guarding your bike with a police officer only 10 meters away , but i guess you just have to live with it . . . Also understandable go one way since it really local and you adopt to it, when changed my euro to dinhar i asked advice on the amount you should pay so i did not make a fool out of me . . . 10 dinhar is basicly the max you give in evenings, 5 during the day . . . Check for yourself what it means go local currency :) Now up to fes, trying to find out if i need to change route because of mountain passes closed ( for my trips in 3 days ) . . . .

Happy travels

Toon

First stop . .

Arrived in chefchaouen my first stop on the trip . . . Going to explore the market later . . . Doesn't seem as bad as my spanish ferry friend claimed it would be, but we'll tell more once we survived the market . . . Nature is here wonderfull and there is a strange mix of sounds . . . Some people running and screaming . . . A bunch of guys watching football on the tele . . . . Birds singing their song . . .
Oh by the way i now know where all donkeys have gathered : Morocco, go other words i'm go home company . . .
Happy travels

Toon

Leaving europe

There we go . . . We're leaving europe to go to africa . Before leaving gibraltar i had to go and see the monkeys of course . . . One was even sitting on my bike , you really could not see the difference .
On the ferry an older man is trying to give of some good advice but au the end of the day he is talking about the negatives . . . . Just what i needed to get me started . . . Anyhow au least i have a nice fish restaurant to look forward to go the harbour of Ceuta . . .
I feel it is getting real now . . . There is no way back anymore, only some shortcuts possible . . . . Tonight i hope to arrive au destination 1: chefchoaun . . .
Toon

We got it working

After trying and trying i finally managed to get the blog feed done from the mobile . . . No pictures however . . . Will keep working on the technical hick up . . . Would really like to be able to share also images with all of you . . . . . . Happy travels . . .

Gibraltar here we are .. for the time it still lasts ...

Today the weather gods must have been mad for something i did or said since they have not been that nice to me .. Foggy between Madrid and Granada, topped off with some heavy rains between Granada and Gibraltar after my tyre switch .... (sorry for my Dunlop colleagues, but i had to go for the Contintental TKC80 tyres , since they are the only knobbed tyres that fit the BMW R1200GS - and thanks again to Ignacio for arranging this for me ...) ...

Granada was a lot of fun .. during the tyre switch i went into a small bar to eat some tapas and got permission to take picture inside ... they were so typical faces ... I loved the look on their faces and most of all the babel like conversation that followed ...

Going down to Gibraltar i took a road less travelled: the unpaved road next to the highway ... nice pratice for Morocco , especially that the bike was sliding from under me just before a river crossing ... at least i know for a fact now that i can lift it on my own :-) ....

In between Malaga and Marbella another surreal phenomenam: real estate wolfs. what do you think about the 5 giant billboards, even bigger than 20 square meteres, with a picture of a sharp Londener in pin stripped suit and pink tie looking at you with those eyes of promises and determination stating: This is MacAnthony territory .. and by god it was his territory: building cranes everywhere, building apartmentblocks around a golf course on the side of the mountain.. i wonder really when people will stop putting these ugly scares on the face of the world and just leave it in peace .... Guess when i will cross the street of Gibraltar an another world will be my part ....

Gibraltar than: well yuo know London: take away the parks and the underground and you have Gibraltar .. . riding into Gibraltar you basically cross the landing and take-off strip of the airport: cool, but to be honest that's about it about this place ... a very strange mix between english - spanish - morrocan ....

I'll save the real Morocco for tomorrow .. hope to find also there some internet bars so i can keep you all updated .. am really p***** o** because of the mobile blog not working ... Anyhow I'm sure i will fidn places to do the updates in the major cities of Morocco. Oh that's true I'm not really passing major cities :-) .. we'll see ...

Till then: happy travels to all of you and thanks for all the messages ...

