The warm-up for the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge — the Sahara Challenge!
Day four is under way!
With eight days still to go … it’s already a fight against exhaustion and the heat.
The place we stayed the night before was, in every way, Morocco itself — décor and lamps that couldn’t have looked more the part.
It was so dark that it made me reflect on how much I’d taken for granted, back in Japan, a life lived under bright electric light.
Did you catch the report from day three, the day before?
Trouble after trouble had left my partner and me in a bad mood (ugh). Not speaking, then sleeping and waking up,
and it’s morning. Not interfering with each other, not depending on each other, that’s part of what makes our pairing work as partners,
but in a country where we don’t speak the language, if we can’t support each other, we can’t drive.
The morning sun gave me energy, and today too I bring everyone back in Japan the scenery!
And however tired I am, I never forget to eat (laughs).
And! Today too, once again … we push on down a road that isn’t really a road.
Right now I’m off-course along with several other cars. Relying on someone else leads to exactly this — once you go off-course,
it isn’t easy to get back on, so judging the route is on you alone, and the co-driver’s job of calling out the route matters enormously.
And if a car problem hit on top of this situation, we really wouldn’t make it back, so we press on carefully.
But! Today too, a stunning view opens up out of nowhere. The outside temperature keeps climbing, and however much water I drink,
my body dries out and turns parched again almost instantly.
The bottled water I’d prepared turns to hot water almost at once, and it doesn’t even quench my thirst.
I have to shake off yesterday’s bad mood or there’s no enjoying this! Talking myself back up,
since we’d come all this way, time-control is on my mind, but first, photo time.
I want to take photos, but rushing because the sun will set again today too if we don’t hurry … and look —
it’s cut off, the photo (laughs).
In Morocco, is riding a horse how people get around? A lot of people I saw were on donkeys, not horses.
Locals gathered around too, drawn by the rare classic cars.
Just when I thought we’d finally hit a paved road, it was straight back to dirt (a bumpy, uneven track), and by now
the wooden wheels are starting to worry me.
Never mind that it’s a hundred-year-old car — this time we’re test-driving it on wooden wheels, of all things.
I got to see a bit of how the local people actually live!
In town, even outdoors, tajine pots were everywhere — the smell was wonderful, but by day four
I was getting a little tired of tajine where you can’t even tell what meat is inside.
Even our water turns to hot water … but I still want something to drink. Eyeing the fruit I wanted to buy, I hurried
along the route instead.
Past the town, once again nothing at all … a stunning view opens up!
The sheer scale of the scenery had me smiling without meaning to.
It’s only a test run, the real thing still lies ahead, but even this Sahara Challenge is a first for a Japanese woman!
“How about that!!” — with that kind of pose, we cheer ourselves on and push forward.
Ah, this is during a toilet break. There’s nowhere to hide, so it’s straight-up “field business” behind the car.
I’m used to it by now, though (laughs).
And! Today we somehow made it in time for lunch, a proper meal at last!
Pushing through a road that was nothing but road-less road, fighting the heat, a breath of relief, and on top of it, a lavish Moroccan meal. Was this actually a tourist spot? The man at the restaurant spoke broken Japanese surprisingly well. “Konnichiwa,” “Doko kita,” “Majide~,” “Akanwa…” — whoever taught him this odd Japanese (laughs).
And so, today’s lunch menu … once again, some unidentified “meat.”
If I had to pick what was actually good, it was probably just the fried potatoes, honestly.
This couple were the official doctors.
Not that I’d want to actually need their help … (laughs)
… and just as I was enjoying a brief lunch and about to set off again, it turned out we’d gottenthe time-control departure time wrong, and once again the mood soured, and on top of it — the car started acting strange!!
And then! And then! Right where we’d stopped the car —
an incredible drama began from there.
In Morocco, mid-rally, I was — abducted? Held captive????
Stay tuned for the rest!!