BACK TO CIVILISATION.....eventually

13th.March 2014

Left Chefchaouen at 8.30. Ferry from Tangier Med at 14.00.
Lovely drive over mountains, slow at first but dual carriageway from Tetouan so after last stop to fill up with fuel arrived port at 11.30 and first stop to change MD's back to € as useless outside Morocco. Check in no later than 45 mins before sailing ( is 13.15) was optimistic as it took us an excruciating hour and  a half to clear police and customs, including exiting the van whilst they ran a huge mobile MRI scanner over it to check for illegals and hidden drug compartments. On the dock at no.2 quay by 13.00 to be reunited with Malc & Christine and swap tales. Then discover  ferry will be 2 hours late like kit was coming over. At 14.00 we are moved to quay 6 where a Balearics ferry is loading. Assume we are being put on this until the ramps go up and it sails off. At 15.30 an unmarked ferry docks in front of us and unloads. During this process, an FRS ferry sails in and goes somewhere. At 16.00 we are moved back to quay 2 where we find the FRS ferry hasn't even started unloading. When it starts, it is full of trailers that have to be hauled out with tractor units.and then loaded with more of the same, reversing on laboriously. We get on last at 17.00, frontwards,meaning we will have to reverse off. Sail at 17.30
Arrive at Algeciras 18.30, or 19.30 as it is in Spain. Doesn't start unloading until 20,00 and then takes an hour and a half to clear police and customs in chaos amongst huge freight  wagons being searched. Finally clear port at 21,45 and plan of heading to restaurant with overnight parking has to be shelved as we head to Lidl carpark and grab a McDonalds at 22.00 extremely frazzled and bad tempered, especially as they refuse me a knife and fork and have no wine list after a month in a Muslim country.
Repair to Big Malc's for beer and brandy. What a waste of a day.