I've changed my plan and decided to pick the road tyres up early -- largely to avoid the interfering Hassan and so I want to make it to Azrou late today or early tomorrow.

Along the main road to Azrou every opportunity is taken to maximize the use of the ground, here, wheat is grown in between the olive trees. It'll be harvested by hand as probably half the wheat seems to be.

As ever on the long days you're looking out for somewhere to pee and as ever in non-first world countries there's always someone around. I spotted this layby overlooking a lake. Nice view, no-one around, good spot for a piss. As soon as I take my helmet off I can hear children chattering to each other but I can't see them. I take my photo and these urchins appear over the bank gasping for breath having climbed up with limp posies of weeds (so far as I can tell) to sell. No deal. I can't understand a word they're saying but finally realise they want a drink. I hand over the bottle of water on the back of the bike and it's glugged down in about ten seconds. These girls were thirsty!

Spot the irrigation

I get my tyres changed back (there's no point in me doing it - it takes 3 hours for two) and head off for a reputable Auberge, the Auberge Berbere. As I arrived a drunk Canadian staggers over from his BMW with his beer filled flagon and starts burbling. He claims to be an off-road instructor in his spare time and has been to some BMW off road place in Germany but has never heard of Ystragynlais in South Wales. I get suspicious and bored but he won't go away. Eventually as dusk draws in someone from the hotel comes out and shows me a room. Oddly, the main rooms have been stripped of furniture and the bed room seems quite expensive but it's getting dark.

I hide in my room for a while to avoid the Canadian and eventually head outside to the Berber tent to find two Kiwis wondering about the place as well. They've been moved room once because the taps wouldn't shut off. I'd done a recce and found the pool black. I don't think dead things would want to fall in it. When the food turns up it's not what we ordered, we're startled by a bottle of mineral water turning up and the blokey saying it's not mineral water. Well, take it back then! Still, the entertainment value of it all keeps us in good spirits.

The room upstairs' plumbing protrudes into my room and makes a heck of a racket when they have a shower and then the music starts. What? It turns out that the owners are having something of a party for the staff and not bothered to tell any of us. And of course, with no furniture to absorb it any sound is amplified round the whole building. Grrr.