Master key cutter at work...Sometimes I feel my life could not be any crazier.... then a day like yesterday happens.
Ive been more or less on the lake for the last 2 weeks and it feels like I've lost all contact with the outside world - Ive been living in my bivvy or in the shop and fishing a bit, but it seems like ive been mainly firefighting. The last month has been hard with non stop mechanical problems to my equipment and a couple of busted ribs have all added to the test. I lost two quad bikes and both outboard motors over the last few months to mechanical failure. Thankfully Ive got the main outboard back after a rebore and new pistons and the quads are just waiting for some parts, so Inshalla we will be working efficiently soon and not by brute force and manual labour.
All the gear for a big presentationSo I was ready for a little break and a chance to present the Morocco Carp project and the groundbreaking photographic work we have been doing in the area to the local tourism big wigs from the CRT (regional centre for tourism) and the CRI (inward investment agency) and a 40 strong selection of Moroccos press.
My favourite junk food stop...The meeting was held in the grand offices of the CRI in the local town of Beni Mellal, just 45 kms from our base on the lake but up and over the mountain which makes it seem a much longer trip than it actually is.
Being interviewed by Moroccan TVAs we were setting up our cameras and computers we got chatting to the RTM film crew and before long Ali, a presenter for the channel asked if he could interview me. I jumped at the chance to explain about Peche no Kill as they call it here, Carp Fishing to us. They always seem to go kinda goofy and look at me like Im an alien when you explain that Peche No Kill means returning the fish back to the water alive, but I persevere in my poor French, and as he wraps it up I feel proud that Ive managed to talk in reasonably coherent French and I hope get the carp fishing message across to the Moroccan Public. He told me that it might be aired on Channel 1 which is Moroccos main TV channel, Inshalla.
On the way back we stopped in at Hamids house as his front door lock had jammed and his poor wife and kids were shivering outside. After a quick inspection it was back into town and a fruitless search for a locksmith, Hamid eventually persuaded a small keycutter to leave his shop and go and rescue the family, leaving me and Photo Mike to man his shop! - I made my first sale after only two minutes, a lovely Berber lady that wanted a new gas burner for her gas bottle, something I know alot about. It must have looked bizarre to her, two Europeans, suited and booted manning a hole in the wall key cutters! made me laugh too and the sheer absurdity of the situation will make me giggle for a long time.
A grand view of the middle Atlas from Hotel OuzoudA phone call on Mikes mobile was the cherry ontop, a beautiful Hotel just on the outside of Beni Mellal want us to do a few photos and a virtual tour of the place. A perfect end to the day with the chance to show our new internet and photo technology plus I get to stay in this rather nice suite and I hear they do a fine steak dinner.
The infinity pool looked great with the mountains reflected
