AN AFRICAN DETOUR

Crossing to Africa at last, Kim, husband Marcus and the children discover the marvels of Morocco

Woken by the echo of the call to prayer, the melodic tones of the muezzin growing gradually louder, it took me a moment to remember I was in Morocco, I was in Africa, a continent I dreamt of visiting as a girl growing up in Liverpool. But I never once imagined I’d be there in a motorhome, with my family.

Morocco is a country of dazzling diversity and endless intrigue, a colourful tapestry of contrasts for those seeking adventure. It’s a land full of history and culture, mighty mountain ranges, seductive souks, ancient cities, enticing coast and of course, the Sahara Desert, the mere mention of which conjures up a world apart.

As we left Tanger Med Port behind, I was lost in thought, oblivious to the excited chatter of Marcus and the children, to the signs for places I never imagined we would be driving to – Fes, Chefchaouen, Casablanca, Marrakech – scarcely believing we were there at last.

There was a time, as a new parent, when I might have eschewed the idea of Morocco as a family travel destination, opting for the so-called safe mainstays of Europe that wouldn’t force us out of our comfort zone. But watching my children grow has reminded me that life is to be lived, we need to take risks, we need to seek out new adventures and be open to fresh possibilities.

Green landscapes

While the unknown can seem frightening, it also holds the key to those moments of joy that make life so meaningful. The sort of moments we came to experience time and again, the further into Morocco our journey took us.

As we drove south from the port on pristine roads, there was an air of familiarity to the landscape, as hills of green that wouldn’t look out of place in France or Spain rolled by.