We made our way to Taourirt, a small town just a few kilometers from the gas station where we had spent the night. Needing to restock on supplies. We stopped for coffee and breakfast. But just as we were about to set off again, the wind picked up, and dark storm clouds rolled in.

Realizing the weather was only getting worse, we checked out the town’s two hotels and decided to stay at Hotel Riad in the main square. Our room was simple but spacious, with a balcony and a good hot bucket shower. What we thought would be just an overnight stop turned into a longer stay—more bad weather was on the way. After a few days of crazy winds and rain we were happy to hit the road again. It felt special to witness rain in the desert—a rare and beautiful sight. #cycletouring #cycling #wanderer #exploring #bicycle #bicycletouring #adventurecycling #cyclinglife #cyclingnomads #traveldiaries #biketouringforever #pedalpower #travelstories #travelbybike #bikewander #bikelife #biketouring #fromwhereiride #worldbycyclingù #worldbybike #pedaljourneys #humanpoweredadventures #neverstopexploring #biketocamp #worldbycycling #BikeTooter #biketouringmike

The wind gusts came and went, and whenever they weren’t too strong, we kept cycling. As it started getting dark, we began looking for a place to camp when we noticed a car following us. Checking the map, we found a campsite, but when we arrived, we saw that it had been closed for a while.

We turned back to a gas station we had passed about a kilometer earlier, where we took shelter from the wind. The staff there were very kind and showed us a spot in the car wash area where we could set up our tent. At the back of the station, there were toilets and even a shower. But soon, the car that had been following us arrived—it was the police.

They told us we couldn’t stay at the gas station, saying it was dangerous. We were completely exhausted and really needed some rest. We ate the takeaway dinner we had prepared in the morning, drank some tea, and tried to figure out what to do next. The wind was picking up again, blowing sideways, making it quite dangerous to be on the road.

We explained to the officers that cycling in the dark with such strong winds was simply not an option and that we would stay put. After some phone calls back and forth, they finally allowed us to spend the night there. So, we ended up sleeping in the car wash area of the gas station—grateful to be sheltered from the wind and rain. #cycletouring #cycling #wanderer #exploring #bicycle #bicycletouring #adventurecycling #cyclinglife #cyclingnomads #traveldiaries #biketouringforever #pedalpower #travelstories #travelbybike #bikewander #bikelife #biketouring #fromwhereiride #worldbycyclingù #worldbybike #pedaljourneys #humanpoweredadventures #neverstopexploring #biketocamp #worldbycycling #BikeTooter #biketouringmike