Chefchaouen - Fes

We got back 2 days ago -- couldn't log into the blog for most of the trip so we've decided to split this up into a few separate blog entries.

The drive from Chefchaouen was definitely one of the highlights of the trip as it defined the concept of "Berber of the North". The road is a horror show because the entire way is peppered with drug dealers who try to get you to stop the car so they can sell you hash. These are not normal hash dealers: they'll tailgate the car and swerve into oncoming traffic to try to get you to stop and they work in teams! You'd think that by the 14th hash dealer they would have worked out that you either (1) don't want hash or (2) have already bought it from one of the previous 13 guys, but no. Dan took a hard left and lost control of the car, which fishtailed 180 degrees between a mountain and a cliff.

The guidebook said that the drive used to be dangerous but it wasn't anymore, but they were so wrong. Ketama, the midpoint of the drive, is packed to the brim with Berbers of the North. The guy at the petrol station was of course selling hash which didn't work, but we did buy 3 different kinds of power drinks there. Crazy Horse is cool, Unicorn-something is crap and sticky and Wild Dragon was super..

The drive from Ketama to Fes is 3 and a half hours and is very pretty. All the Berbers will tell you that you can cover the Chefchaouen - Fes distance in 2 hours ("easy.. buy the hash, the road will go faster..") but that's because the 2 hours is in Berber time. The drive takes all day. Watch out for the drug dealers. We reported one to the police. It wouldn't come as any surprise if the guy was selling hash to the cops (or rugs) as they were arresting him.