27th October Marrakesh

Woke when Charles left, (5am) then call to prayer (6am) then after 8 and went to check on cars, to find tourists sitting in the LeaF-Jag taking pictures of each other.

Breakfast with News from the North: Matt has given up on the original Landrover, and another that was rumoured. Now an overland truck has been purchased; which Matt will pick up in Rabat, sort his visa and the truck paperwork and - best case - get to Marrakesh by Friday night. By then though we plan to be in Ouarzarzate. We have visions of having the support vehicle a day or so behind us for this whole trip!

Shopping in the Souk - useful for Rosie - herbs and spices for when she gets to cook. Frivolous for me, simply adding excess baggage.

26th October Skhirat-Marrakesh

Mark and Sue in the Delage made an early getaway - as one of the slower cars. We followed half an hour behind, at 8.15. Jonny was still warming his engine as worried about excessive oil pressure. Text message advice from Paul in England was to adjust the pressure relief valve to bring this down - a job for Marrakesh.

After an enjoyable and still cool run down the coast road we hit Casablanca traffic, which was slow going and hot, then we broke free of this and had open roads with more interesting views. Gradually the Atlas mountains materialised from faint clouds into distant snow-capped peaks and I started to look forward to getting away fro, the cities.

Marrakesh first though and we met Mark and Sue as arranged; a few miles before the city. Finding the main square was relatively straightforward, but by the time we'd located the hotel (in a pedestrianised area) and some parking (rather seedy, demanded payment in advance, but we had few choices) the car was overheating and in need of a rest.

Charles has to fly out early tomorrow morning so we hit the souk for shopping. After some very professional bargaining Charles bought a carpet, shoes for Sarah and dried fruit: Then to the bar at Hotel Tazi where we met the others for many beers and to where Rosie was delivered by her latest conquest - a man met on the train.

Supper was taken in the market square, with Jonny expertly taking charge of ordering kebabs, chips and salads, then negotiating a group discount to the final bill.

Charles and I had been given a room with 3 single beds so, particularly as Charles will be gone by 5am, I suggested that Rosie share it. Much ribaldry from David of course about our threesome.

25th October Plage Rose Marie - still

Breakfast brought news from town - taxi driver got very lost, so very long queue when they arrived. Reached front to be told that the forms were wrong. Collected new forms and returned to hotel: Correct forms then completed, including the names of parents and children, and lists of all countries visited in the last ten years! This done by noon. Sadly the embassy closed at 11am, so Rosie will go back tomorrow.

Armed with latest information we got the maps out and held a route conference, deciding to cut out Meknes, Fez and the North Atlas mountains, heading south instead to Marrakesh, then following a steep winding road through the mountains to Ouarzarzate. This had the advantage of allowing us to hit the road, while Rosie dealt with visas, taking a train to Marrakesh. It also worked well for Mark and Sue, who had particularly wanted to visit Marrakesh, and for Charles, who needs to fly home to compete in a Mountain Marathon at the weekend.

A car electrical engineer arrived this morning and; with Ian and Oliver's help, took Jonny's dynamo away and resoldered the connections. This appeared to work - 30 Euro charge.

We kicked around for the day, explored the local coastal road, had lunch, felt very ready to move on.

News from the North: "Engine fu**ed [Matt is Australian]. Is there a seat for me if Landrover doesn't make it until Sunday?" Yes, there is a seat, but we can't understand how the Landrover could follow on behind the driver. On the bright side; Rosie has befriended a man at the hotel who will take her to the Embassy tomorrow and then to the station.

Charles went for another run - this time joined by Rosie. Sitting on the terrace I got chatting to a Tuareg man called Benasser Amdaghri and his wife; he turned out to be a film star with fil,ography including; Legionnaire with Jean-Claude van Damme, Bad Boy with Samuel L. Jackson and Operation Condor with Jackie Chan.

Debacle over dinner - in a bid to eat somewhere new we followed Jonny south to a town square where a restaurant had been spotted earlier. On discovering that they didn't serve alcohol Oliver got up and walked out, insisting that he knew another place. Half an hour later we walked out of another restaurant and, after 10pm ended up frazzled and back at our favourite.

24 October, Plage Rose Marie, Skhirat, South of Rabat

Slept well (no Muezzin), had a lazy start and breakfast of OJ, coffee, pain au chocolat, french bread and jam, so on to fettling for everyone.

Our light problem was annoyingly harder than necessary, as none of our spare bulbs were relevant. Also our voltmeter ran out of battery (a type of which we carry no spare). I Araldited together the broken indicator bulb, while Charles repaired the mounting with lockwire: Regarding the throttle we couldn't find any sticking points in the linkages, so concluded a sticky butterfly. I Rainexed the windscreen, making the wipers superfluous.