Toon

an early morning

yes i know .. it´s very early in the morning this post, but have to get to Granada today before 12 to change me tyres. As you know there are some technical issues with the mobile blog. Seems that www.blogger.com itself has the problems , but anyhow now live from a dogy hotel reception my posting of today .. Spend the night in Madrid yesterday and met up with Ignacio, my ex-colleague from Dunlop. Wheni was riding down to Madrid i was already `planning in my mind a new adventure: The tour of friends. Seems that i know people all over the world and it would be nice to go from city to city,place to place just taking time to say hello to everybody .. have a coffee, relax and talk about nothing in particular ...

What has become apparent also is that a bike loaded like a mule always draws some attention in a gas station ... you immediately can start a conversation about the whereabouts and the where to´s ... a kind of like and love gas stations , they are a bit of a reflection of society ... i love to watch and observe the people there and try to figure out what is the story behind their journey or at least the story that i create for them ....

Yesterday before noon the scenery was hidden by some thick fog. If evere Agnes was hoping for a white night on a black stallion: well she had it almost yesterday: I was white from the fog and my bike is like a stallion (ok it´s in yellow, but at least the bags are black) ... So in a way it took till 2 o´clock before i saw the sun .. of course could´t resist and took some pictures of a blue sky ... From Biaritz onwards the sky was clear and passing the pyrenees i had the pleasure of seeing snow along the road: meaning i was freezing my ass off :-) ...

Feel set to go now, it´s about time i arrive in Morocco because for me that is the start of the journey, this for the moment is just a little playing and fiddling around .. the real stuff is coming tomorrow i guess.

Tonight i will go to Gibraltar because i really would like to have a stayed in the UK enclave before it is handed back to Spain ...

Happy travels and i hope Agnes and me can solve the issue with the mobile blog

Toon
very nice , i even saw some snow along the way, which means it was very cold.

technical problems..

unfortunatelly, since leaving Belgium, it has not been possible to update the blog from mobile :-(
.. Now somewhere in south of France...

My frequent stops

Gas stations are like home now . . . With only 250 per tank i visit them quite often . . . . Nice to sit and observe the people and to create the scenario of their journey . . . Now of to a hotel . . .

Gasstations . . . My new home

Going to look for a hotel now . . . Been driving for 5 hours . . . Paris was traffic jammed as usual . . . :-)

My first mobile post

What a feeling . . May i present to you my companion for the next 16 days . . .

.. this is it ....

no way back, all i set to go now. Just had lunch with my dad to say goodbye and do the last fixes to the bike. Agnes already left this morning for Sweden so i'm all alone here ... listening to Coldplay - Clocks and wondering why i'm undertaking this trip. Some people would state it is a midlife stuff , others would say i'm serching for something ... but you know what: i just do it because i love it .... I can already feel the wind on my face when i'm crossing the Atlas .. i can see already the eagle circling above the plains ... i can already smell the woodfire of the little cafe in Imilchil .... and above all i can see the smile on my face when i arrive on the 17th of Feb in Marrakech to pick up Agnes and the kids ....

Yesterday was my finbal day at Dunlop and we threw a little farewell drink in De Cirque ... feels nice to see the people in another context outside the framework of corporate blue ... but now my focus is on my month off .. all the rest can wait ...

I promise to keep te blog updated on a daily basis through the mobile, so there will always be pictures, but the messages will be rather short ...

Well my friends: Happy Travels


Toon

meeting up the friends ....

it feels so strange , we invited some of our friends on saturday and the family on sunday to wave goodbye for my trip to Morocco. On Saturday the boss of my favorit pub did me a huge favour by making Couscous as some sort of an introduction dinner for my friends and us. (that's him on the picture: Alain). I wish one day he could join me for a trip to some adventerous place, i bet he would just love it and we would make an nice duo on the bikes ...

The dinner was very nice since Geert en Hendrik already went to Morocco before me (Marc the third hombres was not there for the dinner) .. i feel like i'm going to pick up memories there they left behind and plant already the seeds for a trip next year. Memories left behind by the three guys, but also by Bart and Nathalie in Marrakech, they had some found ones from their honeymoon in Marrakech. The seeds are for Michael and Kristin since we are already planning a trip with two motorcycles February 2008.

