After having spent 8 days in Morocco we moved towards our main destination, Port LAAYOUNE in the Western Sahara, country occupied by the Kingdom of Morocco since Green Walk (military occupation), promoted by Hassan II in 1975, and coinciding with withdrawal of Spain whereas it was an administrative province of the Spanish Sahara, and the death of the Head of State.
November 20th 2005, we arrive, by night, in a dirty hotel in Tan-Tan city, to some 200 km of TARFAYA, last Moroccan city before to enter into the territory of the Western Sahara. We travel with our vehicle and all the necessaries to be autonomous during seven days (meals, water, tents, beds and all the remainder necessary equipment)
We go out early in the morning of the 21, and resume the way towards the south We take with us, Fatima, a Saharan woman who went to LAAYOUNE. She is a very pleasant woman, speaking a perfect Spanish. Daughter of a saharan police force captain, who served what was a spanish territory, she told us time when she lived in Spain.
We have to pass some three controls of police force, before arriving in TARFAYA, with always the same questions: Nationality ? Occupation ? Destination ? Origin ? … the truth proved to be difficult …
a non 4x4 vehicule, with a spanish man, a Brazilian girl and a saharan girl … Fatima helped us and explained to the policeman the reason of this situation. The policeman then understood that we made a favour with one of his compatriot and, with a smile of thanks, he let us to follow to the next check-point … where it was again the same thing…
Once to have let the city of TARFAYA to our right, it did not remain us more than 30 km to do, to arrive on the Saharan territory. In the small city of TAH where is located the geographic separation between Morocco and Western Sahara, we meet a police presence that, this time, let us to follow without to strike us with the same questions as previous check-points. Although the landscape is already desert
for many kilometers, we start to see the first dunes, and hundreds of dromedaries decorate the landscape.
I then called Ricardo (30 AT 051) to tell him that we were in Saharan territory, and that we would try to be on the air in 3 hours, to activate the 300 AT/DX. While entering into the city of LAAYOUNE,
we meet an administrative station where we are stopped again. A policeman and a civil servant ask us the passports and take them in the post to list us on the entries register.
They say us then to go directly to Josefina hotel, situated to PORT LAAYOUNE, and not to go back in the city. Our idea was to camp but, in order not to annoy the officials, we said \\\"yes, yes... thank-you \\\". We leave Fatima downtown and Raissa and me let us carry on our way towards South, by seeking the city of MARSA which is identical with PORT LAAYOUNE.
From 25 km of our destination we ask for a zone to camp. Someone indicates us the existence of an abandoned camping, to 15 km towards North, by the road of the beach. There was a lot of military presences all over the place and we find equally the HQ of the United Nations observers, very near to there we were going to pass five days. In the camping, we meet Ibrahin,
who hypothetically work for this camping without customers. He is there simply to preserve the place and keep company with Mohamed, son of the owner, destined to live here to protect the family property.
Mohamed did not be there, and we must await 3 hours more before he does appear. We are therefore returned facing the HQ, between its building and a moroccan batiment.
We go out then the radio equipment (Kenwood T-570 D), we climb the mobile antenna (Santiago 1200), and we launch the first calls as 300 AT/DX.
14 AT 403 is the first operator to contact us, and then receive the progressive N°1. After two hours in frequency, we eat a quick snack and we return to the camp. We finally meet Mohamed, who had to settle a price for our stay. I do an allusion to him about the radio, and he reply to me that there is not any problem for him,
so that we transmit since the camping, and that we have already established a price. However, after having checked the toilets (dirty and out of order) as well as the showers (in the same state) …. we wonder whether we will stay there. But finally …. a water tank located on a small building would make an emergency shower, and …. the vastness of the desert would be toilets.
Before installing the tent, we see another small building which is not in too bad state, and I ask Mohammed if we can sleep under this ceiling. He reply that there is not any problem. Mohamed, Ibrahin, Marruan (a new friend), Raissa and me then begin to clean the building and to unload all the necessary equipment. One hour after, we are perfectly installed, the portable bed is assembled, and we have a small kitchen, the fridge and a container of food.
We install curtains so that the room do not heat too much during the day, and candles which give it an atmosphere of house at nightfall. The next day at midday, we erect a mast to install a home made dipôle with a balun 1:1.
This dipole gives very good results with the European stations, while the South American and Canarian stations are contacted with the amazing mobile vertical antenna Santiago 1200 (5/9 + in South America).
The used equipment is a Kenwood T-570D.
On 21, we make 253 contacts, On 22, we make 419 contacts On 23, we make 191 contacts On the last day, 127 contacts are made.
Therefore, the total is 1000 progressive numbers (including 10 invalid ones) 59 divisions have been contacted, on 5 continents Stations to mention, 84GT0, 186/14SD056, 92SD150 besides other members from various small groups. Progressive number 1000 have been attributed to 2 AT 275. We shared many hours with our three Saharan friends who helped us well as soon as it was necessary. The long meetings in the evening are a pleasant memory that we have of 300 division, Western Sahara.
The return in Spain was quick, thanks to long daily stages. On the whole, 15 days were necessary and 4924 km traversed in mountain, plains and desert. Thanks to you all, and to your participation, I spent 4 incredible days.
30 AT 747 – Juanjo
Translated from the original texte by : 14AT243 Bruno.
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