With not much to report on our day due to waiting for our Intrepid trip to start at 6pm, we will outline some important lessons learnt so far:
Look left first when crossing roads (they drive on the right side of the road)
Expect motorbikes racing down the footpath
Revise French – although sometimes its nice not to know what is being said about you!
Wear covered shoes when walking outside – never know what is underfoot.
Don’t get henna done by a lady with a hyperdermic syringe ( don’t worry, not done)
Be prepared for some great smells (fresh herbs and Targine) and not so great smells (old fish, faeces, urine, lots of rubbish) to hit you at any time
10 year old boys in groups doing nothing can be annoying. Stay in school !
Can always rely on MAcdonalds for a loo stop
Coffee (Nos Nos meaning half-half; half coffee and half milk) from the street stall is of much better quality and 1/4 price than Novotel (paid a visit due to super fast Internet in foyer)

There’s almost a ritual very more when back packing. It’s usually defined by whether we are moving on to a new place or sticking around to explore the now ‘familiar’. Essentials of travelling, packed into a small black bag, only accessible from the inside hidden zipper hides our camera and computer, headphones and pocket knife. It seems after 6 months that you never leave it; it becomes a reflex to pick it up and wander through some new medina or visit a new museum. The lonely planet is your other trusted companion; shown to a taxi driver or discreetly read before emerging into a crowded train station where hesitating makes your an immediate target for touts and taxi drivers. It can be outdated very quickly, especially when economic times change in a country quickly.
It’s nice to know though that you can survive on so little to get by. All you need is in a 55 L pack weighing 11kg. It’s simple, basic and what makes travelling fun.

Good crew on our intrepid trip – mainly Australians and true variety of ages which means lots of good stories and shared experiences. We are off to Rabat (an old imperial city south of casablanca) tomorrow by train. The adventure begins.

Our morning coffee shop