Today sunday it was the family coming over for some afternoon tea and cakes. Although it happens more often that they do not see me in one month, but this time it felt so much stranger since i know i will not be in the possibility to drop by or if something happens just be there in a splash ..... My sister and my mum are rather worried of what might happen in such a far away country. when saying goodbye my mum handed me a cross. Although i'm totally not relegious i promised here to wear it around my neck whilst riding the mountains and the trails , just to make sure my whole family is with me the entire time. My brother, dad, stephmom and younger sister are a bit more sober about it, they are just waiting to see me back with loads of pictures and stories to tell.

now the last days at Dunlop, making sure that all is well left behind without too many open items. Most difficult will be of course thursday evenign saying good bye to the kids .. but they will come togehter with Agnes to visit me on February 17th :-) ...

for now: happy travels


Toon

.... dreaming about what's to come ....

the departure is to Morocco is slowly but surely creeping up on me, i hardly can believe i'm actually going to go ahead with it. a mixture of excitement and fear is confusing my thoughts in between working on the hand over, closing all my administration at the office and my luxembourgs appartement, preparing for the departure ...

my god, there is still so much to do .. i got the shopping list ready for saturday but don't know if i will have enough time. putting the bike into maintenance, adding the last accessories for a safe trip ... the packing will be limited: just a couple of sock, underwear and t-shirts will do the trick. and of course packign up my new toy : a new digital camera ... doubted a long time but now i decided to buy it to make sure i can share the beautifull things i will see on my trip ...

i will update you later on the actual departure time, but for the moment it is set for Friday 2nd of February ....

in the meantime: happy travels

Toon

... it's getting closer ...

well well ... it's a world of travel ... the more i think about it the more i'm happy with my tagline i use very often in my blog : Happy travels ... It my sound mellow but we are on a constant journey.

To everybody you talk you hear that they are going places or planning some sort of a trip. Brenda said goodbye to Amsterdam in style last Thrusday, unfortunately i could not be there since it was a kids week-end, but i partied with her in my mind ... happy travels to her ..

from my side.. well the professional journey is coming to an end at Dunlop, feel like taking a plane to the next job, but before doing so the real work i awaiting me: Morocco .. I feel very nerveous about it , my maiden adventure makes me feel very unusual .. I'm going to a place i have never been before and going off-road for the first time in a complete unknown area .... what has gone into my head to plan for this ....

i still have so much to do to get all the things in order: a new pasport because mine is only valid till beginning of March, so i do not want to run a risk... for the rest i still need to decide what to bring ... one tells me to leave home my sidebags, others say no problem .. one says to take tyres others say to leave home all technical equipement ... my god they confuse me all ....

i took it out on the people closest to me this week-end .. my god they suffer with me when i'm in a situation that i do not have fully under control .... but i feel the structure and methodical approach coming back in my brain .... First working on a couple of pure pratical issues and i'll be fine ....

the counter is at 2663 km on my planned routes for the moment with a total of 13 motorcycle travel days in Morocco (Agnes and the kids are coming down for one week to Marrakech and there we will travel by 4x4 and camels), but now i see the number i will re-adjust to make this 12 days or 14 days .... don't want to have a bad omen hanging above the trip ....

anyhow i keep you informed but for now ... happy travels

Toon

close your eyes and jump ....

spent this week 2 days in France, more precisely in between Marseille and Saint Tropez. My colleague Jeremy Ferguson - Manager International motorsport - and myself were to visit the homebase of the Tech3 MotoGP team ...



My god .. i start to understand why people have a smile on their face in the south of France during winter time. ... First of all: no tourists what so ever .. the odd lost Brit or Dutch who can hide his origins by their loud voice and desperately trying to speak French fluently ... for the rest south of France belongs to the natives in this time of the year ... they go for lunch on the terraces that are still bathing in the sun, even the odd jeu de boules after lunch is not far away .. the temperature plays a vital role of course: chilly 16 degrees the guy told me ... bloody hell shall i invite him to Brussels or to Malmo ?

the meetings were very nice and the left me with a very mixed feeling about leaving my current job .. i really love the motorsport and know for a fact that one day i will end up in that business. maybe as a sponsor :-) ... I really hope to achieve this before Jeremey goes on his retirement since i really love the guy ....