It's beautiful everywhere, just different

01/23/2023 Asilah - Meknes: Our route today took us exclusively on well-built country roads. Of course, we also passed through some larger cities on our 200-kilometer stage, but this time the traffic was limited. We cruised comfortably at 70, 80 kilometers per hour, giving us the opportunity to take in many impressions of this Morocco.

So, what was my first impression of this country - aside from the unpleasant scenes at the border crossing? Very diverse. Many extremes. Rich and poor, new and old, beautiful and repulsive. And all very close together. Three young guys on their heavily equipped quads roar past a group of young men searching for usable remains in the trash on the roadside. Super modern villas show off next to dilapidated huts held together by a few boards. Or the trash on the roadside stretching into the adjacent fields, overshadowing the image of this impressive region with its beautiful lush greenery.

The plastic waste also surprised Brigitte and Berndt. "It used to be cleaner," says Brigitte, rolling her eyes. Four years ago, Morocco's King Mohammed VI decreed that plastic bags should no longer be used in his country. "A few months later, all the trash disappeared," adds Berndt.

There's not much left that could surprise the two residents of Halle in this country. This is their eighth RV tour through the Western Kingdom, as the locals call their country. The business economist and the civil engineer bought an RV in 1999, retired in 2000, and signed up for a six-week guided tour a year later. "Back then, many villages didn't have electricity and there were no water pipes," Brigitte recalls the images of young men with donkeys loaded with 20 colorful water canisters. And most of the roads were just gravel. Today, there are even four-lane highways in the cities, and the entire country is traversed by asphalt roads that are better than many country roads in Germany.

"It's beautiful everywhere, just different," says Berndt, who from the beginning shared his wife's desire to see the world. During the GDR era, they traveled to Poland, Hungary, Romania, or Russia, occasionally by plane, but whenever possible with the caravan, which also accommodated their three children. Who would be surprised: The three of them are also enthusiastic campers today.

The fact that Brigitte and Berndt are accompanying the tour is thanks to Richard, who convinced the two long-standing members of the European Motorhome Friends, especially because of their extensive experience in Morocco. He probably didn't have to make much effort... "We are drawn to this country," says Brigitte. "The summer, the sun, the warmth." And of course, the people with their open, friendly nature. But this time it should definitely be the last time, she says, looking over at her husband, who shrinks back. "Well," says Brigitte, "next year our daughter Kerstin will retire and she has never been here before..."