Morocco Cycle Touring week 6: Rif, Chefchaouen & Med' coast

20th to 25th May 2013: From Fez by bus 4 hours north to Chefchaouen in the Rif, then riding on to Tetouan and Martil on the Mediterranean Coast
Our hotel room on the third floor of the Mouritania Hotel right in the centre of the Medina
The steep lanes and blue washed houses are typical of Chefchaouen. The blue wash was introduced in the 1930s by Jewish refugees and has become a fashion.
Here the view from the Spanish mosque on the hill near town shows the white and blue tinged wash of the Chefchaouen Medina on the hills of the Rif.
From our terrace restaurant overlooking the main plaza with the restored Kasbah on the left.
The view from the top of the tower in the Kasbah show the plaza and the roof and minaret of the mosque. Also the classic blue Chefchaouen wash to the houses. This was Wednesday morning when it was again sunny before we rode.
Our lunch stop after climbing 400+m we had a beautiful view across the Rif.
Finally the bike groaned to a stop near a lovely lake after 43.5 km. I removed what remained of the two ball rearing races on the drive side. There was also only one intact pawl of 4. We pushed on, literally and amazingly the bike coasted down the hills despite no balls at all in the two right (drive side) bearings.
A rummage sale in the next small village, Tiznat, just 2km from our breakdown and I spot a 20" rear wheel for sale. It is expensive at Dh150 and has too short an axle and the wrong pitch sprocket but another 60 dirham to a very helpful mechanic and those issues are solved. A minor miracle and it works perfectly!
Looking north from Ceuta on Monte Hacho, towards Gibraltar.
A statue in Ceuta of "The pillars of Hercules", Ceuta on one side and Gibraltar on the other. Actually Jebel Musa, a rocky mountain to the west, in Morocco itself is most likely the Southern pillar.
The town centre of Ceuta (Sebta) by night.