News from the north: Rosie, the chef, is en route by public transport to be passenger with Jonny, while we carry her luggage. The trailer with the camp kitchen is still with the broken landrover, so she won't be able to cook. Landrover - no diagnosis yet.

Walked on the beach with the Halls, and good salad lunch in the same restaurant as last night: It was packed - obviously a popular venue for Sunday lunch. We ate watched by very sleek cats lurking on the windowsills and eyeing up our fish.

Charles went for an afternoon run; on the beach in his boots, and Rosie arrived late afternoon - Scottish, twenty five; tall and very blonde. A big hit with the men particularly. She set to work as our substitute tour guide, getting Mauritania visa forms from the hotel, which we filled in and assembled packs each including; passport and two copies, 4 passport photos and 20 Euros. Rosie to go to Embassy first thing for visas - accompanied by Jonny, who forgot to bring photos.

23rd October: Tarifa-ferry-Tangier-Rabat

23rd October: Tarifa-ferry-Tangier-Rabat

On discovering that Jonny, Oliver and Ian were still in Cadiz (with Jonny's car having had a change of mag, and now no working dynamo) we decided to go for the 1pm ferry. In other news from further north; Matt (our guide), Rosie (our cook) and the Landrover support vehicle are still in Seville; with an overheated engine. Apparently the head is to be taken off on Monday - which puts them two days behind us before even a diagnosis.

Late leaving for the ferry, as Charles and Lawrence had to go and visit a building in town which they own. The Chrysler, Jeep and LeaF all got onto a noon ferry not listed on the schedules, while we caught the 1pm (actually 1.35) with Mark and Sue who had taken the long route, through France, in their Delage. Having suffered overheating already, they had added a supplementary radiator and fan in line with the original - pic above. As the engine is only a 1500 side valve, there is plenty of room under the bonnet.

Ferry a very fast 35 minute crossing and we landed at 12.10 - gaining two hours on the clock; while travelling just a few miles due South. Straight into a traditional Moroccan welcome -directed into a customs shed by some men in very splendid uniforms, where we were locked in to be fleeced by men in grubby track suits. The process started by being offered peppermint tea by a man in a long robe. When he returned to ask for money the customs men were shocked and surprised by his affrontery. Meanwhile they tutted over our paperwork - the fact that my name wasn't on the car documents, and Rollo's letter of authority didn't have an official government stamp on it was apparently a big problem - eventually settled by a visit to a policeman and the palming of a ten Euro note. A final payment of five Euros and the gates were opened for us to rejoin the others at a bar in the square - the five cars together for the first time and a photo opportunity supervised by grubby street hawkers and beggars.

Finally we left Tangier for Rabat at 2pm. The journey South, down the coast road, was through rather dull and impoverished countryside. Agriculture dominated by eucalyptus plantations, with some bananas being farmed inside tatty plastic protection. The Autoroute had a surprising amount of pedestrian traffic - children mostly, trying to sell fruit to the sparse, speeding traffic.

Oliver and Ian, who had done their bit chaperoning the slower members of the party, sped on in the Jeep. Meanwhile we did penance for our bad convoy behaviour yesterday by keeping the rest of the group in sight - through some unexpected heavy downpours of rain.

With plans for a day or two in Rabat we drew up a job list for fettling: check oil and water; fix nearside rear indicator and stop light; look at throttle linkage - as tickover too high when warm; try to get windscreen wipers to work.

We negotiated the long, busy Rabat ring road in gathering gloom, then addressed the challenge of finding the hotel; we had a map fragment, but no GPS co-ordinates, and Charles and I had the other three cars on our tail lights - Jonny getting increasingly agitated by lack of dynamo in the dark. With only one u-turn we chanced upon the hotel - by luck as much as judgement, and pulled into the car park of Hotel Las Gambusias: pleasant grounds, plenty of cockroaches, no plugs in sinks, but hot water.

The Jeep had been well ahead, but taken longer to find their mark, and Oliver celebrated each new arrival in the lobby with a tumbler of whisky. The receptionist became increasingly agitated by this until Oliver offered him a drink and the man recoiled in horror. I suggested that maybe the whisky bottle should go away.

Supper at the smart restaurant opposite was delicious, but we had too little local currency and Charles, an ex-forex trader, was indignant at the bad rate given by the waiter.

