Morocco for Christmas

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piggysims
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Hi All,
A couple of us are planning a trip to Morocco for Christmas and New Year nothing is set in stone yet and are open minded about where we go.

The plans so far are..

Some friends and I will drive down on around the 19th Dec and partner/friends will fly down to Malaga on the morning of 22nd and hopfully catch the ferry over to Morocco that evening.
We want to spend some time in the atlas mountains and visit some on the many historic towns and villages and maybe a bit of dessert driving.

We will be living off our own backs as to speak taking our own supplies camping and maybe the odd night in hotels if we pass them.

A few of us have been before and have friends that have been who will give us routes and GPS points of places to visit.

We hope to end up in Marrakesh for new years eve and then head back on the 2nd Jan, some will fly back and others will drive.

Anyone interested in tagging along? :lol: :lol:

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mark
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

So,, will my LC be back on the road by then, or do you expect me to use my G! :lol:

piggysims
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

You mean to say your not providing me with a vehicle this time!!!! :(

twodogs
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Thats only fair :D
Twodogs

mark
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Seems fair,, what would you like SWB or medium, 80hp or 122. Sorry, no choice of colour :lol:

mortinson
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Will you be crossing through Madrid? If so, let me know. We can meet if timing is suitable.

Brutus
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Tagging along could be fun. :D

mark
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Shaun & Dawn,, coming along?

Lots of info on these sites.

GS forums

Horizons unlimited

http://users.pandora.be/spog/

mark
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

mortinson wrote:
Will you be crossing through Madrid? If so, let me know. We can meet if timing is suitable.

Jesus, even if you hide from us, we'd track you down. :lol:

mark
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Re: Morocco for Christmas
mortinson
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

mark wrote:
mortinson wrote:
Will you be crossing through Madrid? If so, let me know. We can meet if timing is suitable.

Jesus, even if you hide from us, we'd track you down. :lol:

Well, if we had David Watkins (former GWOA chairman) around last year I guess we can have anyone....

(BTW, ever seen a fully tiled garage? :D )

piggysims
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Well it looks like its all still going ahead!

We're all booked on the early morning crossing from Dover to Calais on the 19th dec and should be knocking on Mortinson's door friday evening.

After recovering from hangovers we will then be picking up Roly's family from Granada airport the next day before heading to the ferry.

Anyone else wanting to come? (cliff) lol

piggysims
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Not long now Max!, we're heading down to dover Tuesday night for an early crossing the next morning..

Then its last man to see the sea buys the ice cream game...

mark
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

piggysims wrote:
we're heading down to dover Tuesday night for an early crossing the next morning..

Is this next Tuesday, or the following 1?

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Are you meeting at Dover or in London?

mark
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Meeting in Dover.

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Ahh if it was in London I would of come to see you off but not in Dover.... though maybe in Morocco... hmmmmm

dentsmithy
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Hope you've packed a tow rope just in case :wink:

Have lots of fun getting lots of sand in all the itchy places :lol:

dentsmithy
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Ps . fly the G wagon flag high. I've had a battle royal with the LR/LC people on horizons this week

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

dentsmithy wrote:
Ps . fly the G wagon flag high. I've had a battle royal with the LR/LC people on horizons this week

Well I just think about Tom Sheppard - the man highly respected by the LR community who wrote such bibles as "The Land Rover Experience" and "The Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide" (which has a nice big Land Rover logo on the cover)...

He drives a G.

dentsmithy
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Maxwell Smart wrote:
dentsmithy wrote:
Ps . fly the G wagon flag high. I've had a battle royal with the LR/LC people on horizons this week

Well I just think about Tom Sheppard - the man highly respected by the LR community who wrote such bibles as "The Land Rover Experience" and "The Vehicle-dependent Expedition Guide" (which has a nice big Land Rover logo on the cover)...

He drives a G.
Just lent the book to Bill :lol:

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

He has a nice article on desert driving (in a G of course) in the last Overland Journal.

dentsmithy
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

I think one of the best things about Tom is his philosophy. Preventative maintainance and understanding just what is going on with the car. He probably has german/austrian ancestry. It was a very brave move to mercedes from LR and all credit to him. And ,guess what, he's a nice bloke too :D

mortinson
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Richard, Mark, and Roly,

The cerveza is in the fridge and... guess what is hanging by the G-Wagen in the garage?

Please let me knwo what time are you coming on Friday?

Roly
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Is it the Christmas turkey?
I reckon lunchtime Friday. We'll give you a ring

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Friday? What are you doing Wed night and Thursday night?

mark
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Meeting young ladies in Bordeaux, why else would we take 2 days over the journey.

piggysims
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

and several locations across spain... :lol:

mortinson
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Roly wrote:

Is it the Christmas turkey?

What? :shock: It's acorn-fed Iberian ham!

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/11/pure_iberian_ham/

piggysims
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Can you eat it or is an anti-theft device? :lol:

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Mort - sorry if these savages don't appreciate the delicacies of acorn-fed ham which is being proffered by their fine and generous host to be, but you have to remember that you are trying to feed ham to a pig...

However if you have difficulties in disposing of said ham I would be more than willing to lend myself to this arduous task of eating such a fine delicacy.

markvulture
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

so basically jesus, going off your pictures you are making the ultimate big boys toy room arent you (especially if you have the brain cells to stick the ml outside for a bit more space).
what i see developing is almost the perfect room, half tapas bar half g wagen garage........i like your style!!!
the ultimate would be a pole for some skimpily clad dancing girls but i suppose that would be pushing mrs m just a little too far wouldnt it!!!

mortinson
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

markvulture wrote:
so basically jesus, going off your pictures you are making the ultimate big boys toy room arent you (especially if you have the brain cells to stick the ml outside for a bit more space).
what i see developing is almost the perfect room, half tapas bar half g wagen garage........i like your style!!!
the ultimate would be a pole for some skimpily clad dancing girls but i suppose that would be pushing mrs m just a little too far wouldnt it!!!

