Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

~d Hinds.His Velo, And His Dale Carnegie Oranges Roll Through Morocco . . PART TWO Contlnued from last week Speak1ng of cost you can plckyourown level from real class to camplng out every nlgbt. I never got even near the real class l;ype but really worked out on the other end of the scale. The most expensive and ClII1y hotel I stopped 10 cost $1 for the nlgbt. It was over a restaurant 10 a very small vlllaee high 10 tile Rlf Mts., just the word hotel serawiedontlle wall and an arrow pointing to the door. It was clean and dry and s10ce the weatber bad turned to a really bitter cold plus fog, sleet and raln I chose it over camping out. A good meal of chicken, rice, bread and tea 10 the restaurant cost 55 ~. They bad me bring the bike rlgbt 1oto tile cafe for the nlgbt to be safe. 40t A NIGHT The rest of tile time I e1ther camped out or stayed at a youtll hostel. There are not a lot of Y.H. 1n tile country but most big clties have one 10 or near tIlem. TIle job is to flnd It as they don't usually go 10 for slgns. They cost40~anlgbt and are not at all fancy but have faclUties and a soft bed. These are the places where you meet people from all over the world and f1nd out what's going on where. The camping places are atso all grades, some witll SW1mm1ng pools and otbers witll just a water tap and to1let. One word about Morocco to1lets, don't plan on s l _ down, tbey are tile bole In the floor Idnd. In areas where tbere were no camp1nc places I went to the local pollee hotel (that's what they call tbe1r statlon bouse) and tIley would let me sleep near them. Tb1s was just for safety reasons as I was told 1t was a good idea, otherwise tbey were a poor place to sleep. I met two yOWl( men from Spokane wbo bad bought mopeds In Switzerland and planned to continue on across North Africa. As tbelr range was cut down by the slow speed of the bikes tIley camped wherever tIley were when it got darkand bad no trouble. I DUSTRIOUS CANADIAN I met and saw a lot of hitchb1kers, Including one from Canada ·wbo was just ly1ng 10 the grass enjoying the sun and would hold uP b1s tIlumb If be heard sometblng coming. It is a good country for hitch1ng aDd mlLllY people get long fast rides. That is U they can put uP wlth tile Moroc driver. Up untu a few years -eo they didn't need a license aDd even now it's just paper work. TIle Moroccans tIlemselves are a V8ry coatus1.nC bunch of people, but very Interest1.nC and friendly. I should start out witll a few words about little boys. The first nlgbt In the country I bad to park tile bike near the street, a young Moroc told me to be sure and take everytblng off the b1Ites as little boys might steal sometblng, not older men but just tile little boys. I haUd tilts otten, (even from litue boys) but never bad a tb1ng stolen. Wherever tile b1Ite was parked it would attract a large crowd of little boys and always an older boy or man would soon try to chase them away, it didn't work though as tIley never went far. These kids were helpful at times but tIley usually just stood and stared. In some parts of the country the kids always ask for money right away. KIDS DO THE FUNNIEST THINGS I found out that enough kids could atso be dangerous. Each big clty bas an old section or medina. Mostly poor people live In it but atso all the markets or souts are found hidden In the narrow w1nd1nC streets. After wandering through the sbops I. found myself on the wrong side at tile medina just at dark and tried to cut across one corner. I soon bad a crowd of 20 or 30 little boys around me all try1ng to guide me down a dark alley• Much push1ng and asldng for money. The ones uP close tbeo tried to reach Into my pockets, the others on tile outside just threw little stones. I quickly got to where there were some older people wbo chased tIlem away, no harm was done ellCept to ego and I learned a good lesson. Most of the people are very friendly, some days I would about wear my arm out waving t.ck at people on tile roadside. Almost anywhere you go you see people·on the roadslde.AlmostlLllYWbere you go you see people even If you don't see tIleir houses. One at the big P&Sttimes 15 herding sbeep or goats or cattle. Even If it 1s only 1 or 2 anlmals there 1s someone there to watch and