DESPITE some unfriendly Spaniards, and only snapping six photographs between them, Morocco hitchhikers Liz Jones and Chris Ashbolt could find no negatives in their charity adventure.

Just before Easter the friends set off on a challenge to hitchhike from Swindon to Morocco.

The stunt was devised to raise cash for African charity the Link Community Development.

Students Liz, 21, of Sandringham Road, Lawn, and Chris, 19, of Tyburn Close, Grange Park, got back last Saturday.

And it only took them just over a week to get from Swindon to Morocco.

Liz said: "It got to the stage where if someone was going somewhere in the direction of Morocco we didn't care where they were going as long as it was south."

Both Chris and Liz said their friendship survived the trip - despite some stressful situations.

With only a multi-pack of Snickers and some noodles for food, the trip seemed a risk, especially considering the safety issues.

It was not long before they hit their first problem when, on arrival in Nantes, they discovered they were two weeks early for the campsite tent season.

"We ended up traipsing round looking for somewhere to stay and learned not to be too picky," said Liz.

Spain was - unsurprisingly as neither speaks any Spanish - the country that caused the most problems.

"It didn't help that we did not speak any Spanish - that made it the most difficult part of the trip," said Liz.

"I think we found France the easiest to hitch in. It's probably a cultural thing.

"But I don't think the Spanish understood the principle of hitchhiking.

"They tended to ignore you or give you a horrible look.

"In France if, for some reason, they couldn't give you a lift they smiled and waved and gave you some gesture to tell you why - they just seemed a bit more open to it.

"But we were in Spain for a couple of hours before we'd get a lift."

Luckily for the pair, just as they were giving up hope south of Madrid, they found some British truckers who managed to get them a lift all the way into Morocco.

"They just had British number plates and Chris practically begged them to be honest," said Liz.

"We'd travelled less than 30 kilometres in the whole day of hitching at that point."

Despite camping out once it was so cold that they abandoned the idea and stayed in the truckers' accommodation.

"A three-course meal and a bed for 15 euros - there are perks to being a trucker," laughed Liz.

Despite their adventures the pair had problems recording them.

"We only took one camera and then the batteries went on it - it just ate the batteries we put in it," said Chris.

Liz added: "The Moroccans don't like you taking pictures of them - they think it's rude definitely without paying for them."

After six days in Casablanca, Fez, Tangiers and Rabat, the pair flew back to the UK 10 days ago.