It was Saturday. The race starts tomorrow. Today we shaved my helmet foam down so it didn’t cause me stress fractures in my skull, practiced changing a flat tire, and sat down for a barbeque for the whole South Racing team – all 55 people in the South Racing pit.
It turns out there were some interesting people driving the other cars. Andrew Short, the ex motocross racer I had watched on tv racing for years was the co-driver for the Can Am Factory car. Rokas was from Lithuania and was the season points leader of the four race series. All he had to do was finish relatively well and he’d win the season points championship. Chaleco Lopez was from Chile and was a real contender in the points race. Two guys from the Netherlands were rally racers who were racing in the dirt this time. There was a father and son from the US in two different cars.
As the days passed we shared stories and bonded over the whole experience. It’s funny how going through challenging circumstances together can do that.
One more afternoon until the race. We decided to go to the souk – the marketplace in the center of Marrakesh. It’s a crazy place. Crowded. Shops and stands selling all kinds of things in narrow alleys and courtyards. Hustlers. We were warned about pickpockets more than once. There was a snake charmer playing a flute-like instrument and a cobra – a real cobra standing up. If you took your phone out to take a picture they’d rush you and tell you they want money for the picture.
We walked, and walked, and walked. Narrow alleys full of people – but it didn’t stop scooters and motorcycles from driving in the alleys. People stepped aside trying not to get run over. When we’d seen enough we caught a taxi back to our resort. I got to sleep at 9pm. Little did I know things were about to change in every way.