A couple of months ago I was looking through old photos from our honeymoon trip in 1974 and I thought I recognised the Taourirt Kasbah in Ouarzazate which was built by the Glaoui family. I tried to remember the position the photo was taken from and on my trip last month took another from roughly the same position.


July 1974: At the time Ouarzazarte was tiny, comprising mainly the garrison around the central hilly area plus a Club Med vacation village, since closed.


Feb 2010: now quite a major city

Todra and Tinerhir pics


1974: Triumph Vitesse convertible in the Todra Gorge


April 2005: note the bushes in the two photos


1974: the Tinerhir oasis


2005: oasis plus new housing


1974: This I think was the piste between Tinerhir and the Todra, or maybe the Dades

The Vitesse had the 1600cc straight six engine which was really lovely. I'd put a sports exhaust on it which was a bit of a mistake for Morocco as it got knocked off twice on the rough pistes.

The sun was too strong to drive with the hood (canvas top) down and just before leaving we'd fitted a new hood that had a clear plastic section in the top, a bit like a non-opening sun roof. That was a real stupid thing to do as the sun streamed through and made the car far too hot , so we had to stuff a towel through the roof hoops to block the sun.

On the road to Ouarzazate I found the clutch was getting iffy--apparently the bolts holding the clutch housing to the engine had given way and every time I depress the clutch, the engine and clutch moved apart. But this was quickly fixed by the excellent Moroccan mechanics.


1974: Another inside the Todra narrow section


1974: Djemma El Fna water seller


1974: Djemma El Fna gnaoua musicians


1974: Some handsome hippy

OK, I'm on a roll now. These are some pics from my first ever trip in May 1972 in a short-wheelbase 1949 Series I Landy that did 25 mpg on petrol and 50 mpg on oil.

I thought I had no more comparatives then when scanning realised I recognised the scene below.


May 1972: Test Pass when it was piste all the way


Feb 2010: Nearly the same spot looking north towards Ijoukak from the photo spot near the radio masts


May 1972: Test foothills


May 1972: Looking south from the Tizi n'Test


1972: In the near-desert close to Goulamine. With four of us in the Landy things were a bit tight.


1972: The Ktoubia mosque in Marrakech


1972: Never did pay this guy for the photo


1972: In the cloth dying part of the souk

And finally some pics of the bike I took on my 1973 trip, a TriBSA 750 (650cc bored out) with close ratio RRT2 gearbox, rear sets and clip ons.
Whilst I was in Morocco the air force tried to assassinate King Hassan II by shooting down his jet, so things were a bit fraught.

The third pic is in Spain, unfortunately I can't find any pics of the bike actually in Morocco.




Note the security device on the handlebars!



Finally... how did herself do?

Like a good wine she improves with age, this was September 2006 above the Dades Gorge



Tim

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)