Jamal

We took off in the morning headed north towards the high Atlas mountains. They had just had snow the past couple days but most of the roads were clear. It was chilly in the morning with a stiff breeze out of the North pushing us all over the road. The contrast of colors were amazing. You had the bright blue skies and white puffy clouds above. Pair that with the reddish brown to sandy landscapes surrounded you in all directions. There were snow capped peaks in the middle. The black tar snaked out in front of you, making a perfect picture. At an altitude of about 2500 meters we finally started headed downhill towards Azrou. We would end up spending a couple days here in town.

Just a few kilometers outside of town there is a natural reserve, Reserve Naturelle de Cèdres. This is a biosphere Reserve recognized by UNESCO. It is the home to a species of cedar tree native to North Africa. It is also home to the Barbary macaque, The only primate in Europe in the wild. The species is on the Red List of endangered species. It is completely extinct in Tunisia. It is on the decline in Algeria and Morocco. The species has adapted to harsh Winters. The length of their toes is smaller and in some places the tails are almost non-existent to prevent frostbite. As we rode through the reserve we didn’t see any of the monkeys. Then we rounded one corner where tourists congregate and these little beggars are everywhere. We stopped the motorcycle to get a picture and several actually came right up to us.

We had found a really nice apartment in town. It was to stay for a couple days. The apartment had a garage for the bike. Our host took his new car out of the garage to make room for my ratty motorcycle. The apartment was a strange place. The inside was beautiful with colorful pillows and chairs everywhere. Two beautiful couches wrapped the perimeter of two large rooms for relaxing. It had a bathroom, but the kitchen was outside in the hall to be used by two families. We chose the smallest of the three bedrooms to conserve heat as the place had no air conditioning or heat. The temperatures would still be dipping close to freezing at night so we needed to stay warm. Are hosts were wonderful. On the first morning they brought us a tray of sweet pastries they had made. They used honey on the top and some homemade jams.

After a couple days we hopped on the bike for the short ride to Fes. We had also found another nice apartment here on the grounds of the King’s palace. It seems the Queen was born in this area and they frequent the city. On the ride up from Azrou we kept noticing a small noise, something different. I pulled over a couple of times to check for anything loose but found nothing. I finally deducted it was probably the front bearings of the wheel going bad. Now just to find a mechanic to help replace them. This is when my luck turned golden. I found a shop that was about 3 km away. I rode the bike over and searched for several minutes but to no avail. A couple guys on scooters stopped to see if I needed help. They also had no idea where this place was. I looked on Google maps and found another place. It was Moto Fdali on the other side of the city. I headed in that direction. When I arrived the owner came right out and met me in the street. I told him my issues and of course he said “no problem”. Then he offered me tea. You could tell the shop had been there for a long time. You could also tell it was a one-man operation. There were parts and tools and motorcycles scattered everywhere with no apparent organization. It was poorly lit and the floor was slippery from years of working on motorcycles. Only one guy would know where everything was. That one guy was Jamal.

There were three KTMs in the immediate area. All were friends of his bikes and used for writing in the Sahara. They had just come back from a ride. He skillfully maneuvered the motorcycles to one side by sliding them across the floor. He was talking the entire time telling of trips and friends. Jamal pushed my bike into the shop. He carefully balanced it on its side stand and a log from his shop. A strap was placed on a crash bar to the ceiling to make sure the bike wouldn’t topple. He skillfully removed the front wheel and within minutes had the faulty bearings out. I carried a set of bearings with me so those were used as replacements. Using the old bearings and a hammer he quickly inserted the new bearings. By now he realized the back bearings also needed replacing and why not do the brakes while they’re off. A bolt on the rear brake caliper was stuck. Jamal took the caliper off, hopped on a scooter and took off leaving me in charge of the shop.

Several guys stopped in while I was in charge looking to see the progress on their KTMs. That one was upset to see their KTMs pushed to the side with my bike being worked on. The main question? How do you like my country? I replied that I loved Morocco and it’s people. They would place their left hand on the heart with a smile. This was the common gesture. After a while Jamal returned with the fixed brake caliper. He also had some brake pads and a set of rear bearings. He made a point of showing me that they weren’t cheap Chinese shit. His words. He skillfully with the bearings in replace the pads and flushed the brakes. Soon all was back together and off he went on a test ride. When he returned he ushered me back into his shop. We sat and started talking.

He was a very interesting man. He had a loyal following and also worked on motorcycles of travelers that were passing through. Mine was the first bike with a US tag that had ever been in his shop. He also pressed his own olive oil. He brought out three large gallon plastic containers of different colored olive oils. All his. All hand-pressed. We started doing a taste testing of his product. All were tasted from the cap of the bottle. In the end he gifted me a 1 liter bottle of his premiere oil. He wanted me to drink one capful everyday. This was for two reasons. Number one, my health. Number two, so I would never forget about him. He said he would always remember me but wanted me to never forget him.

Jamal, my friend, I will always remember you and your friendship. Stay well and I will see you again the next time through, إنشا الله (‘iinsha allah, ((God willing)).

Cheers to motorcycles, olive oil and good health,

2WANDRRs