At the end of our first day in Morocco we concluded that it felt more foreign and third world than we expected - a country that greets visitors from Europe with such a customs process shows that it severely lacks either pride or control. The French colonisation had achieved one good thing though - excellent food, with superb bread.

Saturday morning - civilised breakfast with Lawrence, Georgia and their daughters, Maisie and Lilia. Charles rushed off to view a building that he and Lawrence own here. When he reappears we must rush to rejoin David, Jacky and hopefully the others.

20:47 - by text - Arrived in Tarifa in the dark. Having supper with friends of Charles who happen to live here! Jonny still 400km further back.

Edited to add: a long day - 415 miles, at an average of nearly 55mph. Pictures of Salamanca Cathedral in the morning light, and a bridge in Seville.

News from further back along the road was that Jonny had magneto problems, and they weren´t going to make it to Tarifa tonight. Mark and Sue, the last to join the party, plan to meet us for the ferry, but are suffering from overheating problems.

Meanwhile I had document panics - carnet found to be still in the New Forest with Rollo, the car´s owner. He will DHL it out to Rabat. In a panic about this I then nearly lost my passport which, along with my camera, got driven over by a truck before being rescued by David and Jacky from the middle of a dual carriageway.

We need to all get our acts together if we´re to make it to Timbuktu (Ghana for everyone else).

14:58 - by text. All 4 cars reunited for a very good lunch at a truck stop restaurant. Now Charles driving, and we are on track to reach Tarifa around 8pm. Spain is very hot and arid.

9:01am - by text. Charles Hill flew from Amsterdam to Madrid, then bus to Salamanca, to join me for a week. I successfully found the bus station and loaded Charles and his luggage into the Leaf. About to set off on todays long drive to Tarifa.

18:03. Salamanca Parador by text.

After what seems like a long day, but only about 6 hours of driving, now in Salamanca Parador. It's lovely and I'll test the shower and the internet.

Edited to add pictures of Jonny with beer-assisted carb fettling. Also me refilling with oil - the engine was producing copious oil from the rocker cover seal - which then dripped onto the exhaust and burnt off leaving me travelling in clouds of black smoke.

Arriving in Salamanca David and I talked through my oil leak problem and realised that the rubber glove was serving to pressurise the crankcase - hence the leaks. Cutting off a finger cured the problem, but should still serve to prevent sand being sucked in under negative pressure.

Feeling too tired and lazy to go into town, we spent our evening in the Parador. We were slightly alarmed initially that the restaurant seemed to be closed, but reception seemed surprised that anyone might expect it to open before 8.30.

20th October met at Portsmouth - the other cars being Oliver Holmes and Ian Garbett in a Willys Jeep, David and Jacky Hall in a Chrysler and Jonny Malcolm-Green in a wooden-bodied Lea Francis.

Also met someone even madder than us - a man called Daniel Roberts on a tricycle made entirely from the contents of skips on the Isle of Wight. Apparently it has a top speed of three miles an hour.

1pm - by text - Just south of Santander and Jonny already has his carb in pieces...

Packing the car

Packing up the car last night. Somehow everything fitted. Rollo had already squeezed in all the spares in the handy rear compartment which sits under the hood. Everything else went reasonably comfortably in the rear seat space - sand ladders padlocked over the top, and tents over that, under a cargo net.

The surreal hand waving from the engine is a surgical glove attached to the crankcase breather - to allow it to breathe without inhaling sand. I'll keep an eye on this in Spain, and if it doesn't last will find another solution.

Now last minute photocopying of documents - so border posts can have everything they need, and then it'll be off to Portsmouth to meet the others; David and Jackie Hall, Jonny and Diana Malcolm-Green and Oliver Holmes and Ian Tarbett. Mark and Sue Owen went ahead and will join us in Southern Spain and we'll meet up with a Sabre support vehicle in Rabat.

London-Timbuktu

On October the 20th, four cars will embark on a ferry to Santander - the first leg of a journey to Ghana via the Sahara and Timbuktu.

I will be driving a 1940s Lea Francis - powered by a 1960s Jaguar engine. This belongs to Rollo Malcolm-Green, who will take over the wheel in Mali.

Apart from the sheer adventure of the trip, we're raising money for an educational charity called Sabre Trust. You can learn more about this (and make a contribution) on our Virgin Money Giving page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team/M-GSahara2010.

My last-minute packing and preparation is almost done - a good thing as I leave very shortly to join the LeaF(expertly prepared by Rollo) deal with any last-minute panic preparation, squeeze my luggage into the car, and tomorrow morning depart for Portsmouth. With some time available on the ferry (although alas no internet access likely) I hope to write more.