Day 222
Day totals: 12 hrs, 19 .6 kms

Today I’m going to work my way north: connect Sale with Sidi Bouknadel which I visited in 2011, and get within a one day hike of Kenitra. Once again, I’m a bit nervous about this stretch of real estate, as after all Sale and Sidi Bouknadel is where the shantytowns and lower class neighborhoods are. 5 years ago I would have had no qualms about strolling through these sorts of areas, but now after hearing of—and seeing—so much crime which is clearly getting worse and worse in this part of the country, I’m just not really in the mood for pushing my luck right now. But I’m going to give it a shot anyway, be on alert, and see how things go.

So I hop on a train and get of at the Sale station and head straight up the main drag towards Kenitra where the road goes under what was once the exterior wall of this ancient city. The highway looks a bit boring, so I opt to veer off through some residential neighborhoods, eventually making my way to the coast, which consists of rugged cliffs and enormous boulders that have broken off and fallen into the water .

It’s a bit hot for walking in the sun, and I’m about to head back in search of a shadier side street, when I reach a little peninsula the juts out into the sea. I talk myself into checking it out, and will not regret my decision. From the edge I’m taken aback by what I see: it’s a little island, of sheer cliffs, flat on the top like a table—and a gaping hole in the center.

Sale has a natural bridge!

And a unique one at that. I think, this should be a tourist attraction—or at least a spot for the locals to come and enjoy. But there’s not a sign that this spot is known to anyone, except a few daring fishermen who dare the surf in inner tubes to ride over and climb up to the top of Table Island to enjoy complete privacy in their only little kingdom. Hmmmm… that does look tempting.

It’s always special to find something beautiful that it seems almost no one knows about . And Table Island in Sale is definitely my new Favorite Discovery here in Sale, which up until now really hadn’t inspired me much. It was worth bringing my guitar, just so I could do another videoclip here…

On past Sidi Bouknadel

Once I reach the edge of Sale, luckily there’s a quiet country road I can follow so I don’t have to walk along the highway… and luckily the only people out here it seems are local herdsmen and farmers, not shifty city folk. I even find I can breath more at ease and just enjoy the walk, without having to profile everyone I pass. It’s not long before I pass Sidi Bouknadel and continue on… until my country road comes to an end at a new neighbourhood/future beach town is being built down by the coast.

Actually once I reach the highway, I almost regret my choice of route. The highway has a row of eucalyptus trees all along it, unlike the sun scorched country road! Anyways, it’s good to see I’ll be able to walk in the shade a while .

And then I see the last thing I’d expect to see in these parts: a museum! ….what?! Casablanca doesn’t have a museum… and Sidi Bouknadel does?? It looks like just somebody’s house turned into a museum—and I know I should go check it out, even if it might be a little overpriced, just so Sidi Bouknadel can go down in history as the Only Slum Suburb with a Museum that I visited. But foolishly, I continue on my way. I suppose I could stop by here later…

The eucalyptus trees continue… soon I’ve got a forest on my left, and a scattering of houses on my right. It seems I’m approaching another town, and I could keep going a bit further. Bit this is the end of the line of the Sidi Bouknadel-Rabat bus, so I figure it’s a good stopping point. Next time I’ll make it all the way to Kenitra, hopefully.

It’s been one of my better days of my Megapolis Superhike, especially with the discovery of Table Island .

Post-visit Kenitra (0108) Reaching the End
May 29, 2013, Day 223
16 hrs, 26.6 kms

Today is the big day: I'm going to hike from Sidi Bouknadel to Kenitra, bringing an end to this Epic Journey, 5 years in the making to an end. And I must say I'm quite relieved. I want this to be over with, I feel a whole lot less at ease about freely wandering around this region than I did 5 years ago.

And today I have a bit of a predicament. From Bouknadel to Mehdia, the next town up, it looks like there's beautiful lagoon, a forest and a long stretch of untouched beach. But right next to it is a scattering of houses called Sidi Taibi that looks suspiciously like a scattered shantytown. Shantytown next to long stretch of open countryside sounds like a precarious combination. And some people from this area have confirmed that this area is pretty dangerous.

So, once again, I leave the guitar and camera at home . My plan is to skip Mehdia altogether and just follow the main highway to Kenitra. But after passing through Sidi Taibi and not getting any bad vibes, I just can't resist the road veering off to the left towards the lagoon.

Aw... what the hell... Let's just do it.

Yep, it's definitely isolated. Very few vehicles, and little sign of civilization as the road slopes down through a dense forest towards a long, fingerlike lagoon that runs parallel to the ocean. Not a super gorgeous shot, but yeah, if I had my camera I'd put it to good use.

The road winds around the end of the lagoon then follows the strip of land on the other side between the lagoon and the sea. I decide not to push my luck any farther and go down to the isolated beach. I follow the road, undisturbed. A couple guys on a horsecart make me feel a little ill at ease, but they don't do anything suspicious.

And then finally, Mehdia appears ... the town where I discovered a cool castle back in 2009. Here I figure I need to enjoy a REAL meal to celebrate great accomplishment just a few kilometers ahead. I opt for a full platter of fish and seafood, looking out on the sea, as I reminsce on all I've been through to reach this moment.

The I set off, up the hill and down through downtown Mehdia, a compact, working class town, in contrast with the upscale beach stretch I just left behind. Then it's a long stretch of neighborhoods under construction... then the modern section of town... then on to the older part of Kenitra that I first visited in February 2008... on to the train station... I board the train...

And that's it. I've done it. I've walked from Jorf Lasfar to Kenitra... I've explored the entire Moroccan Megapolis as no one has ever done before. I've fulfilled my quest. Now let's go home.