We travel On to Casablanca

We Decided to travel on to Casablanca today, but the cruising speed was good and before we knw it we was past Casablanca, The city was not what we expected , very much smoke and ugly buildings, so we did not stop. And did decide to travel to the farry back to spain, we have a open ferry ticket, so now we will have a 9 hour drive and about 800km of travel, and if we are lucky we just might catch the last ferry crossing tonight that leaves at 21:00.

Soon at Casablanca

just passing up Casablanca

Casablanca area.

To wheel offroader in the streets.

Soon in Tanger

Toyota Hilux Dakar car on its way to sahara for testing.

soon at tetouan and so to Ceuta ferry!

We did just make the ferry over to spain, we was infact 5 minuts overtime, and they told us that we hade to wait until tomorrow, but with some extra nice smilys and begging, they did infact let us be the last car to come on :-)

We reach the Atlantic Ocean

Today we've had a long road driving on asfalt, and there is more to come. As you know we have reached our target and crossed Morocco to Tan Tan. We have driven throught dunes, deserts, salt planes, and rocky passages, and small towns. And have now reached the Atlantic Ocean where we have set up camp on the beach.

Our calculation for the trip has gone faster then we thought, but nothing is better then it going smoothly. On our trip we've met other offroad people and journalist that have lots of pictures of our car, and it would be publiched in 2-3 magezines wich would be sold the world over, so the sponsors will be happy. We are greatful for the support from our sponsort, friends, and family. I personally have to thank my beautiful girlfriend back home, hwo is expecting our son in about a months time. Looking forward comming home to take care of them both.

We can say we have reached our gold by being the first Arctic Truck in the west Sahara. And again by experiense we can say to all offroad interested people, and espesially to the Arctic Truck enthusiasts that the car is more than good enough for these trips and conditions.

Then again in some cases we wich the care wasn't that wide, but again it was a huge advantage in steap hills and at least in the sand. The standars thorugh deserts safaries is from a Landrove Deffender wich is a bit narrower, but there was really never no problems by the car being 208cm width.

Tomorrow we continue our jorney along the coast and have about 700km to drive wich will be about 8 hours till we reach the border and into Spain. The ferry will take about an hour. If everything goes to plan we will be home by thursday :-)

Hope sombody special back home would be glad from our early return. More pictures and descriptions and impressions of the trip will be posted when we get home, and have better time to go through all the pictures and reflect more on the trip.

A trip of this magnitude takes some time to settle. The next few days we have over 4000km to drive before we get home, but usually the trip home goes faster. We might take a few stops in Germany to buy some candy and alcohole. Have sendt a few postcards home, but things take time down here so I imagine we'll be home before they do.

David og Martin.

The tires on the Atlantic ocean beach

David dreaming back home to someone special 

 They've got Toyota down here as well :-)

 One person watching Avatar, while the other one is driving

 Cluck, Cluck

 Nice Land Cruise 70 modell

 Our first view of the Atlantic Ocean as we arrive the shoreline

 We shop some fresh lamb meat

 Towing truck in STYLE :-)

 The nights camp on the beach

Heavy moonshine

 woooww..moonshine is strong tonight

 Martin shopping some food for our further journey

 A lot of poverty in Morocco

 We're now between Magidir and Essaouria

 Someone drived to fast??

 Sunset at our camp on the beach at the Atlantic ocean

 Last days hill climbing

 More pics from yesterday

 Driving past Casablanca



We arrive in Tan Tan

Finally we arrive at Tan Tan. It's been a long trip through narrow mountain passes, and the result is a few scratches on the back rims and one running board got hit and got pushed backwards against the wheel. So we had to jack it out, but otherwise it went fine with us and the car.
We didn't get much time taking pictures today since we where so concentrated on driving the narrow roads, but we've filmed a bit.

We got to a well further down in the valley, and there was some herdsmen herding quite a few sheep standing next to the well whipping a donkey that pulled the water up from the well. It was quite a view in 40 Selcius, and the shepherds were wrapped in so much clothes that one could almost believe they thought it was winter. Something must have been wrong with the camera at that time, cause I can't seem to find the pictures that I thought I took :-)

It's not to much to report from today, but we did get to film a lot more today, and the footage will be published as soon as I get home again. Had to use the rear ARB today to crawl over some big rocks, and I was outside shouting commands to a sweaty highly concentrated Martin who was driving. We both sweated stressfully.

So today have been the most stressful day so far on our trip, and we where glad we got to eat a good meal yesterday. It was beef on the primus, and Martin was wondering how many chillies I used in the dish sweating.. Only a few I say'd smiling as the sweat ran down my face.. hehehe :-)

At half past seven each evening we hear the prayer calls yelling from the towns. The Morrocans pray up to 15 times a day, and its strange seeing them stopping along the road to pray. But interesting to experience. Today we're gonna take a shower and perhaps shave if we manage. We're really tired and its gonna be cosy just eating a good meal and get a good nights sleep.

More pictures will be posted tomorrow :-)

D & M.

The satellite equipment is up and running

 Magnificent sunrise 

Our happy camp :-)

 Impressive view

A beautiful sight

 David on full focus

A steep climb

 There's not a road

Draa Valley, and the scorpions!