make sure tIley stay off the road. Travelers use a variety of transportatlnn, foot, bicycle, ma-ped, donkey, mule, horse, two wheel cart, tractor and :t few otber odd tblngs. Of course U a man and b1s wUe are going someplace and they have ClII1y one donkey or mule she walks! A real stgbt to see is an arab chief In b1s white robes and turban r1d1ng b1s big ArabIan staWon, looks very lmpresslve. DALE CARNEGIE, CHAPTER 99 The oranges came 10 handy witll all these people on tile roads. I could stop about ILIIY place, get off tile bike and start peeUng an orange. Before I was done someone would come walk1ng or r1d1ng by. I would offer tIlem part of tile orange and tIlen In a few minutes talIdng and slgn language we would go through all the French I know. It was a good way to meet people but tile only problem was tIley all knew French and Arab1c and tIlought I should know more tban just English. In tile clties it was bard to tell who was friendly and who was after your money. Generally lLIIYone wbo came uP to you and spoke English wanted to be a guide for a "small" price. Either tbat or they bad something to sell. In smaller towns tilts is not true and a person may want to talk to you just to practice b1s Engllsb and be friendly. A young school teacher Invited me Into b1s home just for tb1s reason, I bad the best meal of the wbole triP tben. By the way, In Morocco they remove tbe1r shoes 10 the bouse and eat with thel,r flngers. ·HAVE A SNAIL, BUD?' As !3.r as food and water go I aie and drank ILIIYtb1ng and ILIIYWbere without gettlng slck, I do have a strong stomach. There is i. wide variety of local d1sbes tbat are very good but If you are tile l;ype that worrles about how well tile dlsbwasher does his job youshouldstayaw&1 from tl-e small cafes and sidewalk food stands. I bad a very good meal of sna11s at one of tIk..l! stands, I bad never bad them before. The man bad a big pot full of snalls 10 a sort of brotll and as he offered me one free to try I tIlought! would take a chance. There were ClII1y about a balf-doUD bowls which be dunked ~ a bucket between customers. No fancy fork for taIdng the snail out at b1s sbe11, just a stralcbtened safety pin, it did tile job aDd It made a good meal. For ClII1y 5~ you can't elql8Ct too much. Anotber good barga1n In prepared food ls the brocbet. This 15 4 or 5 small bits of meat stuck on a wire aDd cooked over a cIlarcoa1 fire. You can bllY them by tile wire aDd for 20~ you get 4 wires andalarce piece of bread. Some places are real free witll tile pepper when cooldng so you have to be careful. The best tblng Moroc bas going for him In the line of dr1nIdng bas to be tbe1r m10t tea. It's made with a lot of m10t leaves, a lot of sugar, a little tea and some bo111ng water. You dr1nk it bot and even 10 the hot weatller it tasted great. There are lots and lots of grocery.stores from tile b1g central market places down to tile sidewalk stand. Most vecetables are tile same as you see 10 the States and are usually fresh, and always cheaP. My staple food, the organge, cost about 5~ per kllo (2 Ibs,) which bas to be a bargaln. U you camP out and cook your own meals it costs well under a dollar a day. You w111 f1nd feeding the cycle tile big expense. Gas Is 15~ to 20~ per liter and came to just over $20 for the 1600 m11es. HIPPIE HAVEN When I say I only covered 1600 m11es In three weeks you can see that I didn't push it too bard. Morocco is a great country for b1Ite rld1ng but it is atso a nlce place to just lie around 10 tile sun, watch people and explore (on f~ tile towns. People watch1ng is great because that 1s about the weirdest crowd you w1ll see outside the hiPpie area of San Franelseo. BeCause of the prevalence of drugs the country bas that certaln attraction that draws the odd types, notjustAmericans but trom all countr1es. All clties of ILIIY size have a med1na and it usually takes at least a day to explore it properly and see all tile sbops. This 1s the home of tile tamlly size manufacturlng plant and tIley make everytblng. Each trade bas 1ts own area and to see them all 15 a real job. Some, like tile one 10 Fes, are very compUcated and you w111 need a guide tile first time. The word to remember when buy1ng 15 BARGAIN. (To be contlnue

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