Costa Blanca Mountain Walkers

Road to Morocco
7 to 13 November 2010

- by your roving report: Peter Greig

Picture the Scene

"The Road to Morocco", not starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, but an all-star cast of 45 heroes was shot by the camera crew of John Mail, Bob Hall and Barbara Butler (stills). Members of the cast also took snaps. The Directors Bob & Jan cheerfully led the hapless cast across mountains, deserts and sea, and that was before getting to Morocco!

The action took place mostly on a coach, where an international conspiracy of dentists required the cast to eat sweets at all times; and where the villain of the piece, a guide ably played by veteran bad guy Hassan, imprisoned his victims (sorry, tourists) for hours on end. These poor souls, tortured by a constant tirade of historical detail and interesting facts about every city to the leftside and the rightside, staggered off the coach each evening and into yet another hotel, thankful only that it was not the Bates Motel.

Without giving away the happy ending, it’s fair to say that, with the cheerful assistance of newcomer and rising star Yussef and the determination of the indomitable driver Pepe, the sights and sounds of Morocco were enjoyed by all and that everyone returned to sunny Spain wiser and heavier.

Shot in stunning 2D on location between 7 & 13 November, this road movie with a difference showed off the touristic highlights of Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca and Marrakesh, and, despite the gippy tummies of cameraman John and of cameo part player Val, even Fez.

This critic's view is that the true stars of this four-star production were the Moroccan people (and their donkeys) and Morocco itself.

Click here to see Paul Leniston's Morrocan Blog