Absolutely... seems that you read my mind :lol:

mortinson
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Maxwell Smart wrote:
Mort - sorry if these savages don't appreciate the delicacies of acorn-fed ham which is being proffered by their fine and generous host to be, but you have to remember that you are trying to feed ham to a pig...

I am starting to think like that...

Maxwell Smart wrote:

However if you have difficulties in disposing of said ham I would be more than willing to lend myself to this arduous task of eating such a fine delicacy.

Good to know that at least there are people who do appreciate fine living!

Roly
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

I've got hold of thirty turkeys cheaply from a farm in Suffolk. Had to collect them at night the farmer said....They look ok, shall I bring some to Spain?
You can't feed acorns to pigs, they would choke,
Anyway I intend sitting in the tiled garage all night surrounded by Gs talking Gs :D

Quercus
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

dentsmithy wrote:
I think one of the best things about Tom is his philosophy. Preventative maintainance and understanding just what is going on with the car. He probably has german/austrian ancestry. It was a very brave move to mercedes from LR and all credit to him. And ,guess what, he's a nice bloke too :D

Yes, it was. He has a 290 GTD van. It was me who demonstrated the Puch Heavy Duty variant's off-road prowes to him some years ago now. Spent a bit of time convincing him that it would be a good move, though he was pretty near the decision anyway having been frustrated by some LR attributes. In the end, he didn't buy ours (one of the members here did, actually). Tom bought from Mercedes direct in Germany, if I remember correctly. They manged to screw the order up and he didn't get the axles he wanted originally, but it seems to have done the business for him anyway. I believe he did have a problem out in the Sahara somewhere on one of his first trips with it. It went into "limp home" mode. He had a long way to limp and, typically of Tom, that was straight back to Mercedes in Germany, where, I suspect, he made his displeasure felt.
Tom, of course, made his name in exploration circles when he was still serving in the RAF. He led the Services Trans Sahara Expedition West to East which was achieved using Land Rover 101s and (some) Scottorn powered trailers. What was remarkable about this, other than the achievement itself, was that the vehicles were the very first LR101s and fresh off the production line. Now THAT was bravery!

He is a thoroughly nice guy and his books are masterpieces as reference works if you are into expeditions.

dentsmithy
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Still kicking myself for not trying to raise the money to buy your old vehicle

mortinson
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Roly wrote:
I've got hold of thirty turkeys cheaply from a farm in Suffolk. Had to collect them at night the farmer said....They look ok, shall I bring some to Spain?
You can't feed acorns to pigs, they would choke,
Anyway I intend sitting in the tiled garage all night surrounded by Gs talking Gs :D

No thanks.... we'll be OK with our ham, manchego cheese, olives and cheap cerveza at 15p a can!

Anyway, if any of you is a vegan, he'll have to bring his own stuff! :lol:

twodogs
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

just phoned Rich hes four mile from Dover :D , Mark and Rolly are stuck in traffic near the Dartmouth tunnel :D ,
All the best lads have a good trip .
Twodogs

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Thought they were off tomorrow.... well hope they have a good trip and post pics soon.

Morty - you'd better save the ham for when I get there. I will go send you some Iceland special you can feed them instead.... they won't know the difference.

mortinson
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Maxwell Smart wrote:
Thought they were off tomorrow.... well hope they have a good trip and post pics soon.

Morty - you'd better save the ham for when I get there. I will go send you some Iceland special you can feed them instead.... they won't know the difference.

I'm sure they won't :lol:

We has some snow today here.... pity that there won't be any to play with for Friday!

piggysims
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Cheers guys,. See you later today Jesus.

foneman
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Enjoy boys

twodogs
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

just had a Christmas phone call from Rich in Morroc , alls well and there heading for the desert , "erg chebbi" and beyond :D .
go lads go !!! .
Ches-fford

twomogs
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Taken a call from Mark (11.30am Boxing day). Completed a small section of track- driving and progressing well. The temperature range is between 3-15 C which is a little colder than they expected, but warm in the sun.

They are presently in Midelt at the base of the Atlas mountains and will attempt further tracks today.

Ha ho

Twomogs

foneman
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

UPDATE from the bush telegraph 8) Spoke to mark last night and they were enjoying themselves as expected and are heading from Morroco to the Spainish mainland today

:wink: PS I think roly might of had a little tiff on the trail yesterday
with another vehicle or driver (but dont say anything) :P

marcus
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Hmmm,
Chris
I would need more details if I am going to say nothing properly:lol:
Now where's me wooden spoon
The one with the silver, gold, platitum, & titinium medals

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

foneman wrote:

:wink: PS I think roly might of had a little tiff on the trail yesterday
with another vehicle or driver (but dont say anything) :P

Are you sure it wasn't Mark with a vehicle's engine????

foneman
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

:shock: @Maxwell not according to Mark LOL :P
All will be revealed shortly ,with plently of tales about each other :oops:

Maxwell Smart
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Well I supose he still has two more days to blow one or both engines up....

piggysims
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Re: Morocco for Christmas

Well after a gentle thrash back to the UK and driving solid for 24 hours I made it home with no problems at 8 this morning and still not had any sleep.. but emptied the g out and ready for the 18" to go back on.