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Follow an overland truck across Africa6th November 2005 :: Morocco"Gibraltar airport. The barriers go down on the runway and we know that the plane is about to land, carrying the 23 people with whom we are about to spend the next seven months on a truck heading to Cape Town.  Now let me explain the truck to you so that you can visualise what we’re talking about. Besides being big and yellow it is fully equipped with Tesco value food(!) - we also buy local fresh produce along the way. The truck also has...- Accommodation in the form of tents, so camping all the way. - A restaurant in the form of a fully equipped kitchen - even with a camp oven and a mincer. - A ‘beach’ area, which is a platform with a mattress and an open roof at the front of the truck. Best seats in the house. - A firewood locker to gather up wood to cook with, en route. - 400 litres of water in jerry cans. - And of course a stereo system both inside and out of the truck! Everyone hops off the plane and through customs, and makes their way to the truck to pack their belongings on for the next few months.  After a few drinks back at camp everyone starts to settle in, and this is where the reality hits. I’m sure that everyone was thinking the same thing...This is day one of the next seven months. WOW, we are finally here! Thinking about this diary, I think the best thing rather than loads of text that may bore you to tears is to submit loads of photos, as a photo can tell a thousand words. Our travels will consist of many memories and these will stay with us for a lifetime, so Grant and I will try our best. So where have we been so far and what have we done? Well, leaving Europe behind us we headed over by ferry to Africa. Morocco was our first destination. As we entered Morocco our big yellow truck was noticed straight away on the roads and frantic waving and greetings were directed at us by passers-by.  Our first night was spent bush camping. Grant found a great spot by a dam and the views where stunning. Half of the truck didn’t even bother setting up tents and just camped under the stars. What a great start. Chefchouen in the Rif mountains was our next stop, and a relaxing afternoon was spent either hiking in the mountains or checking out the medina. We visited the sites of Volubillis’s ancient ruins on way to our next bush camp where the abundance of wood was great to stock up and keep us warm for the evening.  Casablanca for Zoë’s birthday was the next call, as well as some of the boys hitting the surf. There were a few raised eyebrows when the Irish guy, Jamie, purchased a surfboard because the waves are great in South Africa... where we’ll be in seven months...Rabat was our next stop for the formalities of getting a visa for Mali. The clouds and earth opened up and it absolutely pounded down rain all the day. Fez was next, where Kalum, our friendy guide, escorted the group around for the day and the whole night visiting highlights such as the Tanneries and the fantastic Medina where you need to listen to the call attencion or you’ll be run over by a donkey. This was followed by a night of belly dancing.  The next day was free for the group to catch up washing and try their hands at getting lost in the medina with its 9,000 streets within the walls. Chris is getting quite daring in his taste for offal with the purchase of heart this time... he’s already had brains... what next?!Bush camping again we head over the Mid Atlas... nobody said anything about snow... Grant found another great spot where our friendly visitors entertained us for the night with tam tams (drums) and carving up designs on the deligator (a stick the boys have whittled). Todra Gorge next for two nights where everyone sleeps in a restaurant for the night and some of the group decide drinking games are the call. A bit messy for those who played... Everyone went hiking up the gorge for the day with the two Chrises clocking up about 40km... a few huge blisters later.  More bush camping en route to Marrakesh with a quick stop at Ait Bennahdou (not everyone’s cup of tea, but where Gladiator was filmed). We have made it into Marrakesh now and will let you know how it all went in the next installment as Kevin and Kippy’s birthdays are coming up. Speak to you soon! Andi and Grant"
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