Today we've driven past Assa and in to the Draa Valley, going onwards tomorrow to Tan Tan. Tonight we're gonna sleep out in the desert, and we've read and heard that theres a lot of scorpions out here so we're wearing boots with hight edges.

Earlier today when we came from Ta Ta we shopped more food and water, so tonight we're gonna enjoy beef with chilli, onion, and sweet potatoes with Morrocan bread. We got a few Spanish beer left. Don't need to drink to much beer down here in the hot climate, before you feel it kicking in, and the body gets weird :-)

The days passes by faster as each day goes on. Amazing how time flies down here when your concentrated  on driving on bumpy desert roads. Martin's given notice a couple of times because I've driven to fast on some parts of the road, resulting in a couple of "head bangs" on the ceiling. It's not easy calculating each bump when the sun shines you right in the face ;-) But we laugh and I hit my head into the left door window a couple of times because of my own driving :D

Tonight we've slept really good. A nice full moon, and good shadow conditions around our camp as we wake up, but this day the temperature has been at a high with over 42 Celsius. The AC in the car has been on at full strength. After the meal this evening we once again check the bolts and screws on the car. Like to be sure that we don't experience a wheel flying by us as we head on :-). The engine doesn't use any oil, and the cooling liquid level is at 100 %.

The quietness out in the dessert makes our thoughts fly home to our beloved. We experience things different when we're on a trip like this, away from civilization, and the loneliness hits you in a different way.

Martin's just finished rigging the roof tent and we're both hungry, so I've gotta hurry rigging up the satellite equipment to send this blog message. It was way to bumpy today to write while we're driving.

Hope you all enjoy our blogging of the trip, and that you might feel some part in our adventure that we're sharing with you.

Martin & David :-)   L.M- I - L - Y

Some pictures:

David chasing away some camels

They know how to "pimp my ride" in Morocco :-) 

We're driving trough this 

 Quite a few in the Norwegian Land Cruiser club would have liked this car ;-)

Amazing sunsets 

 We're howling at he moon

 Last nights camp

 Not a lot of waterfalls in Morocco, but we found one :-)

Long open roads 

 Martin chilling and waiting for supper

 Todays food marked

It's getting hot in here :P 

Pasta a la Crem, or is it? Yummy :) 

Red sand, Sahara, and the Arctic Truck

Today we've driven through sand dunes and desert and had an incredible time. We've thought several times that the car would get stuck in the sand, but we've managed this far without even using the differensial locks.

We drove through flat salt fields, but suddenly we met a wampy aerea and the car started slowing down and the traction control and anti skid started blinking. So there was only one thing to do, and that was to put the car in low gear and head on. The car managed without any further problems, but the car has never been this dirty :-)

The mud down here is something else. It sticks to us and the car like glue, and we can't do anything but laugh it off and wait to we arrive at Tan Tan, where they probably can wash the car clean with jet wash cause it really needs it to get the mud off.

We've driven with the tire pressure at 20 psi trough the dessert, and it has worked well. We drove 110 Km/h at most and the sand trail was like a giant muchroom behind us. It's been a hot day in the desert with over 38 Selsius. We've been drinking lots of water this day since we havn't used the AC to much. We get to much condensation if we drive with the AC on to low.

Last night was just an amazing experiense to se the moon shine over the sand dunes, and we where sitting in the middle of the wildernes of it all. It was just amazing, and the temperature was at a comfortable 16 Selsius. We thought it would get much colder, and thus we got a good nights sleep.
Now we're in Tznit and we're planning to sleep under the palm trees. The sun is shining strong above us, but it's going down soon. We allso got to meet the local Moroccan police out in the sand dunes today, but when we took out our camera to take pictures of them we got strict notice that this was against the law. They only wanted to check that we knew where we were going, and that we did not arrive from Algerie since we've been driving along the Algerian border all day.
Then we drove through a mind field that was marked with excavated mines, but we're still here so it whent well :-)

An interresting and fun day, but we get tired of all the concentration and impressions. Our clothes get red from the sand, and our hands are allways dirty, but we've gotten used to it now. We had a stop at a small village right before we stopped to make our camp for the night. Lots of kids and they all beg for money, and we give them some Dirams, but if we only give to a few of them they get angry so its not easy.

Now its time to change the air filter and check up the screws and bolts arround the car. The roads we're driving on are very bumby and rocky, so we ofthen just sit and hum and the vibrating of the car makes our voice funny and then we laugh. We've filmed lots of fotage that we're gonna upload when I get home. It'll take to long doing it with the satellite, and last but not least expensive.

Some pictures of our day.

Peace and Love,
David & Martin.


David having fun, and Martin laughing his head of

 The tires fold out nicely

 Lots of mud and clay on the car

 A nice tire of MUD :-)

 Last nights camp under some palm trees

 Martin enjoying the day

 The salt plated dessert roads

 Sand dunes :-)

 Satellite explorer 325 sending

 We're ready for any sand bandits if they come near us

 Driving along

 Pumping ut the pressure to 30 psi again. Lots of sharp rocks

 Enjoying ourself with STYLE :)